Boredom teaches us that life isn’t a parade of amusements. More important, it spawns creativity and self-sufficiency. “I’m bored.” It’s a puny little phrase, yet it has the power to fill parents with a cascade of dread, annoyance and guilt. If…
Children should be encouraged to spend time outdoors to reduce their risk of becoming shortsighted, experts have said. Shortsightedness is rising around the world, with the condition said to have reached epidemic proportions in east Asia: estimates suggest about 90%…
It is easy to accept that a one-year-old baby is not yet able to dress herself unassisted, or to put on socks and shoes without help. Even people who do not spend their days working and playing with very young…
Children should do chores. That’s a controversial premise, though not everyone will admit it. A few parents will declare outright that their children are “too busy for chores” or that “their job is school.” Many more of us assign chores,…
Educational experts proclaim that we have a crisis in the education of boys in this country. The media attention to this topic has been extensive, yet I do not see the systemic changes that are needed.https://www.huffingtonpost.com/lori-day/why-boys-are-failing-in-a_b_884262.html
When worrying gets in the way of a child’s functioning, parents need to get help rather than arranging the child’s life to avoid the occasions of anxiety.https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/01/well/family/how-to-help-a-child-with-an-anxiety-disorder.html
Angela Hanscom is a pediatric occupational therapist who has written important (and popular) posts on this blog about child development and the unfortunate way that many schools fail to meet the needs of young children. Her first, in 2014, was…
Rewards and punishments are conditional, but our love and positive regard for our kids should be unconditional. Here’s how to change the conversation and the behavior. “I feel a sense of dread as bedtime rolls around. Here we go again.”…
Last month, I picked up my children from their first day back in American elementary school after three years at a French school in Belgium. They both looked glum. “Did you make any friends?” I asked hopefully. “What’s the point?”…
Imagine a drug that could enhance a child’s creativity, critical thinking and resilience. Imagine that this drug were simple to make, safe to take, and could be had for free.https://www.bakersfield.com/ap/national/doctor-s-orders-let-children-just-play/article_2feb1c29-26c9-5d7b-ae2c-2318a24a8d4f.html