John's Articles

32-Month-Old Girl Hits, Screams and Throws Things

Posted on 4/26/2011

Brother's response to surly sister stokes more outbursts Q: Our 7-year-old son and 32-month-old daughter squabble with each other constantly, mostly over taking and playing with each other's...

2-Year-Old Boy Separation Anxiety

Posted on 4/26/2011

Q: My husband and I are raising our 2-year-old grandson. He's been in day care since he was a year old. He loves his current day care, and we've had absolutely no problems until recently. All of a...

28-Month-Old Girl Naptime

Posted on 2/15/2011

Kids give up naps when ready, no matter the age Q. Over the holidays, our 28-month-old daughter stopped napping. A couple of days we were so busy with Christmas that a nap simply was not...

Meal Time Circus

Posted on 2/8/2011

Don't let kids run family food circus I must, in the interest of full disclosure, begin this column with a confession: I am a voyeur; more specifically, a parenting voyeur. In the words of...

2-Year-Old Sleeping in Parents' Bed

Posted on 11/30/2010

Time for the really bad parenting advice award Every so often, when I'm feeling in an especially mischievous mood (as opposed to my typically mischievous mood), I award a RALPH - Rosemond's...

Preschool Education Programs

Posted on 10/12/2010

Preschool without shame? What a pity The National Association for the Education of Young Children and I don't see eye to eye on many things - maybe anything. We don't even agree on a definition...

2-Year-Old Girl Eating Issues

Posted on 9/28/2010

Don't get into a food fight with a toddler Q: My 2-year-old daughter eats a few bites of supper each night and then wants milk. So I give her milk. Then she refuses to eat anything else. We...

Toddler Tantrums

Posted on 9/14/2010

Toddler tantrums have simple source Today's parents - especially those in the educated class who consume parenting information via newspaper columns, books, and seminars - tend toward what I...

26-Month-Old Boy Ready for Toilet Training

Posted on 8/10/2010

Toddler sends a message Q: Our 26-month-old grandson has started finger-painting on walls and furniture with poop when he wakes up from his nap. We think he wakes up, poops in his diaper and...

2-Year-Old Boy Throws Items at Others

Posted on 7/27/2010

Got a 2-year-old who throws? Give him the gate Q. Our son is a month from being 2. We're concerned about his throwing. During a recent dinner out, he threw a fork that whizzed by a lady's head,...

30-Month-Old Boy Very Clingy

Posted on 7/13/2010

When toddler clings, don't give in Q: I'm a stay-at-home mom who attends a moms' group that meets every two weeks. Every time I leave my 30-month-old in the play group, which is supervised by...

2 1/2-Year-Old Girl Nap Time

Posted on 5/18/2010

Toddler exercises her will at naptime Q: My 21/2-year- old is still sleeping in her crib. When we put her in for a nap, she begins jumping up and down, holding onto the side. (She was also...

Toilet Training Success

Posted on 5/12/2009

PARENTS' ATTITUDE IS KEY TO POTTY TRAINING SUCCESS Two weeks ago, I addressed what has become the No. 1 Toilet Training Problem in America: children who refuse to use the toilet for bowel...

Toilet Training: Just Do It

Posted on 4/28/2009

THIS GENERATION'S WAYS OF POTTY TRAINING HAS GOTTA GO What's it going to take for American parents to realize that just as it's far easier to house-train a 4-month-old puppy than a 1-year-old...

2-Year-Old Girl Rejecting Dad and Brother

Posted on 1/13/2009

TOT'S BEHAVIOR MAY NOT BE TIED TO MEDICAL ILLS Q: As a result of being born with PHACES syndrome, my 2-year-old daughter has had numerous facial and eye operations. Because of all the stress,...

2 1/2-Year-Old Boy Overly Tired From Waking Up During the Night

Posted on 1/6/2009

LATE BEDTIME MAY MEAN YOUNG CHILD WON'T SLEEP AS WELL THE BIGGEST BENEFIT OF PUTTING A CHILD TO BED EARLY IS THAT COUPLES GET TO SPEND TIME TOGETHER. Q. For the last month, our 2...

2-Year-Old Boy Socialization Opportunities

Posted on 1/6/2009

Q. How important is it that I provide my 2-year-old with socialization opportunities? The other mothers in the neighborhood have formed a play group for their toddlers, but they seem to spend most...

16-Month-Old Boy Refuses to Feed Himself

Posted on 12/30/2008

PARENTS SHOULD CALMLY HELP BABY LEARN TO FEED HIMSELF Q. Our 16-month-old son refuses to feed himself. He will not even touch his food other than to throw it to the floor. If I try to put a bit...

Early is Better Than Later For Toilet Training

Posted on 10/7/2008

EARLY IS BETTER THAN LATER FOR BABY'S TOILET TRAINING I've said many times that letting a child older than 30 months soil and wet herself several times a day is an insult to the child's...

Toddler Toilet Training

Posted on 9/23/2008

PARENTS GET CREATIVE AND GET GOOD RESULTS As regular readers of this column know, my advice tends toward the "psychologically incorrect" end of the spectrum. As a consequence, I frequently...

Toilet Training: Lose the Diapers Early

Posted on 9/2/2008

LOSE THE DIAPERS ASAP From the Great Suggestions Department: Amanda from Illinois shares a great idea concerning night-time "potty" training. She writes: "When my first daughter was day-time...

33-Month-Old Girl Being Spoiled by Grandmother

Posted on 7/15/2008

LET GRANDMA CATER TO TODDLER IF SHE LIKES Q: My daughter is 33 months old and has been potty-trained for a year now. When my mom comes to visit, or when we go to her house, she still reads my...

PreSchool-Age Kids' Tantrums

Posted on 6/10/2008

TAMP DOWN TODDLER'S TANTRUMS EARLY An Atlanta pediatrician sent me an article from the February issue of Pediatric News describing research on tantrums in children ages 3-6. Intrigued, I spent...

18-Month-Old Boy Crys at Restaurants

Posted on 4/1/2008

CRYING AT RESTAURANTS IS TOUGH BEHAVIOR TO CHANGE, SO EAT IN Q. How should I handle an 18-month-old who cries at a restaurant because he wants out of his high chair to sit with me or someone...

Second Grade Girl's Teacher Does Not Correct Homework

Posted on 2/5/2008

REVIEW CHILD'S HOMEWORK IF TEACHER ISN'T CORRECTING IT Q. My daughter's second-grade teacher does not correct homework but only checks whether or not it was done. I find that my daughter often...

13 - Month - Old Child Having Difficulty Adjusting To Daycare

Posted on 11/20/2007

TAKING BUNNY AWAY ONLY ADDS TO TOT'S FEELINGS OF INSECURITY Q. I work at a day care where a 13-month-old child is having difficulty adjusting. She has a rash around her mouth from constant...

3 - Year - Old - Child Controlling Parent

Posted on 11/20/2007

Don't let child control you Q. My 3-year-old is a control freak. She's usually agreeable and obeys the first time more often than not. However, she often attempts to control her...

2-Year-Old Child Being Clingy

Posted on 10/16/2007

COPING WITH A CLINGY CHILD; A SOLUTION FOR SIBLING BATTLES Q. Our family just moved to a new city and my 2 1/2-year-old son won't do anything during the day but follow me around. If I give...

Mealtime Issues With Young Children

Posted on 9/4/2007

Spilled drinks Q. My 2-year-old has a bad habit of tipping over a regular cup at meals. He will take a drink and then just dump the rest onto the tray of his highchair. We have tried only...

2-Year-Old Girl Being Rough With Younger Sibling

Posted on 8/21/2007

HOW TO KEEP TODDLER FROM PLAYING TOO ROUGH WITH BABY Q. My 2-year-old loves her 11-month-old little sister and will play nicely with her most of the time. At times, however, she gets excited...

Youngsters Don't Need To Use Computers

Posted on 7/3/2007

YOUNGSTERS DON'T NEED TO USE COMPUTERS Q: The first time our children visited the grandparents this summer, Grandpa began asking the oldest if he was going to computer camp this summer, if he...

Ticket Method for Discipline

Posted on 5/1/2007

WANT A WAY TO TRAIN CHILDREN TO BEHAVE? HERE'S THE TICKET Q: John, several other parents have told me about your "ticket" method for dealing with misbehavior, but I wonder if I can get it...

Aggressvie Children

Posted on 4/24/2007

STOP AGGRESSION WITH SIR METHOD Last week I promised to provide a tried-and-true solution to a problem that is increasing in both frequency and magnitude: children who are aggressive toward...

3-Year-Old Tantrums

Posted on 4/10/2007

EARLY LESSON IN GOOD BEHAVIOR TAMPS DOWN A TEMPER TANTRUM I had a conflict with one of my grandchildren the other day during which I was insensitive to his feelings, used my size advantage to...

3-Year-Old Sleeping Issue

Posted on 2/20/2007

ALLOWING KIDS TO SLEEP IN YOUR BED CAN LEAD TO A NIGHTMARE Sometimes I wonder if parents understand the concept of robbing Peter to pay Paul - that taking the easy way out of a parenting...

3-Year-Old in Timeout

Posted on 1/16/2007

Time-out turnaround Q: In looking over the last 25 years of your work, I've discovered that in one place you said a 3-year-old should spend no more than three minutes in time-out, but in...

Toddler/Preschool Classes

Posted on 1/9/2007

ALL THOSE CLASSES FOR TOTS WON'T TEACH WHAT REALLY MATTERS Q: In my hometown, various enrichment programs for children under 3 are proliferating. A 2-year-old can take ballet, music, yoga, or...

3-Year-Old Going to Preschool

Posted on 1/2/2007

TODDLERS WHO DON'T GO TO PRESCHOOL UNLIKELY TO FALL BEHIND THEIR PEERS Q: At what age do you think children should start going to preschool? My son is going on 3, and he is home with me. I...

Toddler Tantrums

Posted on 12/12/2006

TODDLER'S TANTRUMS RUIN THE MORNING Q: My daughter skipped the terrible twos and is now going through the even more terrible threes. The worst part of it is her behavior in the morning. When...

30-Month-Old Twins Won't Go To Sleep

Posted on 12/12/2006

Bedtime turns into playtime The problem: 30-month-old twin boys who have learned to climb out of their cribs, thus turning bedtime into a two-hour play-fest. (Note: beds have been ordered and...

5- and 2-Year-Old Boys Won't Take Naps

Posted on 12/5/2006

NOW THAT THEY'RE BUNKING TOGETHER, THEY WON'T TAKE NAPS Q: My almost 5- and 2-year-old boys recently moved to a bunk bed to be in the same room. I'm delighted that they have a wonderful...

2 1/2-Year-Old Obsessions

Posted on 10/24/2006

TODDLER DOESN'T NEED THERAPY TO GET OVER HIS 'OBSESSIONS' Q: My 2 1/2-year-old sometimes becomes obsessed with certain objects or activities. When this happens, it's impossible to distract him...

19-Month-Old Sleep Issues

Posted on 10/3/2006

TODDLER WON'T SLEEP IN HER OWN ROOM Q: I am adopting a 19-month-old child who has had problems going to sleep on her own since the day I brought her home. At first, I sat next to her while she...

Toilet Train by Age 2

Posted on 9/26/2006

BE KIND - LIBERATE YOUR BABY FROM DIRTY DIAPERS BY AGE 2 Knowing that I recommend toilet training between 18 and 24 months, and apparently feeling a tad contrary, a reader recently shared with...

30-Month-Old Moving to New House

Posted on 9/19/2006

Make moving an adventure Q: When and how we should begin preparing our 30-month-old daughter for moving to a new house? Should we tell her a few weeks ahead of time or the week of the move?...

Grandma Giving Gifts to Grandchildren

Posted on 8/22/2006

LET GRANDMA ENJOY THE FUN OF BRINGING GIFTS FOR THE CHILDREN Q: Should I stop my mom from giving my three preschool kids presents every time she visits? She is usually here once a month for...

Socializing the Toddler is the Single Biggest Challenge of Parenthood

Posted on 8/15/2006

PARENTS' BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS TAMING THEIR TODDLERS In response to my recent "How to grow a happy child" column, a reader writes that while she agreed with its gist, she was disappointed that I...

28-Month-Old Sleeping Issues

Posted on 8/8/2006

STAY CALM ABOUT TODDLER'S CHANGING SLEEP PATTERNS Q: Our 28-month-old recently started waking three or four times a night and coming into our room crying. We respond by telling her it's still...

20-Month-Old Head-Banging

Posted on 6/13/2006

WALK AWAY FROM TODDLER'S HEAD-BANGING SESSIONS Q: Our 20-month-old daughter has recently started banging her head on the floor, walls and hard furniture when we don't give in to her about...

20-Month-Old Rejecting Dad

Posted on 5/16/2006

This week's question A dad in Florida asks what he might have done to cause his 20-month-old to reject him. Whenever he attempts to do something for his son, the child puts up great physical...

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