John's Articles

Baby Needs Structure, Routine; The Discipline Can Come Later

Posted on 5/2/2006

Q: Is it possible to discipline a child below the age of 2, and if so, how? A: If by "discipline" you mean teaching and enforcing proper behavior, the answer is no. Discipline of that sort is...

Toilet Training

Posted on 3/28/2006

TOILET TRAINING MAY BECOME A THING OF THE PAST I tried to write a column but all I could manage to write was pieces of columns. So, I strung them together and, voila! A column! From the...

2-Year-Old Does Not Want to Sleep in Bed

Posted on 11/29/2005

Son prefers chair to bed Q: When our son turned 2, my husband and I converted his crib to a toddler bed. Since then he has refused to stay in his bed, even his room, so we installed a...

Effective Way to Teach Children to Share

Posted on 11/8/2005

Q: What's the most effective way to get young children, ages 2 and 3, to share, and what should I do when not sharing escalates into violence? I work in a day-care center and this is my biggest...

Elimination Toliet Training

Posted on 10/25/2005

ADD 'ELIMINATION TRAINING' TO LIST OF PARENTING FADS The buzz in American parenting of late surrounds infant "elimination training," or training children as young as 6 months to signal their...

Toilet Training Myths

Posted on 8/9/2005

TOILET TRAINING MYTHS TO IGNORE As some of my readers already know, I have declared all-out war on the absurd, destructive idea - promoted by a good number of pediatricians and mental...

2-Year-Old Biting People

Posted on 8/2/2005

TO STOP TODDLER'S BITING, DISCIPLINE MUST BE POWERFUL Q: My live-in, 2-year-old grandson started biting people, usually for no reason, about six months ago. We're not talking about love...

No Delay in Toilet Training

Posted on 7/26/2005

THERE'S NOT A GOOD REASON TO DELAY TOILET TRAINING My recent column on early toilet training prompted a good amount of reader response, both pro and con. Not surprisingly, the older the...

Toilet Training

Posted on 7/12/2005

DONE PROPERLY, TOILET TRAINING CAN BEGIN 'EARLY' Q: According to my grandmother's diary, my mother was completely toilet trained by age 18 months, but my grandmother didn't explain her...

29-Month-Old Outbursts

Posted on 5/24/2005

IGNORE TODDLER'S HARMLESS OUTBURSTS TOO MUCH ATTENTION TO MINI-TANTRUMS COULD LEAD TO ESCALATION Q: Our 29-month-old son is mostly well-behaved. But when he doesn't get his way or becomes...

20-Month-Old Spits Out Food

Posted on 3/22/2005

DON'T TURN TOT'S FOOD PLAY INTO A POWER STRUGGLE CHEWING, SPITTING OUT A PRODUCT OF HIS CURIOSITY AND DISCOVERY PROCESS Q: Our 20-month-old son has developed a bad habit of spitting out...

2- and 3-Year-Old Unruly on Disney Trip

Posted on 3/8/2005

A WHOLE NEW WORLD: TOTS TURN UNRULY ON DISNEY TRIP Q: Our two girls, ages 3 and 2, are very well behaved both at home and in public, so my husband and I decided to treat them to a memorable...

28-Month-Old Toilet Training

Posted on 1/25/2005

BE PATIENT BUT FIRM - AND STOP AGONIZING Q: The mother of a 28-month-old recently asked my advice concerning toilet training. She ended her question by saying, "We want to avoid doing...

Potty-Training

Posted on 9/28/2004

POTTY-TRAINING NOT MUCH TRICKIER THAN SPOON-TRAINING A journalist recently asked me whether it was better to "push" children as young as 2 to learn to use the toilet or wait until they decide...

Teaching Academics to Toddlers is Worthless

Posted on 9/7/2004

<b>Q: All of the moms in my mother's morning out group are purchasing academic "jump start" programs for their toddlers, some of whom are barely 2. What do you think of this trend, and if I don't...

24-Month-Old Runs Away From Parent

Posted on 5/4/2004

CAN'T OUTRUN THAT 2-YEAR-OLD? OUTSMART HER Q: When I call my 24-month-old daughter to come to me, she takes off running like a bat out of you-know-where. She obviously thinks it's a game...

18-Month-Old Clinging to Mom

Posted on 4/20/2004

IT'S NORMAL FOR TODDLERS TO CLING Q: Our 18-month-old daughter has recently started clinging to me, following me from room to room, and wanting to be held more than ever before. I expected...

23-Month-Old Attached to Toy

Posted on 3/16/2004

SON'S TOY ATTACHMENT IS OK Q: Our 23-month-old son - our first child - has developed an attachment to a matchbox-size train. He has not let go of it for a month. It keeps him from doing things...

2 1/2-Year-Old Becomes Aggressive After Mom Starts Daycare

Posted on 2/24/2004

Q: My son will be 2 1/2 next month. I recently started a family day care at my home. I took in a 3-year-old boy and a 16-month-old girl. My son is not handling this change well. He has become...

3- and 2-Year-Old Toy Cleanup

Posted on 2/17/2004

TOY LIBRARY' AIDS KIDS' CLEANUP Q: When it's time for my two children, ages 42 and 24 months, to clean up their play messes, they frequently don't do as I've asked, and I can't figure out what...

20-Month-Old Eating Dog Food

Posted on 1/20/2004

TODDLER LIKES MUNCHING ON DOG FOOD Q: I can't keep my 20-month-old daughter out of the dog's food. I've tried scolding, distracting, time-out - nothing has worked. This has been going on since...

2- and 3-Year-Old Have Issues Sharing Toy

Posted on 1/13/2004

Q: The park in the center of our neighborhood is full of parents and children of all ages every afternoon. My 3-year-old daughter is having a problem with a much smaller 2-year-old. Often my...

20-Month-Old Climbing Into Crib for New Baby

Posted on 1/6/2004

CONSEQUENCES OFTEN LOST ON TOTS Q: I am expecting my third child in six months. I put up the baby's crib this week with the intention of teaching my 20-month-old "monkey" to stay out of it. She...

Toilet Training Must Start Early

Posted on 12/23/2003

TOILET TRAINING MUST START EARLY THE LONGER PARENTS WAIT AFTER 24 MONTHS, THE HARDER IT WILL BE Is it easier to house-train a 6-month-old puppy or a 1-year-old dog? The puppy, right? If you...

18-Month-Old Refuses to Sleep in Bed

Posted on 11/4/2003

ADVICE FOR PARENTS OF TODDLERS Q: My 18-month-old son made the transition from crib to toddler bed almost seven weeks ago. He did wonderfully for the first couple of weeks, but now he refuses...

28-Month-Old Gets in Last Word

Posted on 11/4/2003

Q: What's the best way to handle a toddler - my 28-month-old son - who says "No" or "I'm not going to" (he doesn't yell, but his tone is haughty) when you tell him to do something, but complies...

Potty-Trained 24-Month-Old Wetting the Bed

Posted on 10/14/2003

PARENTING NUGGETS' OFFER SOLUTIONS TO EVERYDAY CHALLENGES Every so often, through my Web site usually, a parent - well, actually, a mom - will send me an especially creative idea she stumbled...

Mom Does Not Use Sippy Cups

Posted on 10/14/2003

PARENTING NUGGETS' OFFER SOLUTIONS TO EVERYDAY CHALLENGES Every so often, through my Web site usually, a parent - well, actually, a mom - will send me an especially creative idea she stumbled...

How to Get a Toddler to Play by Himself for Long Periods of Time

Posted on 7/29/2003

More Great Ideas Department: To the question, "How does one get a toddler to play by himself for reasonably long periods of time?" I suggest creating and operating a toy lending library out of...

24-Month-Old Toilet Training

Posted on 7/29/2003

Great Feedback Department: As I boarded a jet recently, one of the flight attendants recognized me and reminded me that I'd been her passenger several years earlier, when her first child, a boy,...

Does Time-Out Work with Agressive 2-Year-Old?

Posted on 7/22/2003

Q: Is it OK to use timeout with a child who's barely 2? While I was watching church nursery today, a 2-year-old boy started pushing and hitting the other children. I put him in a chair every time...

Toilet Training By Age 2

Posted on 7/15/2003

SHOW RESPECT FOR 2-YEAR-OLD'S INTELLIGENCE Q: I know that you advocate toilet training before the second birthday, but when children grow up too fast as it is, why rush this? A: Toilet...

2-Year-Old Sleeping Issue

Posted on 7/8/2003

'FAMILY BED' MORE CHAOTIC THAN COZY Q: My 2-year-old grandson has slept with his parents since he was born, but with the birth of a third child (he has a 4-year-old sister), he moved to a bed...

2-Year-Old is Clingy to Mom

Posted on 6/17/2003

MAKE GOODBYES SHORT AND SWEET Q: My husband and I have a 5-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son. Our son is in a very clingy phase. Three months ago he had a very bad episode of separation...

Most Effective Consequence for 28-Month-Old

Posted on 6/3/2003

Q: I have a friend who puts her 28-month-old son in his room for several hours if he does something really bad, such as bite her. When he's put there, he cries for a while, then plays. She uses a...

Children and Computers

Posted on 5/27/2003

LIMIT KIDS' PC USE TILL THEY'RE LITERATE Were he alive today, Samuel Taylor Coleridge might well have written, "PCs, PCs in every class, and no child is made to think." Psychologist Jane...

Dad Gives High-Fives to 2-Year-Old

Posted on 1/28/2003

THE CASE FOR DEEP-SIXING HIGH-FIVES Q: My husband, who is a sports fanatic, has taught our 2-year-old son to high-five, which our son does by hauling off and slapping the other person's hand as...

20- and 32-Month Old Playtime

Posted on 1/21/2003

PLAYTIME DOES NOT NEED 'STRUCTURE' Q: I have two toddlers, 20 and 32 months. Beyond 30 minutes of reading and snuggling before bed, how much time each day should I spend involved in activities...

32-Month-Old is Defiant and Disrespectful at Preschool

Posted on 12/24/2002

Q: I am the mother of two boys: 6 months and 32 months. The difficulty is with the latter. This well-mannered, easy-going, very loving child is having trouble at Mother's Morning Out. This is...

28-Month-Old Waking Up During the Night

Posted on 11/12/2002

NO NEED FOR PARENTS TO LOSE SLEEP OVER 2-YEAR-OLD'S NIGHTTIME WAKING Q: Our 28-month-old is waking up anywhere from two to five times a night (on a bad night, about every two hours). She comes...

"Jump-Start" Programs are Worthless

Posted on 10/29/2002

MANNERS FIRST, THEN MOUSE PADS Q: What is your opinion of the spate of computer-driven academic "jump start" programs for children as young as 3, if not younger? All of the mothers in my...

21-Month-Old Will Not Wear Bike Helmet

Posted on 9/24/2002

REMEMBER, PARENTS, THAT MONKEY UN-SEE, MONKEY UN-DO Q: My husband and I bought a child's bike trailer so we could pull our 21-month-old behind us when we ride. We don't wear helmets, but we...

Potty Training

Posted on 9/10/2002

DON'T BE BRAINWASHED ABOUT POTTY TRAINING As most folks know, PC stands for politically correct, but the P could just as well stand for psychologically or pediatrically. In any case, what is...

3-Year-Old Toilet Training

Posted on 7/16/2002

MOM TO EXPERTS: GO TAKE A HIKE! A mother writes that she heeded the advice of a certain nationally known pediatrician (who is also a spokesperson for a manufacturer of disposable diapers) and...

16-Month-Old Is Not Too Young to Potty Train

Posted on 6/4/2002

POTTY TRAINING: AGE 16 MONTHS IS NOT TOO EARLY, BUT BE PATIENT Q: My husband and I have noticed that our 16-month-old is standing up to pee in his tub every single night. Also, his bowel...

Better to Toilet Train on Child-Size Potty or Big Toilet?

Posted on 6/4/2002

Q: I'm about to start toilet training my 24-month-old daughter. Is it better to have her learn on a child-size potty or on a child's seat attached to the big toilet? A: This is a matter of...

30-Month-Old Bedwetting

Posted on 5/21/2002

LET 'DAY-TRAINED' TOT LEARN FROM NIGHTTIME ACCIDENTS Q: I have read that nighttime potty training should occur between 30 and 36 months. My son will be 30 months in just weeks and has been day...

23-Month-Old Stripping in Crib

Posted on 5/14/2002

Q: My 23-month-old boy has just started stripping at night in his crib. He did it three times last night! I believe he's excited about this new skill. He's almost got his diaper off too. I thought...

Adoptive Parents Refused to Give Up on Stubborn 2 1/2-Year-Old

Posted on 4/2/2002

MOM'S HAPPY SHE PUT FOOT DOWN Like most people, I love a good story that ends happily. Such is the story I am about to relate. In November, a mom wrote asking for help with her 2...

Sippy Cups

Posted on 3/19/2002

DISPUTE OVER SIPPY CUPS POINTS TO LAZY PARENTING The front page of The Wall Street Journal on Feb. 12 blared the shocking news: The sippy cup - the spill-free cup used by most American...

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