Toddler (18MOS-3 years)
John's Most Recent Articles
On Chores, Discipline, Potty-Training
Posted on 3/29/2022
Q: When I give my 5-year-old daughter a chore, she does it, but all the while she is muttering under her breath, huffing and puffing, and so on. Do I discipline that behavior or just let her...
Read MoreThe Keys to Relatively Quick, Painless Toilet Training
Posted on 1/12/2022
Q: I recently tried toilet training my 32-month-old, but after a few days of no success, I decided to stop. A friend tells me to hang in there, but my pediatrician says my son isn’t ready. She...
Read MoreWhat To Do About Head-Banging Toddler?
Posted on 8/12/2021
Q: Our 19-month-old is a very active little boy who flips out when things do not go his way. When he has a tantrum, we walk away or simply ignore him. Nonetheless, he will scream and flail about...
Read MoreWith Sippy Cups, Stick to the Short Term
Posted on 7/20/2021
Research finds that so-called “sippy cups” – spill-free cups used by most American preschoolers – are linked to speech problems as well as early dental issues. A sippy cup’s spout depresses a...
Read MoreEar Infections and Misbehavior; Boundaries for Boys
Posted on 3/23/2021
Q: My three-year-old is prone to ear infections. When he has one, his behavior deteriorates considerably. He becomes disobedient and given to angry outbursts. When his ears are clear, he’s...
Read MoreOn Picky Eaters
Posted on 11/4/2020
It’s funny, sort of, the things some parents want to believe. An example concerns children who’ve developed full-blown “eating disorders” by age three. “My child was exhibiting food...
Read MoreThe More You Say “No," the Less Effective It Becomes
Posted on 10/13/2020
Q: Our first child, a boy, just turned two. Per your advice, he is toilet trained and eating whatever I serve. Before he was born, we determined that we were not going to raise a picky eater. Our...
Read MoreTrump the Hump of Toddlerhood
Posted on 10/6/2020
Q: In your column of last week, you referred to the “hump of toddlerhood.” Can you please explain further? A: In using the word “hump,” I’m equating chronological toddlerhood – roughly,...
Read MoreNo Perfectly Reliable Form of Discipline With a Toddler
Posted on 9/2/2020
As just about everyone who has lived with a child for more than two years knows, the most potentially dangerous thing one can say to a toddler is “no.” That single syllable strikes deep into the...
Read More10-Month-Old Tosses Food for Mealtime Fun
Posted on 8/4/2020
Q: Our 10-month-old son has recently discovered the joys of throwing finger food on the floor at mealtimes. He doesn’t seem to care if I feed it to him myself, one piece at a time, but isn't it...
Read MoreRecent Questions
Don't Overthink Autism Diagnosis
Posted yesterday
My 2.5-year-old daughter has a working diagnosis of autism. I’m finding it incredibly difficult to get my head around it. I do not want to sound unsympathetic, but how did this happen? Why are so...
Read MoreNo Response is a Response: Let Them Be Silly
Posted on 4/21/2022
How do we teach our children to stop the constant silly talk/noises? One child is diagnosed with ADHD, autism, etc. I've set up a rule that the first 30 minutes after wakeup and the last 30...
Read MorePotty Training: Nighttime Urinary Control
Posted on 4/19/2022
Hello! I will begin potty training my son in June, at which point he will have just turned 20 months old. I have read your potty training book and everything else I’ve been able to find regarding...
Read MoreDerailed potty training
Posted on 4/8/2022
Hi, my son is 25 months. I potty trained him at 23 months with the "oh crap potty training" method. In the 4 days we took, he was doing fine, having only 1 or 0 accidents a day. Except for poop,...
Read MoreCo-parenting has its challenges
Posted on 4/1/2022
I share custody of my 2 year old daughter. Her father has a 5 year old from a previous relationship. We are on good terms and spend time with the girls together when possible. The issue is the 5...
Read MoreParenting Season Transition: From Service to Leadership
Posted on 3/22/2022
My daughter just turned two. She's a good little girl but most definitely a typical rambunctious toddler. I'm having trouble getting her to listen and obey without telling her multiple times. I...
Read MoreMiddle of the Night Snacks Prolonging Mealtime Battles
Posted on 3/20/2022
In September I asked for advice on my picky 2-year-old. For 6 months, I have consistently tried the methods recommended. I didn't fuss over meals, just gave him small amounts of whatever I made,...
Read MoreSeason transition: Service to Leadership
Posted on 3/13/2022
My daughter just turned two. She's a good little girl but most definitely a typical rambunctious toddler. I'm having trouble getting her to listen and obey without telling her multiple times or...
Read MoreHow to Stop Toddler From Hitting Younger Sibling
Posted on 3/11/2022
Hi. Our oldest daughter is 3yrs 2mo old. Our youngest daughter is 11mo. Within the past month or so, our oldest daughter has started hitting and pushing our youngest daughter. Oftentimes this...
Read MoreSaying "Bye-Bye" to Binkie
Posted on 2/25/2022
What age should children stop using a binkie? Our 3-year-old still loves his for night only. Any ideas how to approach taking it away?
Read MoreTopics Covered
- ADHD and other disorders
- Adoption/Foster Parent
- Aggression
- Allowances
- Alpha Speech
- Anxieties, Fears
- Arguments with Children
- Audio Files
- Bedtime/Sleep
- Bedwetting
- Bullies/Bullying
- Character/Values (teaching)
- Chores/Responsibilities
- College
- Consequences/Punishment
- Daycare/Preschool
- Depression/Self-Harm
- Developmental Issues (e.g. late talking)
- Discipline Methods (e.g. time-out)
- Disobedience/Defiance
- Divorce/Custody
- Drugs (marijuana, cocaine, etc.)
- Education
- Electronics (Computers/Video Games/Television/Cell Phones)
- Extracurricular Activities/Hobbies
- Father
- Food/Eating Problems
- Gender
- Grandparents/Grandchildren
- High School
- Homeschooling
- Homework
- John's Discipline Methods
- Learning Disabilities
- Lying
- Manners
- Marriage Issues
- Mealtime/Eating
- Miscellaneous Discipline Problems
- Miscellaneous Editorial Columns
- Mothers
- Only Children
- Pacifiers/Security Blankets/Thumbsucking
- Parent Leadership and Authority
- Play
- Preschool
- Rebellious Behavior
- Respect
- Rewards
- School Issues
- Self-Esteem
- Shyness
- Sibling Conflict
- Single Parents
- Social Issues (fighting/arguing with friends)
- Socialization/Social Skills
- Spanking
- Step-Families
- Tantrums
- Teenage Issues
- Terrible Twos
- Toilet Training
