Toddler (18MOS-3 years)
John's Most Recent Articles
It All Begins With the Terrible Twos
Posted on 4/3/2024
In one of my alter-egos, I’m a songwriter. I began writing songs during my seven-year tenure as the lead singer in a rock ‘n’ roll band while in college and graduate school and I’ve been writing...
Read MoreThe Dark Triad Must Not Stand!
Posted on 3/27/2024
In 2002, two psychologists formulated the concept of the “Dark Triad,” referring to three toxic personality types: narcissistic, Machiavellian, and psychopathic. As usual, psychologists make...
Read MoreWhy Hanna Sleeps With Us
Posted on 5/9/2023
My wife, Willie (nee Wilma), and I are the happy caretakers of a happy seventeen-month-old pure white toy schnauzer, Hanna. Hanna occupies the center of our attention. If you spent a day in our...
Read MoreDon't Turn Little Issues Into Big Problems
Posted on 4/11/2023
Q: My almost-3-year-old, when I begin to do something, will yell, “I WILL DO IT!” When it’s something he can do, fine, but if it’s not, then I just say, “No, Mommy will do it” and that’s the end...
Read MoreIs It Okay for a Toddler to Play With His Food?
Posted on 3/28/2023
Q: Our 22-month-old son has developed a bad habit of spitting out bites of food. The first time it happened, I had set a cup on his tray while he was still chewing a bite of food. He...
Read MoreFather Feels Rejected by 18-Month-Old Son
Posted on 3/14/2023
“What have I done to cause my 18-month-old son to reject me?” asks a new dad. Whenever he tries to hold his son, feed, dress, or change him, the child puts up great resistance and screams...
Read MoreToddler Q&A
Posted on 2/14/2023
Q: When we reprimand our 34-month-old daughter for something, anything, she begins to wail like we’re beating her. Whether we firmly redirect or simply say, "No,” she begins to wail like...
Read MoreStarting Toilet Training Early Pays Off
Posted on 12/27/2022
Q: My grandmother maintains that her children – my mother and her two siblings, all born in the 1950s – were completely toilet trained at 18 months. Her terse explanation: “I just gave...
Read MorePlaying Well With Toddlers
Posted on 11/8/2022
Q: I have two boys, 18 and 33 months. How much time each day should I spend involved in activities with them? Also, they chase one another around the house and other sorts of...
Read MoreThe Problem With Pull-Ups
Posted on 11/1/2022
I finally tracked down the fellow who invented the so-called “pull-up.” His name is Lucapher (Big Lou) Saytan. Reputedly, Mr. Saytan lives in an underground bunker from which he develops and...
Read MoreRecent Questions
BOYS WILL BE BOYS AND BOYS ARE WEIRD
Posted 1 week ago
We have a 7, 2 and 2 month old. All boys. Sometimes my 7 year old likes to shake his butt (or front side) in our 2 year olds' face. Usually while changing or rough housing. The boys share a room...
Read More7 YO TAUNTS 2 YO
Posted 1 week ago
Our 7-year-old son is home for summer with our 2-year-old and 2-month-old. I've noticed him acting manipulative and greedy. For example, when the two-year-old gets up from his nap he will tell him...
Read MoreToddler guidance and independence
Posted 2 weeks ago
We recently found out that Baby #3 is on the way. We are trying to conquer the terrible twos with our son and conquer some issues with our 3 yr daughter. She has had a sneaky, disrespectful...
Read MoreWhen Phases and a New Baby Coming Collide
Posted 2 weeks ago
Hi, we transitioned my son to a full bed because he began climbing out of his crib, and it was becoming unsafe. He has always been a great independent sleeper. However, now he requires either me...
Read MoreRetraining will be challenging, possible and necessary.
Posted on 6/24/2024
Due with baby #3 in 9mon… 4yo and 2.5yo still sleeping with mom and dad, 2.5yo not potty trained. Where do we start in retraining our children so that our bed can be child free, and out of diapers...
Read MoreHow to untrain what was trained.
Posted on 6/22/2024
My 2.5 year old daughter is without diaper during the day but at naps and night with pull apps for the last 10 months Stil we have to remind her to go to the toilet and if we find she sometimes...
Read MorePost Vacay Reset
Posted on 5/5/2024
We recently went on a trip that was 13 days long. There was lots of drive time as we went to see different friends, family, and attended a wedding. Before the trip I could see that our two kids (3...
Read More"Special Tantrum Place" for Tantrums
Posted on 2/28/2024
My son (21 months) is in full blown “terrible twos.” He does lots of throwing fits. When they happen he gets a swat on the bottom and has to sit in his bed until he will be sweet and say he’s...
Read MoreHide and seek marriage.
Posted on 2/22/2024
I am married but in a lot of ways feel like a single mother. Our 2 kids are quite busy toddlers. My husband often works late (not because he has to but because he wants to) and when he is home he...
Read MoreBig Girl Voice
Posted on 2/14/2024
Re the most recent question about the 5 yr. old whining, interrupting. What would the advice be for a 26-month-old, who basically does the same thing? Time outs don’t seem to affect her.
Read MoreTopics Covered
- Academic Issues
- ADHD and other disorders
- Adoption/Foster Parent
- Aggression
- Allowances
- Alpha Speech
- Anxieties, Fears
- Arguments with Children
- Audio Files
- Bedtime/Sleep
- Bedwetting
- Behavior Modification
- Biblical Parenting
- Bill of Rights for Children
- Bonding With Baby/Child
- Boundaries
- 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)
- Elementary School
- Emotions
- Extracurricular Activities/Hobbies
- Fatherless Homes
- Fathers
- Food/Eating Problems
- Gender
- Gender Identity
- Gentle Parenting
- Grandparents/Grandchildren
- High School
- Homeschooling
- Homework
- John's Discipline Methods
- Juvenile Antisocial Behavior
- Learning Disabilities
- Lying
- Manners
- Marriage Issues
- Mealtime/Eating
- Mental Health
- Middle School
- Miscellaneous Discipline Problems
- Miscellaneous Editorial Columns
- Mothers
- Nouveau Parenting
- Only Children
- Pacifiers/Security Blankets/Thumbsucking
- Parent Leadership and Authority
- Play
- Podcasts
- Post Modern Psychological Parenting
- Preschool
- Psychiatric Diagnoses
- Psychology
- Rebellious Behavior
- Respect
- Rewards
- School Behavior Issues
- School Issues
- Seasons of Parenting
- Self-Esteem
- Seven Biggest Mistakes Parents Make
- Sexual Identity
- Sexual Issues
- Shyness
- Sibling Conflict
- Single Parents
- Social Issues (fighting/arguing with friends)
- Socialization/Social Skills
- Spanking
- Step-Families
- Strong-Willed Child
- Tantrums
- Teenage Issues
- Terrible Twos
- Toilet Training
- Videos
- Violence (Looting, Stealing)
- Webinars
- Woke Parenting
