First Year
Here’s what Dr. Ann Corwin, The Parenting Doctor, recommends in your first year of parenting.
“How your children see the world and what can I do about it as a parent”.
0-3 MONTHS – PRIMARY GOAL IS TO CONNECT.
Your child’s basic and primary goal in life is to CONNECT with you, their parents. The three most important ways your child CONNECT’S with you, their parent, is by making eye contact with you, getting your loving touch and listening for the sound of your reassuring voice.
What would Dr. Ann say?
By talking, touching and making eye contact with your baby on a daily basis, you will build a trusting relationship.
3-6 MONTHS – BEGINNINGS OF A SEPARATE BEING.
Your baby begins to understand that they are a separate being from you. This sometimes scares a three month old, so expect your baby to cry when you leave the room. You begin to see sincere smiles coming from your baby – a gift you will treasure!
What would Dr. Ann say?
Play peek-a-boo with your baby to help them cope with your absence and then come to the realization that you always reappear!
6-9 MONTHS – THE BEGINNING OF DISCIPLINE.
This period marks the beginning of discipline. For the first time, your baby will realize that their behavior can change the behavior of the people around them. They will begin to test your limits with their behavior.
What would Dr. Ann say?
When your child behaves in ways you want as a parent, be sure to move close to them through eye contact, touching, and talking. This will encourage your child to repeat these behaviors in order to gain your attention. When your child behaves in ways you DON’T want as a parent, be sure to move away, “simply by picking your child up from behind with their back to your chest and don’t talk to them while you distract them with another more appropriate activity.” This will discourage your child from repeating that behavior.
9-12 MONTHS – “NO” IS THEIR FAVORITE WORD.
Your child will change more in the first year of life than in any other time of their life, except puberty!
Written on June 11, 2009 – 12:13 am
Posted in Dr. Ann's Column, Dr. Ann's Place for Parents, Elementary School Years, Hitting, Kindergarten, Lying, Mean Girls, New Baby, Pacifiers, Thumbs, Fingers, Preparing For A New Baby, Preschool, Sharing, Sibling Rivalry, Sleeping, Sorting Out The SuperNanny, Talking Back, Tantrums, The Teen Years, Toddler Years, Toilet Trials, Whining
Fathers should be appreciated all year… not just on one day! While Father’s Day is a tremendous idea, we all need to affirm Dads for their significance every day of the year.
I come from a long line of fantastic fathering men. My grandfathers were both grand fathering me from birth to their deaths. My Dad, [...]
Written on June 7, 2009 – 1:16 pm
Posted in Dr. Ann's Column, Dr. Ann's Place for Parents, Elementary School Years, Kindergarten, Preschool, Talking Back, Tantrums, Toddler Years, Uncategorized, Whining
Dear Dr. Corwin:
I am the father of a two-year-old boy. When I am with him alone, he is a good toddler. He gives me no problems and doesn’t whine or throw tantrums. But when he is with my wife alone, or my wife and I are together with him, he is whiney and has tantrums [...]
Written on May 8, 2009 – 9:46 pm
Posted in Dr. Ann's Column, Dr. Ann's Place for Parents, Elementary School Years, Hitting, Kindergarten, Lying, Mean Girls, New Baby, Pacifiers, Thumbs, Fingers, Preparing For A New Baby, Preschool, Sharing, Sibling Rivalry, Sleeping, Sorting Out The SuperNanny, Talking Back, Tantrums, Testimonials, The Teen Years, Toddler Years, Toilet Trials, Uncategorized, Whining
In celebration of Mother’s Day, I’d like to share a special poem with you that was given to me by a mom that I had been working with earlier this year. She was a new mommy having trouble adjusting to being a stay-at-home-mom after the birth of her second child. She came seeking guidelines in [...]
Guilty Parents: You Are So Not Alone!
In a brilliant attempt to advertise the new ABC TV comedy show “In the Motherhood” this week, Oprah had moms from all over the country share their fears, faux pas and just plain funny stories about struggling to be a good mom.
Oprah’s interview with moms revealed that basically [...]
Written on March 4, 2009 – 12:50 pm
Posted in Dr. Ann's Column, Dr. Ann's Place for Parents, Elementary School Years, Kindergarten, New Baby, Pacifiers, Thumbs, Fingers, Preparing For A New Baby, Preschool, The Teen Years, Toddler Years, Uncategorized
Oprah’s show this week about the “Little Girl Found Living Like an Animal” reminded us all what devastating effects neglect has on children.
Even if kids are not severely neglected they suffer if their parents don’t have a relationship with them.
Dr. Bruce Perry www.childtrauma.org is not only the leading authority on child abuse and neglect, [...]
Last night’s ABC “The Bachelor” show was just as entertaining as promised, with every twist in the book thrown at the audience. But at what cost to a child?
Jason, the single dad of Ty, a three year old, came off initially as a really genuine guy, who professed to put his child first at all [...]
Parents that ask the most questions about raising their children are the most courageous.
Offering advice to friends and family about what worked for you as a parent is excellent. Just remember to give the advice ONLY when asked and don’t take offense if other parents don’t take it!
If you get unsolicited advice from well-meaning [...]
Big guy in a bright red suit, with a strange laugh can be too much for some kids to handle. This time of year, it doesn’t hurt to remind yourselves as parents that some things surrounding the holidays that seem fun, normal and non-threatening to you are really scary to your kids.
Hair on the face, [...]
Andrea Yates the infamous mother who drowned her five children back in 2001 was in the news again this week. Her husband, Rusty who is re-married, had another child recently, so the story of their tragedy resurfaced once again. Rusty still communicates with his wife and mother of his five children that she killed. How [...]
It is so easy to swat your child when they are seemingly disobedient. ABC TV yesterday reported yet another research study shouting loud and clear that spanking used as a regular punishment has long-term affects on children and their potential for violent behavior.
Please consider the facts. The American Academy of Pediatrics says…
Although most Americans were spanked [...]
