Preschool

Here’s what Dr. Ann Corwin, The Parenting Doctor™, recommends about parenting your Pre-Schooler.

The pre-school years (traditionally described as 3-5 year olds) is when kids get better at language skills, understanding social emotional feelings and their brains are now functioning with reason and logic! Parenting this age becomes a challenge. Children now have the ability to interact on a more sophisticated level.

Kids want to practice their new ability, they take a thought, word and feeling from one situation and try it out in another. They ‘can’ now say, “You’re a poo-poo head”, and feel the response they get from the parent. Kids are able to learn that this is one way my parent has a reaction to me, even if that reaction is a frown or raised voice that is better than no connection with my parent at all!

WHAT WOULD DR. ANN SAY?
Kids learn these new found ‘words’ are a form of communication that potentially gets their parents to move closer to them! With this realization comes the repetition of these words or phrases over and over again if the parent does in fact “move closer” to their child by talking back to your child while making eye contact!

Simply remember to turn around facing away from your child and don’t make eye contact when your kids respond this way. But, most importantly when your child does communication with you using words or phrases that are appropriate, get down to their level and make eye contact and say,
“Keep talking, I love those kind words or what did you say again?”

Cook With Your Kids…

Watch them learn math, science and social esteem! 
 
There is more cooking over the holidays than any other time of the year.  Kids are out of school, so they need more activities to occupy their time.  Parents need to get holiday cooking done for family visitors, but have less time with the kids’ home.  So […]

Asking for Help Doesn’t Mean You’re a Bad Parent

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 […]

Santa Claus is Scary

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 & Thanksgiving…How Can You Forgive, but not Forget?

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 […]

Trick or Treat…When Should Kids Start?

One year your child may be happily running from house to house and openly asking for treats.  The next year, they are not so enthusiastic.
That is why it makes sense for parents to be sensitive about what their kids can handle at different ages.
 
Here is the scoop!
 
From birth to around the age of 2 yrs. […]

Are Your Kids Getting into Trouble in School?

Some of the most famous, successful people had trouble in school.
I was lucky enough to go to school with Chris VanAllsberg, author and illustrator of the famous book, “The Polar Express”, which was made into a block-buster movie.  Chris was forever being reminded by his teachers to stop drawing and pay attention.  Well, now we […]

Obama vs. McCain Education Plans for Young Children through College

McCain and Obama have very different ideas on education. For the record, I am not endorsing either of these presidential candidates. But, do think everyone who has children should know what presidential plans they have for our kids.

 
If you have preschoolers you should know that:
 
Obama would put $10 billion of your tax dollars into early childhood (birth […]

Kids and Cancer

Sometimes kids give the best advice.  I was so struck by this article about a daughter who helped her mom through breast cancer that I wanted to spread the wise words of this 10 year old.
 
Here are her ‘8′ suggestions for kids if someone has breast cancer…
 
1-”If you are worried, scared or frightened, it is […]

Play Dates Gone Bad

Just wanted to follow up after my “Play Dates Gone Bad” talk here in Southern CA.  All the parents had the opportunity to ask questions before hand about ‘what if’ this happens when you are socializing with other parents and their children. 
 
Here are some of those universal question:

Do you approach the parent or confront […]

Teaching Your Kids About Guilt Can Rid You of Your Own!

The minute we learn we’re about to start a family the guilt starts.  If it isn’t about what we eat while we’re pregnant, it’s what we do in labor and then it’s how we feed our kids.  Then we move on to whether we’re going to pick the right school and feel guilty when our […]