Screen limits often create more tension in family life when they feel uncertain, negotiable, or different from one day to the next. A child may accept a screen boundary relatively well on one occasion and argue intensely on another, even when the amount of device use seems similar. Family media specialists generally note that children…
Families often feel pressure to create exciting plans, surprising outings, and memorable experiences that stand out from ordinary life. While novelty can be enjoyable, family relationship specialists generally note that familiar activities often carry deeper long-term meaning for children. A repeated walk, a regular game night, a favorite park visit, or a familiar baking ritual…
Many families say some version of the same thing: a child hears the words, but does not seem to respond. Adults may call from across the room, repeat an instruction several times, or feel certain that a child is ignoring what was said. Child development specialists generally note that this pattern often has more than…
Adults usually think kids will pick up on the idea of taking turns pretty fast, but experts in child development say it actually needs a lot of practice and time. A child might be able to say “wait your turn”, but actually doing it when it’s needed is hard. That’s because learning to take turns…
You’ll probably find kids aren’t quite as obsessed with screens all the time. Some days they’ll be pretty happy to not use them or won’t even think about them. But on others, they’ll badger you for a tablet, the TV, a game, or their phone, and this is even if you haven’t changed the usual…
Many parents believe children learn best with a long, uninterrupted study session. But people who study how children develop and learn generally find that kids do better with a little practice each day. This is true for all the things younger and school-aged children are learning: reading, writing, number skills, listening, and all their school…
How often do families see this: a child needing a drink of water out of nowhere, remembering a really important question all of a sudden, requesting yet another story, being incredibly slow getting into pyjamas, or just being unable to relax when the lights are turned down? It’s understandably puzzling for mums and dads, especially…
It’s something lots of families experience: kids ask the very same question over and over, even if you’ve already answered it perfectly well. A child might ask what time dinner’s on, if they can go now, why their brother or sister has something different, or if Mom or Dad is definitely picking them up later….
We often have a lot riding on the weekend with the family. Mom and Dad might really want to spend quality time together after all the hustle of school and work, but the weekend can easily fill up with things to do, time on phones and tablets, sports and all the usual stuff around the…
Parents commonly attempt to teach their kids by breaking down what to do into a lot of detail, saying things over and over, or giving really lengthy instructions so the kid won’t make a mistake. However, experts in how kids grow and how they’re taught usually say children understand things much better when you tell…