Adults frequently ask kids to be patient, but experts in how children grow say patience isn’t something that’s just there. It builds up over time. A little kid who can’t wait, frequently speaks before they should, or gets upset if they don’t get what they want immediately isn’t necessarily a bad kid. More likely, they’re…
People often think of independence as something a child just has at a certain age, but those who study how children grow say it happens over time. Little kids don’t go from needing everything done for them to being sure of themselves all at once. Instead they slowly become more independent by doing things over…
Adults are keen for their kids to get better at dealing with annoyance, particularly when they are toddlers or in preschool. But experts in how children grow tend to say that learning this is a gradual process. A small child being tearful about a broken toy, getting upset at having to wait their turn, or…
After school is often the most chaotic time for families. Kids get home from school feeling exhausted, needing food, overly excited, or full of energy, and at the same time parents are dealing with their jobs, dinner, getting everyone to their other things, and homework. If you don’t have some sort of plan, these hours…
People usually concentrate on academic skills when getting their kids ready for kindergarten, but experts in how children grow say social skills are just as important for those first years at school. Lots of kids are still figuring out things like sharing, being part of a group and its schedule, dealing with being annoyed, getting…
When toddlers and preschoolers are at home, a very typical worry for their families is separation anxiety. You’ll likely see this as tears when you leave them, them holding on tight to whoever is looking after them, or being upset by any break in their usual schedule. These things are hard to deal with as…
People often talk about emotional development in the first few years of life in a general way, yet families typically want to know precisely what that means in their daily lives. As kids move from two to five years old they are figuring out what their feelings are called, how to deal with being bothered…