Drowning is the second most common cause of accidental death for kids under 15 years of age. (Number one cause is car accidents.) Once the summer heat arrives in full force, all that water is going to be calling to you and your youngsters. If you want to protect you…

Humor in young kids is pretty basic. This gives you the opportunity to play the goofy, silly, and confused doofus. Channel your inner Groucho Marx or a non-violent version of the Three Stooges. Practice “silly walks” like John Cleese. Walk into the room with an extra pair of pants on…

There are many aspects to parenting, but sometimes you just need a child’s behavior to change. Alan Kazdin Ph.D. is a Yale child psychologist and author of The Kazdin Method for Parenting the Defiant Child. His studies and guidance focus on how to change some of the often extremely bothersome…

One sure fire way to make parenthood miserable is to try to live at an adult pace with young kids in tow. It’s a guaranteed disaster. If they are infants, you’ll have one blow out diaper after another delaying your plan to get out the door. Then they will spit-up…

What do these three things have in common? — Well, they are by far some of the best kids toys ever marketed. I know! I know! The cost of them is prohibitive. But. They are toys with great longevity, and well worth the investment. First, came the big plastic yellow cup. Before my twins could even sit, they loved…

Let’s review a few books that offer good advice for the early days of parenthood. The Happiest Baby on the Block, by Harvey Karp, MD is definitely on the “must read” list. This book will help you understand how to effectively sooth the fussiest of babies. It will also give…

One of the many difficult parts of personal growth in the first years of parenthood is the recurring lessons in humility. When you are exhausted and drained by the continual challenges of our modern family life, you may find yourself yelling at your kids. I’m sure you never, never thought…

With young children, we tend to be very focused on behavior. Which is understandable because they are wild, and they behave wildly. However, there is more to parenting than just behavior management. The other side of the coin is developing a relationship with each child. And that means seeing what…

In my experience, humor in children is pretty basic. Little kids love it when you become goofy, silly, and confused. You can channel your inner Groucho Marx or practice “silly walks” like John Cleese. Walk into the room with an extra pair of pants on your head, and act like…