4 Parenting Styles were just the start

4 Parenting Styles were just the start

I often hear parents discussing their parenting style like a badge of honour, but have you ever wondered where parenting styles come from? It all started with the four parenting styles of authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and uninvolved parenting and their impact on children, which were developed in the 1960s by Diana Buamrind. She was a […]

How Income Changes What Parents Worry About

How Income Changes What Parents Worry About

You probably don’t think about it much as it’s not on most people’s radar, but have you ever wondered how income changes what parents worry about and, if so, what are the differences? Surely all parents worry about the same things, don’t they? Worries such as whether or not their child goes to sleep or […]

#1 Biggest Parenting Mistake

#1 Biggest Parenting Mistake

Seeing an article with the words “#1 Biggest Parenting Mistake” has got to be scary. Suddenly you think, “Yikes! Am I doing that?” Maybe you rush to click on the link, or maybe you don’t, scared by the real possibility that whatever it is, you might be doing it. Maybe you’re afraid of waking up […]

Why Is My Child Unhappy?

Why Is My Child Unhappy?

Some children are happy with very little. Some spend a lot of time being miserable, no matter what they have. If you are asking yourself, “Why do I have an unhappy child?” you’ve come to the right place because I’m going to tell you a story that you’ll likely see much of your own struggles […]

My Child Hates The Car Seat

My Child Hates The Car Seat

Hi Annie, How are you? I hope you had a good Christmas. I have a problem in that my child hates the car seat. She’s two.  Every time we go on a trip, she screams that she wants out. We’ve tried various ways to help her enjoy the trip, such as car snacks, toys, and […]

How Long Is Too Long In A Baby Swing

How Long Is Too Long In A Baby Swing

Hi Annie,  My question is how long is too long in a baby swing?  We have a 3.5 month old baby girl who is content in a baby swing while we eat or make supper. She is also in the swing on occasion during the day while my wife makes lunch, etc.However, my wife said […]

My Child Whines

My Child Whines

Hi Annie, My child whines. In fact both my kids have a real problem with whining. When my daughter went through it, I thought it was a stage and it would stop by itself, but it hasn’t. She’s now five, and my son is copying the habit, and he’s only two. I’m a single mom, […]

What can I do About Toddler Tantrums?

What can I do About Toddler Tantrums?

Toddler tantrums can drive any parent insane. There you are, innocently trying to pick up the family groceries, and your child decides that it’s that moment that they’re going to have a meltdown and destroy your day. Kids start with temper tantrums predominantly in the two-year-old age group. You might have some before that, but […]

My Sons Keep Fighting

My Sons Keep Fighting

Hi Annie, My sons keep fighting! We have a six-year-old and just-turned-three-year-old pair of boys. We are at our wits’ end trying to stamp out their extremely physical play and interactions. Our six-year-old will quietly provoke our three-year-old until there’s a flurry of hitting, kicking, and throwing of objects. Our six year-old then tries to […]

I Can’t Get My Toddler To Sleep

I Can’t Get My Toddler To Sleep

Dear Annie. I can’t get my toddler to sleep! Our 13-month-old son started at a day home 3 weeks ago when I went back to work, and he does not seem to be adjusting very well. He cries and cries, and he won’t take any naps there, so he is exhausted when we pick him […]

I Need A Good Night’s Sleep

I Need A Good Night’s Sleep

Hello Annie.  Help! I need a good night’s sleep! I have a baby boy who will be 6 months old on January 31, and he is my first child. “What do you do about sleep?” is my question, and I’m not sure if you work with babies this young. My husband and I have read […]

How to deal with aggression

How to deal with aggression

Hi Annie, I’m wondering how to deal with the aggression on the part of my son. My 9-year-old son came home today with a note from his principal and teacher. The teacher listed four aggressive episodes that my son engaged in in the last week and labelled them “violent acts.” I know that every parent […]

How Do I Improve My Child’s Imagination?

How Do I Improve My Child’s Imagination?

For those of us who had imaginative childhoods, I’m sure one of the biggest questions on any parent’s mind is, “How do I improve my child’s imagination?” To me, there is nothing more beautiful than the imagination of a child. When I was little, in elementary school, I wanted to fly. The dream of flight […]

The Secret To Getting Your Kids To Listen

The Secret To Getting Your Kids To Listen

Would you like to know the secret to getting your kids to listen? Isn’t it funny how words like “ice cream,” “park,” or anything else that strikes kids as fun are heard right away, yet anything boring, like “it’s time to clean up your toys” or “go to bed,” can sail right over their heads […]

How Can I Get My Kids To Listen?

How Can I Get My Kids To Listen?

Hi Annie, How can I get my kids to listen?  I’ve got 3 kids; my oldest is turning 4 in January; the middle is 2; and my youngest is about to turn 1. My biggest source of frustration is getting the kids to do what I ask the first time I ask. I typically have […]

My Daughter Refuses To Clean Her Room

My Daughter Refuses To Clean Her Room

“My daughter refuses to clean her room” is a complaint I actually hear quite a lot, and not to be sexist or anything, I hear it more often referring to daughters’ bedrooms than I do those of sons. I don’t know if I can say girls seem to collect more stuff, but irrespective, here’s the […]

Do Parenting Tips Work?

Posted by on Oct 22, 2019 in Articles, general behaviour | No Comments
Do Parenting Tips Work?

Parenting tips are everywhere, but the question is: do parenting tips work? All around us, they fill magazines, the airwaves, and the internet, and many parents rely on them not just for little snippets of information but for their wholesale parenting approach. Which begs the question: do parenting tips work?  And, if they don’t, why […]

Child Behaviour Solutions that Actually Work

Child Behaviour Solutions that Actually Work

Are you looking for child behaviour solutions that actually work? As we approach Thanksgiving, I’ve no doubt there are parents out there trying to drift off to sleep at night with their calm thoughts being interrupted by visions of their preschooler screaming their head off during Thanksgiving dinner. Instead of enjoying warm fuzzies and thoughts […]

How to deal with a picky eater

How to deal with a picky eater

My child is a picky eater. She’s one year old and used to eat anything, but now she refuses to eat meat and vegetables (unless they are green). She could live on pasta and fruit. What should I do? Thanks Rowena Hi Rowena, I understand how frustrating this is for you, and you’re part of […]

Teaching Gratitude Makes for Happy Kids

Teaching Gratitude Makes for Happy Kids

Why Teaching Gratitude Makes For Happy Kids:  It’s all in the brain. If you want to know why teaching gratitude makes for happy kids, let’s start with the inner workings of the brain. You can think of it like this: All of us have our “big brain” and then our “reptilian brain.” Our “reptilian brain” […]

Ten Tips For Successful Parenting

Ten Tips For Successful Parenting

So there you are, perhaps pregnant or weighed down with diapers, and there’s a snot streak left across your sleeve from your toddler’s nose from the fourth meltdown that morning, and you’ve been wondering thoughts like, “What the heck am I doing?” All of a sudden, you take a glance at your smartphone and notice […]

What Do You Do With A Child That Says No

What Do You Do With A Child That Says No

Hi Annie. I hope you are having a great day! My question is, “What do you do with a child that says no?” Our son is seven. We taught our kids to believe that they are their own boss. This was mostly to help with bullying, but we told them that they are in control […]

I Need Parenting Help!

I Need Parenting Help!

Hi Annie, I live in Chicago, so I am not near you, but maybe you could point me in the direction I need. I have three children. 12, 4, and 16 months old, and I need parenting help!I am a stay-at-home mom that never seems to accomplish anything. My 12-year-old is in school. The four-year-old […]

My Son Won’t Sleep!

My Son Won’t Sleep!

Hi Annie,  My son won’t sleep! He’s 3 1/2 years old and gets up 1–4 times a night, comes into our room, and says, “Mom.” I go back and tuck him in. Sometimes it’s that easy; other times it’s a battle, and he shouts, “I don’t want to go to sleep.” Sometimes he says, “No, […]

My Son Is Very Disrespectful

My Son Is Very Disrespectful

Hi Annie.  My son is very disrespectful to me. He’s 3.5 years old. He roars, swears, and has tantrums at the drop of a hat. He does not act this way toward his father. I am wondering if there is any advice you can give me. We also have a two-year-old boy who is following […]

How To Teach Resilience

How To Teach Resilience

Resilience is a very “in” word, but the question is, how to teach resilience? As a word, it’s quoted frequently, largely in response to the link made by experts and parents alike about how those who won’t let their children experience failure end up impacting their child’s ability to deal with the bumps of life […]

What To Do With A Child That Hits

Posted by on Aug 5, 2015 in Articles, general behaviour, Hitting | No Comments
What To Do With A Child That Hits

If you’re wondering what to do with a child that hits, I just read an article in a parenting magazine that quotes a couple of experts talking about hitting in a way that I think continues some of the sad misconceptions that parents have about children that hit. Unfortunately the parenting advice given was just […]

How Do You Teach A Child To Be Kind?

How Do You Teach A Child To Be Kind?

First think about why you’re teaching morality? Most parents want their children to be kind, thoughtful, and decent to other people and to know right from wrong. In short, to be moral So the question is, “How do you teach a child to be kind?” All parents are attuned to screams of “I want it; […]

My Son Won’t Do As He’s Told

My Son Won’t Do As He’s Told

Hello. I have a four-year-old son who is in preschool and has a VERY dominant personality. The bottom line is that my son won’t do as he’s told. He has trouble listening and following the rules. He wants to do things his own way. He has this problem at home as well. He bosses his […]

How Can I Help My Child Overcome Fear

How Can I Help My Child Overcome Fear

Hi Annie, I have a question. How can I help my child overcome fear? Recently, my son has started to get really worried about me. I had to help clean up after a party the other night and left after the fireworks, and my husband put him to bed. He cried for two straight hours, […]

My Child Is Driving Me Crazy!

My Child Is Driving Me Crazy!

Hi Annie. My child is driving me crazy. My four-year-old daughter’s behaviour is very trying. She hits an awful lot, and although it is playful, it is also hurtful. She has a 15-month-old brother with whom she is very rough, and he enjoys the roughhousing, but of course occasionally he gets hurt. Worse, he has […]

I Have An Unhappy Baby

I Have An Unhappy Baby

Hello Annie, We have 17-week-old fraternal twin girls, and I have an unhappy baby. We recently relocated the family to Calgary, where we have no support network or friends, and we appear to be having issues with one of the girls. While twin A is always content and happy (and easy to pacify), twin B […]

How Do I Stop Siblings From Fighting?

How Do I Stop Siblings From Fighting?

Hi Annie. I am a mother of three children, a five-year-old girl and twin three-year-old boys, and my question is, “How do I prevent siblings from fighting?” They are busy and a handful on the best of days. But lately, the boys are wrestling and are now fighting (punching) each other constantly. I don’t know […]

My Child Won’t Go To Sleep

My Child Won’t Go To Sleep

I have a problem in that my child won’t go to sleep. We have a 15-month-old who suddenly started hating to go to sleep and won’t stay asleep. He wakes up wailing and distraught, throws his soother and zebra blanket, and reaches out of his crib. He then squirms in your arms to get down. […]

I Don’t Want To Yell At My Child

I Don’t Want To Yell At My Child

    Hi Annie,  I don’t want to yell at my child, but I’d like to know how to get my eight-year-old boy to do things without me having to yell at him. It’s not like he didn’t hear me the first time. Hi Lesley, I know what you mean. Many parents say to me, […]

How To Help My Child Deal With Change

How To Help My Child Deal With Change

I’d like to know how to my child deal with change? It is soon summer camp season, and my five-year-old son is excited to attend. Last year we found while he LOVES camps, he is always sad to see them end and becomes anxious about the next one- he really likes routine and for things […]

My Child Won’t Sit On The Potty

My Child Won’t Sit On The Potty

Hi Annie, My child won’t sit on the potty. Jade is terrified of the potty and the toilet. If I ask her if she wants to go without a diaper, she has a meltdown. She is genuinely scared, and although I am in no immediate rush to potty train, I would like to try and […]

How To Handle Transitions

How To Handle Transitions

Hi Annie, I’m looking for some advice on how to handle transitions. I will be returning to work from my second maternity leave in March. My main concern is for my 5-year-old daughter. She has really enjoyed me being home, being able to pick her up from kindergarten every day, and just having me at […]

My Child Has Food Allergies

My Child Has Food Allergies

Hi Annie I’ve recently found out that my child has food allergies. He’s five and has high food sensitivities. We have to eliminate dairy, gluten, eggs, and citrus by 95% for the next 3–6 months. My son is very sad to see his favourite foods go. How do I help him process this? We have […]

My Son Has Low Self Esteem

My Son Has Low Self Esteem

Hello Annie, My son has low self-esteem. He’s eight.  I always try to tell him how well he does things, yet he does not believe me. He constantly thinks he has to do everything perfect the first time and melts down if he doesn’t. Do you have any solutions or recommend any good books I […]

What To Do About Child Clothing Sensitivity

What To Do About Child Clothing Sensitivity

Hello Annie.  My 7-year-old granddaughter is having daily battles with her parents about getting dressed. It’s just that I don’t know what to do about children’s clothing sensitivity. Each day is at least a half-hour of yelling, screaming, and crying. They have purchased the clothes she picks out and “wants,” but it has not helped.

My Two Year Old is Out of Control!

My Two Year Old is Out of Control!

Hi there, Annie. My two-year-old is out of control, so I’m seeking help for my boy, who will be 3 in April. I feel like he’s totally out of control, and I have tried everything I can possibly think of to get him to change. It seems as though he spends most of his day […]

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