Offering choices teaches life skills and can actually improve behavior. Preschoolers need to practice decision-making skills and parents need preschoolers to stay on schedule, clean up and brush their teeth, along with a number of other issues.  When parents offer age appropriate choices, both preschoolers and parents get behavior benefits. By following simple guidelines, parents … Read more

The preschool years are a fun and wonderful time. As parents, we want to savor these days, but there are shoes to put on, toys to clean up and manners to be taught. Here are some fun ways to get your preschooler to cooperate with you while having fun and creating family memories. Tell A … Read more

Trying to keep preschoolers safe, without quashing their need to learn through hands-on exploration, can seem an unending and utterly nerve-wracking exercise in disaster management. Most parents of preschoolers baby-safe their homes before the onslaught of crawling, walking, running and climbing (all coming in quicker succession than seems possible), which is likely the best approach. … Read more

If you can think of temper tantrums as no more than another step in the development of your preschooler, the incidents become immediately less stressful. Of course, it’s never pleasant (or easy to objectify) when your previously compliant toddler starts whining, kicking and screaming when crossed – especially when you’re out in public and sure … Read more

When preschool children act out, whether by refusing to cooperate (“I don’t wanna!”) or fighting over a toy, parents, and caregivers often intervene with a stepped approach. First, there’s usually a directive (“stop”) with a simple explanation as to why the action is inappropriate, and an instruction that the behavior is changed. If the child … Read more

Cookie Monster, the lovable Sesame Street character who gobbles up cookies by the fistful, is an adorable furry creature. Of course, he’s a puppet, a toy – he never gets fat, and he’s blue to boot. Gift Monsters, on the other hand, are our very real children who consume presents and toys – whether expensive … Read more

The title’s a mouthful (Respectful Parents, Respectful Kids: 7 Keys to Turn Family Conflict Into Co-operation). But this is a book parents of preschoolers (and in fact, parents and caregivers of children of any age) will read over and over again. There are new ideas to digest and some you’ve probably seen before but may … Read more

Playdates offer more than just a few hours of fun with other kids. The opportunity to interact with other preschoolers and adults in new and exciting settings builds important skills. Preschoolers who regularly attend playdates benefit from improved social, emotional and physical development. Social Development Gathering with other preschoolers gives kids a chance to learn … Read more

Is your preschooler talkative, striking up conversations with strangers and forever asking questions? Or is your preschooler shy and introverted, content to play along with his trucks or look at books? Every child is unique, but sometimes parents interpret these characteristics as negative. They may try to force their preschooler to change, such as making … Read more

Think about how you responded the last time your preschooler asked for your attention. Were you busy with something else so you ignored him? Did you listen for a few seconds, only to have your thoughts wander? Or did you focus 100 percent of your attention on your preschooler? Of course, preschoolers don’t come straight … Read more