by Admin | Dec 2, 2014 | Education, Parenting Tips, Preteens & Teens, School Challenges
For many high school seniors, December marks the end of the marathon college application season, an event that can span several years. Choices have been winnowed, tests have been taken, and essays have been written and sent. It’s a time to celebrate getting...
by Admin | Nov 24, 2014 | Adoption/Post-Adoption, Discipline & Behavior, Parenting Tips, Preteens & Teens, Raising Boys, Raising Girls
Whenever I see a group of children tear across Crissy Field or the beach, it makes me stop and watch with pure delight. To be free with their able bodies—testing speed and agility, laughing out loud, uninhibited, and wild—speaks to their innate need to move at will....
by Admin | Nov 3, 2014 | Parenting Skills
Wouldn’t it be fantastic if blending families were as easy as it appeared on The Brady Bunch? In reality, it is one of the more complicated and challenging endeavors you will ever assume. However, there are strategies that can make this daunting task successful....
by Admin | Oct 29, 2014 | Discipline & Behavior
Even though we all know that 2-year-olds are impulsive, it can still be tough to manage aggressive behaviors such as biting, hitting, pushing, or throwing. When a baby swipes at us or throws a rattle, we may think it’s cute. But somehow, it seems like toddlers...
by Admin | Oct 22, 2014 | Toddlers
A dear friend of mine once asked, “Why do you work with kids?” Not knowing exactly what she meant, I sought clarification. She replied, “You know, kids are so sticky! And messy. And full of germs!” We chuckled together because, it’s true. Even comedian Louis...
by Admin | Oct 13, 2014 | Parenting Skills, Temperaments
Just when you think you and your child have triumphed over her separation challenges, fall arrives and school begins. Your three-year old has spent the last two weeks sobbing and clinging to your leg each morning when you say goodbye at preschool. Or perhaps your...
by Admin | Oct 6, 2014 | Discipline & Behavior, Parenting Skills, Toddlers
What is the proper discipline for the child of 3, 4, or 5? Just as sirloin and sushi are not suitable foods for infant, so elaborate choices, appeals to reason, and threats of dire consequences are not appropriate techniques for guiding the behavior of the preschool...
by Admin | Sep 22, 2014 | Choosing Schools, Education
Public or Private Elementary School: Making the Best Choice for Your Family Choosing an elementary school for your child can be a daunting process. In the Bay Area, we have many choices, which is good and bad news. The good news is that there are many options and...
by Admin | Sep 16, 2014 | Birth - First Year
Two weeks ago, my baby suddenly started waking every one to two hours at night. He won’t go back to sleep unless I feed or hold him. Does this mean I need to do sleep training? This is a question I hear several times a week from parents of babies in my Baby and...
by Admin | Sep 8, 2014 | Discipline & Behavior, Leisure & Vacation, Parenting Skills
Getting Safely — and Happily — from Kansas to Oz Do you dread the time between when your kids get home from school and dinnertime? Are fights, yelling and crying more inevitable than death and taxes? Then you, my friend, have fallen victim to the deep, dark and...