Tips

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  • 7 Ways to Get Face-to-Face With Your Tween

    I just wrote a post on the importance of face-to-face interaction for tweens. Here are a couple of ways to make sure you are striking a good balance between online and offline time:

    • Carve out time for screen free meals. This is a great time to start conversations about the day and connect with one another.
    • Ask... 
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  • Ten Ways to Raise Healthy, Active Kids

    We know from research that active kids do better in school. Here are ten ways to get your kids moving:

    • Make sure your child plays and exercises every day. Encourage a variety of activities to build strength, endurance, flexibility and fun.
    • Give household chores that build muscles. Raking leaves is the... 
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  • How to Talk to Teenagers

    Does it seem like every conversation with your teenager ends in a power struggle or argument ? There are no guaranteed strategies to eliminate all parent-teen miscommunication but learning some tips for how to talk to teenagers can improve the odds!

    • Focus on behavior. Instead of saying "You are really lazy," try "I am frustrated that you haven't taken out the garbage yet even though... 
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  • Beyond the Sex Talk: Communicating With Your Kids About Sex and Sexuality

    Many parents drag their feet into THE dreaded "sex talk" with their children. Maybe it's time we take the pressure off of that single talk. If we want the sex and relationships our children ultimately have to be physically, psychologically, and emotionally healthy then we'd better start talking to them about it early and often.

    Some parents don't talk to their kids about sex because they... 

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  • Ten Ways to Improve Attention in Children

    What's going on with children and attention in the digital age? Video games, texts, whirling toys, and non-stop entertainment have made it hard to strengthen children's focused attention systems. Here are some suggestions:

    • Give babies only a couple toys at a time, so they learn to focus on one.
    • Limit... 
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  • Overcoming Adult Amnesia

    I just wrote a post on the teenage brain and the pitfalls of what I call "adult amnesia." Here are some tips to combat your selective memory of adolescence!
     
    • Try to recall your own confusion and discovery, excitement and frustration, happiness and heartbreak during your teen years. It will help give you... 
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  • Video Game Addiction: I'd Rather Inventory©

     I just wrote responded to a parent concerned about video game addiction. Use this inventory in conjunction with the  Video Game Addiction Symptom Checklist to see if your child might need help.

    Check each statement you agree with.

    ____I’d rather play video games than be with my friends.... 

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  • Video Game Addiction: Symptom Checklist

    Are you worried about your child's video game habits? Take a look at this video game addiction symptoms checklist I created to see if you have cause for alarm. While this is not a diagnostic tool, it can help you assess whether or not games are an unhealthy part of your child's life and if you might need the help of a professional.

    (Scoring... 

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  • 5 Tips for Effective Limits and Consequences

    We know that effective limits and consequences are key to the development of respect, empathy, and self-discipline. That said, setting and enforcing them aren't always easy. Here are some tips to get you started:
     
    • State your expectation clearly as well as the consequence for non-compliance.
    • Be specific. For example, “I want you to take out the garbage. If it’s... 
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  • 10 Ways to Form Secure Attachment With Your Baby

    I just wrote a post about the importance of forming a secure attachment with your baby. Here are ten ways you can make sure that you are putting your baby on the path towards independence and self-discipline:

    1. Don't ignore your baby's cries. Respond to her cries of distress by trying to figure out what is wrong and soothing... 
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  • Praise and Children: Building Real Self-Esteem

    Can praising kids be a bad thing? Not as long as we remember a couple of helpful strategies.
     
    The right kind of praise and encouragement help our children develop the self-confidence and knowledge they need to reach their potential. That is why it is so important to really understand what good praise looks like - and when it falls short of meeting the mark.
     ... 
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  • Media and Obesity: 10 Ways to Raise Healthy, Active Kids

    I just wrote a post about the latest policy statement on media and obesity from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Screen media isn't inherently a health risk - it just needs to be kept in balance with healthy activities and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Check out these tips:

    • Take screens out of your children's... 
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  • Tips for Parents: Managing the Multitasking Generation

    I just wrote a post about the brains of the multitasking generation and the cognitive costs of juggling too much at the same time. Here are some tips for parents to make sure your children have multitasking under control. Their brains will thank you!

    • Explain to your child that his or her brain is like a spotlight. It can... 
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  • Parenting Tips on Sexting

    With Representative Anthony Weiner's texting escapades all over the news it is a good time to revisit the issue of sexting with your kids. I just wrote a post on teenage sexting to help us better understand the issues. Here are some additional tips on sexting to get you started:

    • Ask your child if they have ever received or seen a sext. Is... 
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  • How to Nurture Resilience in Children

    I just answered a question about stress and children and shared seven essential ingredients of resiliency. But what does it look like to really nurture resilience in children? How do we increase our children's self esteem while making sure that they develop the emotional tools to navigate hardship and challenge? The good news is, we can do both at the... 

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  • Teaching Empathy

    Dr. Dave just wrote a post about mirror neurons, exploring our built-in capacity to grasp the minds and experiences of others by simulating them in our brains. While he focused on the relationship between media violence and mirror neurons in that post, he also shared that mirror neurons... 

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  • Setting Parental Controls

    Will setting parental controls solve all of your family's Internet safety challenges? Of course not. But parental controls are an essential component of your 21st century parenting toolkit.

    There is no silver bullet or techno fix guaranteeing that your child will be an upstanding digital citizen. Your involvement, supervision, limits, and nurturing have the greatest influence over your... 

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  • Cyberbullying Tips

    I just wrote a blog called Facing the Facts About Cyberbullying. Here are some tips to help prevent cyberbullying in the first place:

    • Start with a conversation. Share cyberbullying facts and stories about cyberbullying with your child. Reinforce the message that bullying hurts.
    • Make sure that your child understands that there... 
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  • Sensory Processing Disorder Tips

    I just wrote a blog post about sensory processing disorder that explains what SPD is and how to get support. Here are some further tips to help you navigate SPD with your kids.

    1. Sensory Processing Disorder is brain based and not the result of any parenting mistakes. It doesn’t help if you blame yourself. We don’t choose our... 
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  • Choosing a School For Your Preshooler

    I just answered a question about choosing a school for your preschool aged child.  Here are five things to keep in mind:

    1.  Visit the school more than once.  Include your child in at least one visit.

    2.  Check references and ask if you can speak with other parents.

    3.  Ask about the experience,... 

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