6 Indoor Activities to Keep Children Active This Winter
When the temperatures drop and outdoor play is not an option, ensuring your little one gets enough physical activity every day can be a challenge. It…
Encouraging Healthy Habits in Preschoolers
As a pediatrician and a parent, I have invested a considerable amount of time promoting and teaching healthy habits to both my patients and my…
Cooking Together This Holiday Season
The downtime we have during the holidays is the perfect opportunity to spend time in the kitchen with your children. Teaching children the love and joy of cooking is a wonderful gift. It also allows for quality time together doing a meaningful activity that will stay with them for years to come. I have such fond memories of cooking with my mother when I was young. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated or take a long time, but family members…
Books Build Better Brains
As parents, we want what’s best for our children. We make sure they have food, clothes, a warm bed to sleep in, and plenty of love. We kiss their skinned knees and help chase away their bad dreams. We take them to the park and the zoo, to doctor’s appointments and dance recitals. We read to them. To ensure children have the best in life – the best language skills, vocabulary, and the best chances for success – it is…
Alternatives to Using Food for Encouragement
Do any of these phrases sound familiar? “No dessert until you clean your plate.” “If you clean up your room, we can go out for ice cream.” “If you use the potty, you’ll get some candy.” These are just a few of the ways that parents commonly use food to encourage good behavior in their children or as punishment for bad behavior. I think we have all been guilty of using these tactics from time to time. I know I…
Checking in on Your Child’s Literacy: A Conversation with Dr. Robert Needlman
By now, the school year is in full swing and most families are comfortably settled into fall routines. But busy schedules often leave both parents and children running between after-school activities, sporting events, religious classes, and more. Although life can be hectic in the fall, now is a good time for parents to take a moment to check in with their child – and their child’s teacher if need be – about how things are going in regard to reading.…
The Importance of Bike Helmets
Summer happens to be one of my favorite seasons–not just because it means plenty of time for sun, swimming, and long-anticipated vacations with the family, but because it’s a time when families seem to enjoy healthier lifestyles. If you’re like many families, you’ve found yourself spending more time out and about, enjoying the great outdoors with your family and becoming more physically active. And when it comes to getting active in the summertime, more often than not, bicycles are involved.…
Develop Language Skills Through Story Reading
March is National Reading Month, and what better way to celebrate than by diving into a book? As you read, encourage your child to participate. At age 3, your little one can begin interacting with the story by helping to turn pages, naming objects or completing sentences and rhymes in favorite books. This kind of participation in story reading enhances memory, develops listening skills and promotes personal expression. It also fosters language development and creativity, because children understand they have…
Helping Children Ages 3-5 Find Calm
Strong emotions can be like a tidal wave that engulfs and overwhelms children…and often everyone around them. Here are a few pointers on how to help children learn how to express and regulate emotion at an early age and how to find their way to calm. 1. Keep a cool head. Take an honest peek at your own natural, human reactions and practice on a regular basis soothing yourself and finding your own calm first. 2. An ounce of prevention…