I like the idea that I am just a small blip on the evolutionary path of the human race. I don’t have to figure out our ever-changing world, and my place in it to know what to do as a parent. If change is inevitable, I see my job in the human continuum as helping to ensure we are shifting or evolving in a positive direction. The challenge is to identify the difference between evolved change, and change for the sake of itself.
Our children have the ability to live more fulfilling lives than simply being an animal of the stock-market food chain. But I often feel at a crossroad when faced with big parenting decisions. Parents that have the ability to marry the good of …

If your kids aren’t sleeping, then neither are you.  Parents often try to make their kids conform to their schedules based on work and other obligations, but children need consistency.  Parents must also first commit to being willing to change behaviour.  Tired kids are whiny, cranky, stubborn,  and not healthy. Tired parents can become irritable and resentful towards their families.
Root Issue
There are a large scope of child health and development issues which are rooted in poor sleep.  Babies under 9 months biologically are not aware of the light/dark cycle, and have their own independant sleep rhythms. Kids under the age of 3 years old generally require at least 1 nap a day.  They will be more alert during the day, learn better and generally be …

If you use time-outs as a punishment technique for your child’s bad behavior, then you are not alone. It is a highly popularized “convenience parenting” technique, and appears to work well in the short term. If you watch any American TV, then you’ll see this concept promoted by “SuperNanny” or “Jon and Kate Plus 8″. The reality is that using time-outs can be harmful not only to you and your child’s relationship, but also to their personal development, self-esteem, and their ability to generally think for themselves. It separates the behaviour from the moment, treats only the symptoms and not the root cause, and puts your relationship in the back seat. Leading child development psychologists agree that the last thing you want to do is …

Young children under the age of 3 to 4 years old live in the present.  Although they are often brought together in playgroups, they simply are not capable of more advanced adult-like interactions like “socializing” or playing together (they actually “parallel” play). Their left brain (rational/analytical/language skills) and right brain (creative/emotional) are not yet fully talking to each other (via the corpus callosum), and their behaviour is in fact governed mostly from their right brain hemisphere. Kids are emotional creatures, and many parents try to be rational with them using adult concepts to drive their behaviour.
One parenting technique is the use of consequences for managing behaviour. “If you hit your brother again, then you won’t get a popsicle”. The reality is that a …