Search Results for: child development

Is it Too Late for a Child Development Class?

The most recent course curriculum guide for our local community college arrived in the mail the other day and as I was casually flipping through the newsprint pages, my eyes were drawn to a list of classes on parenting and child development. I remember taking a couple of these classes before becoming a parent and when I had very young children, but I hadn’t thought of taking a class in years (decades, really.) I started to think about how helpful it would actually be and wondered how many other parents out there assume that since we have come this far, … Continue reading →

Interruptions in Child Development

Most of us parents have witnessed as our children started out on a new developmental stage—either in a burst of new skills or gradually learning something new to add to their repertoire. What can be disconcerting for a parent, however, is when a child starts out on a new developmental stage and then stops or regresses. Most of us cannot help but wonder if something is wrong… I have heard more parents tell tales of toilet-training, for example, that starts out fabulously and then the child loses interest, regresses or it becomes necessary to start all over. For some reason, … Continue reading →

Overparenting Can Hinder a Child’s Development

In today’s world, it is completely understandable why parents would want to make extra effort to protect their kids from harm. Overparenting (which is also called helicopter parenting) isn’t a good solution to that anxiety. A study found that parents who become too heavily involved in homework are possibly hindering their child’s development. Science Daily pointed out a study from Queensland University of Technology (that was done in 2016). The study involved 866 parents from three Brisbane Catholic/independent schools. They found that those who endorse overparenting beliefs tend to take more responsibility for their child doing their homework and also … Continue reading →

Discipline and the Developmentally Delayed Child

To put it simply, discipline is hard. It is one of the hardest parts of parenting. But when done consistently and correctly, it can help you to raise strong, well-behaved, emotionally mature children. Still, it’s a tough job. Each stage of childhood means a different type of discipline. How you discipline depends greatly on the age and maturity of your child. If one of your children is developmentally delayed, it will take him longer to reach those different stages and his age will truly be just a number. Have patience. It will take your child longer to adjust to stages … Continue reading →

What is NOT Appropriate Sexual Development in Early Childhood.

In the three introduction articles, we’ve looked at sexual development in the three to fives and five to eight year-olds. They were green light behaviors, sometimes shocking and confronting to parents, but very normal from a child’s curious mind. This article looks at amber and red light behaviors that require concern and action. Remember that sexual development is a natural part of a child growing up. However, some behaviors step over the boundary of acceptable and suggest something else may be going on. The something else does not always mean the child has been sexually abused. Rather, it could be … Continue reading →

What is Age Appropriate Sexual Development in Early Childhood? The Five to Eight Year Olds.

This is the third article in the series. Click on the links to view the introduction, or, three to five-year-old articles. The five to eight-years olds are the ones who really seem to get into trouble the most, for simply enacting a normal part of their development. This is the stage where therapists are sent these children to “fix” them. So, is there increased abnormal sexual behavior in this age group? I think not. This age group is highly sociable, have started school, and have many more sets of authoritarian eyes watching their every move. The children are learning the … Continue reading →

What is Age Appropriate Sexual Development in Early Childhood? The Three to Five-Year-Olds.

The introduction to Age Appropriate Sexual Development can be viewed here. The pre-school child now has increased vocabulary and contact with a larger number of people. The children remain curious about their own bodies and the bodies of others. They are becoming acutely aware, and interested, of the difference between a boy body and a girl body and will typically start asking questions like, “Why does Daddy have a penis?” Their increased social contacts may bring them into contact with other Moms who are pregnant, or indeed, there may even be pregnancy in their own home. The questions continue: “Where … Continue reading →

What is Age Appropriate Sexual Development in Early Childhood? Introduction.

A child of four inserts a pair of scissors into her bottom. A child of eight attempts to put his penis into his little sister’s vagina. Is this acceptable behavior? No. Is it developmentally normal? No. These are indicators of something being wrong and worthy of concern. What is developmentally normal though? It can be so confusing and scary when a parent catches their children engaged in sex play. Usually the parents first reaction is shock, followed quickly by anger, and then concern, both for their own perception of perhaps being a bad parent and then for their child: “Am … Continue reading →

Child Speech and Language Development

Many parents wonder is my child’s speech developing normally? Does my child understand everything she should? Review the following general guidelines for speech and language development and find out if your child is on track. 6 months Babbling and using a number of different sounds like ma, da, ba, etc. Responds to his name Responds to human voices by turning his head Responds to the tone of the voice whether friendly or angry 12 months Uses one or more words with meaning (the same word is used to mean the same thing each time), may be a word fragment such … Continue reading →

“Play Dumb” and Encourage Your Child’s Language Development

I know, I know. Parents are supposed to be brilliant, with all the answers. Parents know what to do and when to do it. So what is all this about “playing dumb?” Well, there are certain times when holding back your parental smarts might just be a good idea. Example One: Maggie Let’s say three-year-old Maggie has a language delay, and she wants to play outside. She begins loudly banging on the back door. It’s very obvious what she wants. Her mother, annoyed by the noise, says, “Do you want to go outside, Maggie?” And Maggie groans and knocks louder. … Continue reading →