Have you ever seen a young child open a larger present — and then toss the gift aside to play inside the box? The box may become a race car or spaceship, or something else entirely. No matter the specifics, that child is engaging in imaginative play, and the process of pretending is both essential and more complex than it may look on the surface.
Here are four benefits of imaginative play.
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Topics: Child Behavior, Activities for Children
A key part of being a parent is modeling good behavior for our children, as pointed out on HealthyChildren.org, which provides high-level strategies to help shape behavior, including modeling positive behaviors. If your child sees adults sharing, using good manners and taking turns, for example, he or she is more likely to learn those behaviors.
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Topics: Child Behavior
Some children are perfectly willing to wear whatever a parent suggests, while others develop a unique sense of style at a very young age. If your child falls into the latter category, what do you do if he or she decides a fall jacket doesn’t fit into his or her fashion plan? Answers from experts about children and cold weather might surprise you.
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Topics: Child Behavior
If you have more than one child, it’s possible that they have similar personalities. It’s also possible, though, that their personalities are so different that it’s hard to believe they’re related. Psychologists have studied birth order and the effects it has on people, but conclusions are far from cut and dried.
So, first we’ll go through generalizations that hold some truth.
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Topics: Child Behavior
You tell your preschooler to put her toys away and she gets started – but then, instead of seeing her picking up her games and action figures, you find her gazing at one of her favorites with a half-smile on her face. You get a call from her preschool teacher saying that your daughter never disrupts the group but she tends to drift off into her own thoughts rather than focusing on the new activity being explained. Then, when you go to check up on her, she’s staring out the window.
It sounds like you’ve got a daydreamer!
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Topics: Child Behavior
Topics: Child Behavior, Activities for Children
Each preschooler has a unique personality. Some are shyer children, and perhaps they enjoy more time spent looking at books or coloring pictures. Others are the social leaders who organize games and otherwise chat up fellow classmates. Then, of course, there are the bossy ones, who enjoy telling others what to do – and it can be somewhat uncomfortable if you find out that your child falls into that category. What should you do?
Topics: Child Behavior, Child Development, Preschool
Concerned about your tween’s transition to middle school? From the scary to the fun, help your adolescent avoid common pitfalls with these tips:
Topics: Child Behavior, Afterschool
Kids get into many different situations whether at school, home, or participating in programs. With this in mind, it's important they understand the importance of keeping their hands clean.
Topics: Child Behavior, Health Tips
There are three types of viruses that cause influenza, the A and B types cause the yearly outbreaks that we are accustomed to hearing about via the news; there is also a type C virus is that is responsible for mild illnesses.
Topics: Child Behavior, Health Tips
