Wait until your child is ready. Most children develop the dexterity needed to tie shoelaces between the ages of 4 and 6. Girls are often ready to learn slightly earlier than boys. Make sure your child knows ... more >>

Purchase books that identify themselves as stage one, or beginner. The font is typically larger and the sentences are shorter. This will keep your preschooler' s attention (since their attention span is short) Make sure its something of interest to the ... more >>

How to Sneak in Healthy Foods Puree small amounts of spinach and add to ground beef in hamburgers, gradually increasing the amount each time. When topped with cheese and low sugar ketchup, there is very little taste difference. ... more >>

Decide if you want your resources to be mainstream or faith-based. If you want to use the opportunity to instill a belief in an afterlife – or if you want to avoid terminology like God and heaven – make sure the books support your family’s ... more >>

Lose the television. I realize you'd probably prefer to off me instead of your television -- especially after you hear this (because it's always more satisfying when the messenger bites it), but it's been empirically proven that TV weakens children's ... more >>

Understand that Go to the great Beyond. The Beyond Words association offers counseling, social skills and interviewing skills for children and young adults. Check out the main office, near the intersection ... more >>

Watch fish. Go to an aquarium or set up a fish tank of your own. Be sure to observe different types and sizes of fish because they don't all swim the same. Identify fish anatomy. You will notice that fish ... more >>

Always supervise a toddler in the presence of a cat or dog. Lack of supervision can lead to trouble. Explain to the child that all creatures feel pain, then teach him or her how to gently pet animals. Even ... more >>

Talk about how plants disperse or spread their seeds. Explain the four different ways plants disperse their seeds; wind, animals, water, and discharge or shooting seeds into the ground. Collect seeds. While ... more >>

Use your influence. Research is on your side. Findings show that young people, although embarrassed when talking with parents about sex, do listen. Children of all ages are influenced by what they see and hear in the media. To counteract these outside ... more >>

Did your child need less sleep that the average infant or was he or she unusually alert for a toddler? These characteristics are found in most genius children. Note that genius children often start ... more >>

Ask yourself why you think your preteen needs a cellphone.Advertising aimed at preteens from the cellphone industry is fairly strong, with some aggressive marketing ploys that encourage preteens to believe they not only need, but deserve, access to a ... more >>

Discuss your child's progress with her professional team. Ask questions. What do they think is feasible for your child's long-term goals? Why? Where should therapy go from here? What should be a main focus? ... more >>

Explain how the colonists left England to partake in a horrendously difficult journey, in order to live free of tyranny, and to be able to worship as they wished. ... more >>

Give your step children lots of love, even when you think you cannot love someone else's children, it is possible to give a child love, but it takes a lot of patience. Ignore any jealousy from the child ... more >>

Find a simple book your child is interested in reading. Read this book several times to your child, pointing to the words as you are reading them. Pick out several key words out of the story. Either place ... more >>

* Listen to what you kids have to say, let them express themselves and then add your comments.* Lift them up at every opportunity and praise them for their accomplishments.* Respect their individuality and give them their space ... more >>

Begin by enforcing a healthy routine for meals and snacks, naps, baths and bedtime. This creates security in the child and gives them a guideline for a fulfilling day. Practice what you preach. You can ... more >>

First, consider how you will remedy your child's weight problem. How will you get them to move more? How will you get them to eat better? Have a plan ready before approaching your child about his/her weight. ... more >>

Approach the issue with multiple enticements. Get a friend or family member to send postcards to the child. They'll be intrigued by the colorful pictures and want to know what the message says. Have the message printed in large letters and keep the ... more >>

To raise a geek, start by being completely un-cool. Coolness rubs off on those nearby, and it is incompatible with geekdom. From an early age, offer no fashionable or trendy options for your child’s ... more >>

First and foremost, never ever compare the abilities or behaviours of your children. Each child is unique and comprehends things at different levels, and it is essential that you keep this in the fore-most of your mind during all the child-rearing ... more >>

First you will want to teach them to spell their name aloud. It is a good idea to start with the first name only and then when that is mastered, I like to add the last name and then work on the middle and putting it all together. To spell their first ... more >>

Locate your nearest library and obtain a card. Some offer family cards so you only have one to keep track of. Ask about special programs for children. Almost all offer story times for different ages. See what is available for your child. ... more >>

Pour apple juice in a microwave-safe cup. Heat until warm. Drink slowly to help calm a cough. This is a safe, natural way to quiet coughing and ease a sore throat. Suck on hard candy or cough drops to ... more >>