Your Child s Temper Tantrums

•Boosting Your Childs Development
As your child's first and most important teacher, you will lay the foundation for all of his or her future learning. The things you can do to improve your child's chances of being happy, smart, and successful are simple and enjoyable-and many parents have always done them instinctively. For example, just talking to your child can increase his or her intelligence and improve his or her ability to learn language, to think, and, eventually, to do well in school. The most important things you can...

•Children And Step Families
When a dating relationship turns serious and you make plans for marriage, you also face the prospect of forming a stepfamily. You may also be moving from single parenthood into step parenthood as well if your new spouse has his or her own children. A step- or blended family has its own set of unique advantages and problems and a stepparent enters into a new relationship with a child that is similar to yet greatly different from that of a parent. And, even though blended families are becoming...

•Choosing A Baby Sitter For Your Child
Many parents prefer to choose a baby-sitter or nanny to care for their child if he or she is under age 3. This option can be the most convenient, because the caregiver comes to your home. Your child will also be in a familiar environment and will avoid exposure to colds and other infections from other children. Hiring a nanny is one of the most expensive child-care arrangements, but the biggest difficulty is finding a reliable, well-qualified person. Because in-home care is not regulated in...

•Your Toddler And Sexuality
Children develop their basic attitudes about sexuality during their early years, beginning at birth-from the way they are touched, caressed, cuddled, and cared for. As you hold and touch your baby, you are communicating and expressing love and acceptance and showing your baby how special he or she is. Toddlers are keen observers of how family members show affection for each other-and they quickly learn what is OK to do and what is not OK. Between ages 2 and 3, children become aware of being a...

•Your Child s Rights
Since the 1 970s, numerous federal and state laws have been passed to ensure that children with chronic illnesses or disabilities have the same educational and developmental opportunities as other children. Many states have initiated programs to identify children with disabilities at a young age to help minimize developmental delays and reduce the long-term dependency that could other wise afflict a special-needs child. Children with a chronic illness or disability deserve to live with their...

•Parent Tips For An Infant Ready To Walk
A child will begin to walk typically as soon as he's developmentally able to. For some children this will be at nine months; for others, eighteen months. The age at which a healthy child walks has no effect on or connection with his intelligence, yet parents often feel pressure if their child is a late walker. Friends and relatives may ask, Are you sure he's all right? Why isn't he walking yet? or say, My daughter was walking when she as ten months old and your child's already seventeen...

•Reducing Your Childs Risk Of Sids Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) is the death of an apparently healthy infant under 1 year of age (usually 6 months or younger) for which no cause can be found. Although there is no way to predict or prevent SIDS, you can substantially reduce your child's risk by always placing him or her to sleep on his or her back instead of the stomach. It's OK to place your child on his or her back even after a feeding. This will not increase the risk of the baby breathing in spit-up food. Placing your...

•Helping Your Child Resist Cigarettes Alcohol And Other Drugs
Drug use occurs among children of all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. American children are bombarded by messages that subtly and often not-so-subtly encourage the use of cigarettes, alcohol, and other drugs. The most effective way to reduce your child's risk of using drugs is to be a good role model. Children get confused when they are presented with anti drug education and prevention programs in school but witness use of these substances at home. Children whose parents use alcohol...

•Guiding Your Child Through Teenage Years
Preteens and teens face numerous choices and decisions as they learn to become independent and express their individuality-often by exploring different clothes, hairstyles, friends, music, hobbies, religions, political issues, and social causes. They have an innate need to find things out for themselves-to test their feelings and ideas about life. They may reject their parents' values and challenge their rules, often pushing the limits placed on them by adults and society. Teenagers change...

•Easing Your Preschooler s Fear Of Separation
Even children who have been used to being cared for by others may, as they enter school, develop a fear of being apart from their parents. Once again, this reaction is not necessarily a sign of regression but can be due to their increased awareness of the world's dangers. Children who have recently undergone major changes in their lives, such as the birth of a sibling or a move, may become even more clingy as they adjust to the change. Some of the ways you can help your preschool child deal...