Dr. Corinne Masur
It’s a time honored tradition for parents, grandparents, and other adults to ask children “how was you day at school?”
And, as any parent or any observant adult knows, these questions usually elicit very little in the way of information. In fact, all you are likely to get is a shrug of the shoulders!
What’s going on here?
Why do adults always ask these questions and why don’t children ever answer? Continue reading
Dr. Corinne Masur
Following the terrible events in Orlando, parents all over the country are thinking about whether to talk with their children about what happened and, if so, what to say.
Moreover, families must think about whether to allow their kids to listen to radio news or watch TV coverage, and whether to talk about what happened in front of children. This event is particularly difficult as it involves not only horrible tragedy but so many other issues: terrorism, hate, homophobia, mental health, gun control– all issues which are difficult to know how to explain to children.
The following are ideas and suggestions. Your family may choose to follow some, to modify others, and to ignore the rest. Each family is different and each child is different, so do what feels right in your particular situation. Continue reading
During this holiday week, we hope you enjoy lots of family storytelling and lively discussions with your little ones. Research shows that telling family stories has tremendous emotional and educational benefits for children, so if you need a little inspiration, check out these links for family storytelling activities: Continue reading
Dr. Corinne Masur
Attentional Disorders are diagnosed all too frequently in young children and, even more concerning, 2- and 3-year-olds are medicated for what’s being called hyperactivity.
As mentioned in a previous post, deciding what makes a toddler “hyperactive” is a matter of definition. ALL toddlers are active and ALL toddlers have trouble focusing. Why? Because it’s their job is to explore the world! Not only that, they’re not yet developmentally ready to concentrate on one thing for a long time.
But can you help your toddler learn to control him or herself and to focus for longer and longer periods of time?
Yes, you can. And here are some tips: Continue reading
Dr. Corinne Masur
In a recent Dear Prudence column, a mother asked if she needed to move her 2 year old from the day care the child was currently attending. It was a daycare the mother had chosen – a small in-home day care with a loving director and two warm assistants, where the children played all day with the exception of some organized story time and song time. The mother’s mother-in-law was insisting that the child was not getting enough academic stimulation.
Well, what DOES a two year old need? Does a toddler need academic stimulation? And for that matter, does a toddler need socialization with other children? Continue reading
What’s the deal with free range parenting? We read a great article in the New York Times that tackles this issue:
Advice from America’s Worst Mom
Leave us a comment and tell us what you think!
When we evaluate what makes a preschool program successful, what are the important criteria? And how do we measure success?
In response to a Philadelphia Inquirer article advocating funding for “high quality preschool programs,” members of the Philadelphia Declaration of Play wrote the following letter: Continue reading
Thoughtful Parenting 