Tracy Cutchlow's blog | Kids in the House

Zero to Five

Tracy Cutchlow is the author of Zero to Five: 70 Essential Parenting Tips Based on Science. Parents magazine called it "the coolest--and easiest--book for new parents." Tracy was the editor of two bestselling books: Brain Rules and Brain Rules for Baby. Sign up for her weekly parenting tips at www.zerotofive.net.

What should your child be doing in preschool? Not sitting around

"Should I hold my son back from kindergarten?" a mom asked me. Her child was at a play-based preschool, and she was worried that he wasn't ready for kindergarten because he didn't know his letters and numbers. The first few school years of a child are essential for their growth and learning. So, it’s not surprising that many parents worry about the quality of teaching and the developmental advancement that their children must gain as they grow.

What Positive Discipline Sounds Like

My preschooler came out of her room and stomped once. I carried her back to bed. As I turned to leave, she called out: “When we were camping, C wanted to be alone and I kept at him, and he hurt me. He hit me first. I hit him second. Next time we go camping, I’m going to hurt C.” “Then I’m afraid we can’t go camping with C,” I said gently, hoping she would see the error in her ways (but not see I was making that up). “We go camping to have fun, not to hurt people.”

'I'm gonna hit him': What positive discipline sounds like (and doesn't) when your kid vows to hurt a friend

My preschooler came out of her room and stomped once. I carried her back to bed. As I turned to leave, she called out: “When we were camping, C wanted to be alone and I kept at him, and he hurt me. He hit me first. I hit him second. Next time we go camping, I'm going to hurt C.” “Then I'm afraid we can't go camping with C,” I said gently, hoping she would see the error in her ways (but not see I was making that up). “We go camping to have fun, not to hurt people.”

The secret to stopping power struggles

“Time for bed,” my husband says. He’s not talking to our 3-year-old. He’s talking to me, because I’ve been going to bed waaaay too late, and I’ve asked him to help me out. Even so, whenever he tells me what to do, I balk. “OK,” I say noncommittally, and I stay up even later. Think about the last time someone pressured you to do something. What was your gut reaction? How about the last time you told your 3-year-old what to do? Did she do the opposite of what you wanted? Mine did.