No-Cry Solution Series Author
Elizabeth Pantley is a parent educator, mother of four, and the author of the now-classic baby sleep book, The No-Cry Sleep Solution, as well as six other books in the series, including The No-Cry Separation Anxiety Solution, The No-Cry Potty Training Solution, The No-Cry Discipline Solution, The No-Cry Picky Eater Solution, plus other successful parenting books. She is known worldwide as the practical, reasonable voice of respectful parenting.
When children are immersed in play they usually put their entire soul into the activity. It is this intensity that allows them to absorb so much about the world in the early years of their life. They are always learning, always taking in something new. Because of this intensity it can be very hard for a child to switch from one activity to another without first making a mental adjustment.
Kids Get Very Focused on Their Play
Ever try convincing a wide-awake child to go to bed? Not an easy task! Instead of bedtime battles, you can work with your child’s natural body clock so that he’s actually tired when his bedtime arrives. Did anyone ever tell you, “You can’t make a child sleep, but you can make him go to bed.”
Sleep (or lack of sleep) affects all 24 hours of your child’s day (and therefore, all 24 hours of YOUR day!) The quality and quantity of your child’s sleep influences his mood, behavior, health, and even brain development. Adequate, restful sleep is a vital component for your child’s healthy, happy life. Here are 5 things you may not know about sleep.
Does your child wake up slowly with no appetite first thing in the morning? That’s a challenge worth solving because by the time the breakfast hour rolls around she might not have had anything to eat for as long as twelve to eighteen hours. This early nutrition is critically important to her health and well-being, so it's worth the effort to find creative ways to convince her to have some breakfast.
Assigning children household chores is one of the best ways to build self-esteem and a feeling of competence. Regular chores establish helpful habits and good attitudes about work. Having chores also teaches valuable lessons about life and creates an understanding that there are jobs that must be done to run a household. Children who grow up perceiving chores as a normal part of life will find the flow into adulthood much easier than those without responsibility will.
Choose age appropriate jobs for children.
I have four children who are as alike as apples, oranges, brownies and chewing gum. It often amazes me that these four children were birthed by the same parents and raised in the same home! They are very unique individuals and they have very different strengths and traits. And they require very different things from me, and yet different things from their Dad.
Does your child ever walk around the house in his sleep? Or do you have a nighttime chatterbox? If so you probably wonder if you need to do something about these nighttime activities. Here's information and tips.
Guess what?! Sleepwalking and talking is common
Our children bring us incredible joy. They can make us laugh and fill our hearts with love. Yet, those same children can bring out the anger in us, and we're often regretful and ashamed after the fact. But getting angry at your children is a perfectly human and normal response to the complicated, often stress-filled job of parenting.
The first step to avoiding anger is to identify the things that provoke you - so that you can make positive changes in your home.
Steps to Dealing with Anger
I’ve worked at home since the first of my four children was a baby. Despite the challenges, it has been a perfect arrangement for me. It doesn’t work out for everyone, but it's a situation definitely worth exploring. If you’re trying to decide if it’s right for you, before you take the next step -- take some time to ponder these 7 questions.
Do you have a child who won’t cooperate with your requests? Do you repeat yourself so often that you sometimes feel invisible?
Don’t get frustrated! Don't yell, beg or threaten! Instead try one of these fun and effective approaches.
