They were once made of lead, but are now made of pure china clay, graphite, and cedar from 150 to 200-year-old-trees. Their companion, once made from linen and cotton rags, is now made of wood pulp. If I could provide only two material objects to my children, outside the basic necessities, it just might be [...]

Many people still think that the game of chess is appropriate for old people. In their mind’s eye, they see 2 elderly people sitting across from each other in the park, playing a game of chess. Well, it might sound surprising to you, but you can teach a baby to play chess. It has shown [...]

It’s the third time this week that Sam has complained of a headache or Shaundra has an upset stomach. Daniel cries before leaving school and Tanya won’t get out of the car upon arrival to the school parking lot. Most parents simply don’t know what to do when this occurs. Does the parent insist the [...]

‘Picky Eater’ is a label coined to describe the phenomenon that someone has discerning taste preferences different from their parents or others. These discerning taste preferences are dictated by their blood and body type. It is important for parents to accept and model the ‘real’ purpose of food. Quite simply, food serves two purposes-growth/repair of [...]

“I took care of Callie,” my three-year-old announced. Callie had been starting with that little whine that babies adopt to alert mothers and sisters that their new crawling tricks have them wedged behind the furniture. But the whining had stopped–rather suddenly it seems in retrospect. “Thanks, Cassie. You are such a big help,” I said. [...]

Here is an easy, inexpensive and fun kid experiment for your next kid birthday party. This activity, which is strictly speaking a kid science experiment, can be used in any party as entertainment. Even better: have a “Mad Chemist” theme and use this idea as one of the kid experiments. Fill a plate or saucer [...]

How can two or three children in the same family be so different? They are brought up in the same broad social environment, under a similar set of rules and an identical family value system. They also come from the same genetic pool yet they can be so different in personality, interests and achievement. While [...]

Rocks, bottle caps, sports cards, shells, comic books, marbles, matchbox cars, coins, stamps, dolls, posters, buttons, pins, stickers, autographs, hats, post cards, model planes, butterflies, and so on. Almost any item that isn’t nailed down or too heavy to lift is a candidate for collecting. Just about everyone, at some time in life, has collected [...]

There is little doubt that reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic are crucial elements in the education of any child. A child’s ability to later cope in the adult world, to have a career, to take charge of his financial affairs and to live independently depends to a large extent on his mastery of these skills. Unfortunately [...]

Should a parent give a child a tangible reward when he or she has behaved properly or performed some important task such as doing homework, or helping around the house? Understandably, many parents are hesitant to use incentives, such as prizes, or food treats, to influence their children, especially considering the negative comments by some, [...]