Archives for January 2007

It’s a common complaint that the minute you pick up the telephone, your youngsters magically appear by your side in dire need of your time and attention. The older they, the less often it'll happen — but your children will continue to crave your attention even when they are not children anymore. At this age, though, they have enough reasoning ability to know that they need … [Read more...] about Your kid and the phone

As they get older, the elder children continue to help others and to set an example that the younger siblings can learn from. Be careful not to give your eldest ones too much responsibility, though. At this age, they can't take care of a sibling by themselves.   Give them small tasks, such as pushing him on the swing, helping prepare a snack, or teaching a game. But … [Read more...] about More Tips for sibling happiness

The best way to teach your youngsters is by example. By helping others yourself, you teach them how to help others. Whenever your eldest does something helpful for you or anyone else, praise them and let them know how much you appreciate their actions.   Another way to encourage your older children is to let them know how good they can make their baby siblings feel. Let … [Read more...] about Helping their younger siblings

Talk to your children: Sometimes your children really need to check in with you and unburden themselves about their day at school. It is important that you make time for this. Make up a bedtime routine: Draw up a written "contract" together that you can embellish on the computer or decorate with crayons and stickers. The contract should outline and agree on exactly what the … [Read more...] about What a father can do to soothe the Bedtime Blues

Be clear and realistic: Make sure your requests are specific and doable. If you say, "Clean the garage," your kids may manage to push the clutter around a bit. But if you say, "Please sweep the floor and stack the newspapers in a neat pile for recycling," they will know exactly what to do. Simplify your requests: It is possible that your children may be ignoring you because … [Read more...] about What can a father do to deal with his children’s ignorance?