Ever heard a parent of a 3-month-old say, “My baby is just like me when I was that age”? Of course not. But when it comes to parents of teens, detailed comparisons and contrasts abound. Why do we do this? Probably because we remember the highlights of our teenhood so much better than our toddlerhood. I recently asked one of the wisest parents I know for her No. 1 parenting tip. Her reply? Stop all the comparisons! Don’t compare a child to yourself at his or her age; don’t compare a child to his or her siblings; don’t compare a child to relatives, friends, classmates, co-parents or anyone … [Read more...]
Summer Goals, Routines Make for Kids’ Maximum Enjoyment, Your Sanity
School’s out! It’s time to get back to a summer routine. I’ve set a few rules and routines for the summer while I’m home with my kids full-time, so these summer goals are now ours: Screen time Screens and time spent on devices is always a tricky subject around our household. I like the idea of allowing them time to use screens each day for a limited time, but in the past that screen time bleeds into longer and longer periods. Our family usually does better with screens on Friday afternoons and weekends only, which is what we did all school year. We will likely stick to this plan. … [Read more...]
How to Help You, Your Children Deal with Life’s Many Mistakes, Failures
Mistakes failures suck. No. We meant mistakes "or" failures suck. Or should it be "and"? Oops. No one is perfect, they say, even though you try valiantly to be the perfect parent. And neither is your child, no matter what you post of your social media channels. So we have some mistaken failure advice, er, mistake and failure advice for you. In the latest of our “City Dads Sessions” video series, our intrepid Los Angeles Dads Group co-organizer Trevor Mulligan asks several fathers for their best parenting tips on dealing with life's many wrong turns. Here is what they had to … [Read more...]
Raising Children to Appreciate Diverse World Takes Parental Guidance
My child and I recently walked by a black woman dressed, head to toe, in purple. Several layers of purple actually, including a purple Red Sox hat. She stood out. My 2-year-old says the word “purple” a moment later and I agree with his observation. “She was wearing a lot of purple,” I say. And then I wait to see if there are any other questions or observations, but none followed. We keep walking and I’m thinking about how in the future the conversation will likely go past just the word “purple” and lead into questions around other differences he observed. Discussing racial differences, … [Read more...]
Start Daycare Right with These Tips to Prepare Your Child, You
You have picked out your daycare. Now the time has come for your child to start. From experience, it isn’t easy -- for you or your little one. I’ve made the first drop-off twice now. Many emotions run through you as you leave your child with people you barely know. For the most part, nerves take over. You wonder how your child will react to when you leave him to start daycare with this strange person for an entire day. Will he cry all day? You wonder if your boss is going to think you are an emotional wreck, especially if you are returning to work that day for the first time in weeks, … [Read more...]
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