ADD and Medication: A Reaction to L. Alan Sroufe’s NY Times Article

By now many of us have read L. Alan Sroufe’s opinion on the use of medication for people, specifically children, with ADD.  He discusses the short term benefit and his belief that in the long term they do nothing for behavior or concentration.  He describes ADD as “problems with attention, self-regulation and behavior.”  Perhaps most Read More

Tips To Tame Tantrums!

Recently, in many of my parent groups and private sessions, tantrums seem to be the topic of choice.  Tantruming is not new to childhood but it seems that every day an expert has a new way to end your child’s tantrums. I say stick with the tried and true… Before your child tantrums, think about what sets them Read More

What Do You Mean Sensory Issues?

Over the years I have met many children who were either overly sensitive, or not sensitive enough, to the world around them.  Today, sensory integration disorder, sensory processing disorder and sensory issues are phrases that get thrown around by educators and therapists frequently.  But for parents these words can be scary and unclear.  When we describe Read More

The Parenting Dance

  Many parents go through a period where they struggle to understand what their children are telling them.   In more challenging situations, parents can have a hard time connecting with their babies.  I often suggest they try considering these times in a new framework.  Consider parenting to be a dance. Starting from the first moment you hold your infant in Read More

Thoughts About Sleep Training

No matter how you choose to do it, at what point in your child’s life or with which method. there is one important thing to keep in mind during sleep training: you are giving your child the opportunity to learn how to soothe him or her self.  This is a life long skill.  It is Read More

Giving Thanks

Today on Thanksgiving, but really every day, it is important to think about raising children who are thankful and appreciative.  How can a parent or teacher instill these traits in children? When children are about 18 months old, they can repeat the phrase “thank you.”  While they will not truly understand what it means until they Read More