Archives for September, 2017
Should I Make My Daughters Hug Each Other? (Reader Question)
I received this question from a reader, and with her permission, I’m answering it here on the blog.
Dr. Naumburg,
My older daughter (who I’ll call #1) is seven years old, and her sister (#2) is four and a half. #1 is consistently friendly, compassionate, and helpful to other kids, but the moment she’s with her younger sister, it's a different game. #2 is very affectionate physically and verbally, but her big...
Support: You Can’t Parent Without It
Lunch Atop a Skyscraper
I’ve started going to restorative yoga classes once a week. These classes are basically like naptime, but stretchier. Our teacher’s primary instruction is to “get as comfortable as you can in each pose,” and she teaches us how to use cushions, yoga blocks, blankets, and straps to do just that.
We were in the middle of a gentle twist last night when she said, “If...
I’ve started going to restorative yoga classes once a week. These classes are basically like naptime, but stretchier. Our teacher’s primary instruction is to “get as comfortable as you can in each pose,” and she teaches us how to use cushions, yoga blocks, blankets, and straps to do just that.
We were in the middle of a gentle twist last night when she said, “If...
How to Deal With Your Child’s Public Accidents Without Losing Your Mind (Reader Question)
I received this question from a reader, and with her permission, I’m answering it here on the blog.
Dr. Naumburg,
My 7 year old daughter has started having pee accidents again, and yesterday she peed on the side of the soccer field during her game! I saw her squatting and I assumed she was trying to hold it in until she could make it to the bathroom, but nope, she...
How to Parent a Picky Eater Without Losing Your Mind
Too many peas. Too many.
Most people don’t realize I’m a picky eater because, well, I’m a grown-up. The truth is that I have been highly selective (ahem) since I was a little girl; I’m just better at hiding it now. I’m also the mother of one consistently and highly selective eater and one intermittently and moderately selective eater.
Not to brag or anything, but I’ve got forty years...
Most people don’t realize I’m a picky eater because, well, I’m a grown-up. The truth is that I have been highly selective (ahem) since I was a little girl; I’m just better at hiding it now. I’m also the mother of one consistently and highly selective eater and one intermittently and moderately selective eater.
Not to brag or anything, but I’ve got forty years...
You Can’t Predict Your Kid’s Future, So No Need to Stress About It
I love airports. The inevitable lines, layovers, and delays rarely bother me because I’m just so damn happy to be there. I sit and watch the people go by; I check out their luggage choices and eavesdrop on their conversations and wonder why anyone would travel in 4” heels. When I’m done doing that, I wander up and down the terminals, occasionally stopping for a cup of coffee, a package of peanut M&M’s, or a...
Remembering and Talking to Our Children About 9/11
My daughters, who are 7 and 8 years old, learned about 9/11 this past summer.
I wasn’t intending to talk about it just then, but it was a plot point in a book we were reading, and so we discussed it.
The girls learned that 16 years ago, bad men flew planes into buildings and a lot of people died. They learned that yes, Mommy and Daddy were alive when...