I was not a comparative type of person...until I became a mom. One of the first things I noticed after birthing a child was that all of a sudden—POOF!—I became both comparative and competitive. What percentile was my child in?  Where did she fit in the developmental and growth percentages my pediatrician was always talking about? Was she an early walker? Does she sleep through the night? Was she smart and confident? Does she play instruments and speak multiple languages?  This sudden s

When your crawler wants (and needs!) to play in a safe outdoor space, these playgrounds are great options to check out to let your newly mobile kiddo(s) explore and play. All have a soft rubber surface (forget mulch chips at this age as they only end up in their mouths!) and safe, fun and unique options to keep all ages entertained. Coliseum Playground Where? 1466 S. Wabash Ave. (on Wabash between S. 14th and S. 15th streets) Why go to crawl? Because that is ALL you can do here! No swin

Summer is around the corner and our children are finally able to get outside after a brutal winter. However, they may now be exposed to many different plants that can cause rashes that itch and burn.   One of the most common plants that children are exposed to is Toxicodendron radicans, commonly known as poison ivy. We have all heard the saying, “leaves of three, let it be!”  Poison ivy is a woody vine with leaves in groups of three (with the center leaf being the longest). The plant appear

You walk into the kitchen to find an open bag of cookies on the counter and your child with chocolate on their face. You ask, “Did you eat the cookies?” Of course, the response is, “No.”  And you just wish for an honest answer. How often does this happen, whether in interactions with your child, a co-worker or the used car dealer? Here are a few strategies to increase the likelihood of getting an honest response. Do not ask a question that you already know the answer to. Lying is a

As parents, we are constantly second-guessing ourselves about the decisions we make surrounding our children.  Did I handle that tantrum right?  What activities should I sign my child up for?  Am I over-scheduling my child?  How do I best prepare my child for school?  Did I choose the right school?  Is my child growing up to be a good person?  When these things are always on our minds, it is hard to gauge our own self-worth and determine if we are doing a “good” job as a parent. That is oft

The interest in the "Managing Challenging Behaviors" workshop at last year's Developmental Differences Resource Fair was so great that we didn’t have time to answer everyone’s questions. Here are some of the questions attendees had, along with some suggestions from the experts at Tuesday’s Child, a behavior-focused program in North Center. Note that this advice applies to kids with and without developmental differences! Q: How do I deal with my child's Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde behaviors? A:

As your child grows and develops, you might find yourself worrying and wondering if their development is on track. And when it comes to development, there’s a lot to keep track of—feeding, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, speech, language, social-emotional development and play (to name a few!).  What happens if you feel your child is behind in one of these areas? To start, know that you are not alone. Every child develops uniquely and at their own pace. Talk to your pediatrician about

Anyone who is a parent knows that the job is tough. Really tough. If we moms and dads were really honest with ourselves, we'd have to admit that we had almost no idea what we were getting into when we brought that first baby home. The old saying about kids not coming with a training manual is true. And the problem of "What do I do with this kid?" is intensified for parents in our contemporary rush-rush, worry-worry world. The problem is that when parents don't quite know what they're doing

How do you know if someone you love has a learning difficulty? What are some of the symptoms? As the center director at Lindamood-Bell Oak Park Learning Center, I hear these questions frequently, and the following cases and their symptoms may sound familiar to you. Luke, Michael and Sarah were students I worked with because of their difficulty with reading. While Luke was reading, he would often skip over words, or sound out the same word multiple times in a paragraph. He could not get a pa

Have you ever been at a playground, a classroom or a family event where there's that "one kid" who's a little overaggressive, pushing other kids, knocking down another child's projects or looks like they’re in 6th gear? And, like me, have you judged this behavior, saying to yourself, “That kid needs more discipline," or "What horrible parents. I'd knock some sense into that kid if he was mine." We’re all a little guilty of these thoughts. Well, my son used to be one of these children. And,

As parents, we do everything we can to nurture our children’s physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs. Yet, despite our best efforts to raise our kids to be resilient and have a strong sense of self, we see more and more children the victims of bullying. When a child has healthy self-esteem, she is less likely to be the victim of bullying and more likely to make healthy choices that lead to a fulfilling life. In my work with parents, I have found three common ways we sa

Raising children with another person can be unbelievably stressful. Despite our best efforts to be sensitive to another person’s parenting style or preferred method of discipline, aligning one’s values with the other parent when both parents have strong opinions of the “right” or “wrong” way to rear children can be tricky.  While parties who don’t have children together can effectively sever ties (absent a financial obligation to the other party), this is an impossibility for parents. What

In today's economy, many households have two working parents. That's where a nanny comes in. But hiring a nanny to care for your little one can be an intimidating process. As a former nanny and the founder of nanny agency Olive.You.Nanny, I suggest these tips for finding a nanny. Step 1: Getting Started with Interviewing When you’re armed with a clear understanding of how the interview process works, things can be much easier. Reach out to potential candidates to schedule an in