When Toddlers Scream

hi, janet.  i’m a former actor, current Ph.D. student and mom of a 15-month-old.  your website and your advice have been really inspirational as his father and i navigate early parenthood . . . mostly joyfully, although we get as tired as anyone.  i thought this question might have relevance for your audience, so if you get a chance to consider it, many thanks.  Miles is a pretty easy going kid, and...

The Parenting Magic Word (10 Ways To Use It)

Madga Gerber extolled the power of a single word that is fundamental to her child care philosophy. This word reflects a core belief in a baby’s natural abilities, respects his unique developmental timetable, fulfills his need to experience mastery, be a creative problem solver and to express feelings (even those that are hard for us to witness). The word is a simple, practical tool for understanding babies,...

Fearless Baby, Empowered By Risk (Surprising Video!)

This video is somewhat shocking at first glance – just about every glance, actually. Even when my 9 year old daredevil son saw it, he exclaimed disapprovingly, “You let her get on the table again?!” The “table” is actually just a wooden platform a few inches high, a focus of interest and activity for babies in the RIE Parent/Infant Guidance Classes. The 8 month old baby in the video is an extraordinarily...

A Toddler’s Night Waking – A Mother’s Anger, Guilt, Confusion (Response by Eileen Henry)

I am growing so angry and tired from lack of sleep. I didn’t mind getting up during the night when my son was a newborn, but he’s almost 14 MONTHS, and we’re still up 2-4 times a night. Usually it’s 2-3. I have to rock him to sleep for naptime. It doesn’t sound so bad if all you know are other attachment parents, but most of my friends and family follow the Babywise cult and remark how...

What To Do About A Toddler Toy Taker?

She’s bold, bright, a leader – no wallflower this girl. She’s eager to connect with her peers, and a simple hello isn’t enough. She wants their attention. She wants interaction. And, ideally, she wants a reaction.  Naturally, her social skills are a work in progress, and while she’s learning how to engage in play, she’s often misunderstood. Her antics sometimes worry and embarrass her parents and elicit...

Babies Learn Through Frustration

Janet, thank you again so much for answering my questions and for your wonderful articles. We have made huge progress and are so much calmer and happier in just a few days of changes. Here is my next question: I’m trying to get this right, and observing my baby carefully really does help to figure out what he’s crying about. But I’m unsure how to handle his cries after he trips or loses...

Baby Sleep Struggles (Guest Post By Eileen Henry)

A bonus of getting older (there aren’t many) is a more acute awareness of where our talents lie, and also our limitations. For instance, there are many parenting issues about which I feel confident  and capable of offering advice – however, sleep isn’t one of them. Although I can certainly help with the basics, I find sleep problems a bit too thorny and complicated.  (Granted, I knew far more before my third...

You Can’t Do It! – 3 Powerful Messages Parents Don’t Intend To Send

“When you grow up you can be anything you want to be,” my mom often told me. She believed in me and wanted me to know it. Oddly, I translated this encouraging message into an overwhelming expectation that I could never live up to: “You have to be big, important and really famous. No mediocrity for you!” We all parent with best intentions, and we are bound to be misinterpreted by our children sometimes. But...