Psychologist Dr. Bill Maier says that imaginary friends are a totally normal part of life for preschoolers. Parents shouldn’t be concerned about imaginary friends unless a child is so focused on the relationship with the “friend” that he or she seems to be losing touch with reality. And of course, you should never let your …
Ages 4-8 (Preschool/Primary) Q&A
Do you think it’s a good idea to take a small child out of the home and place him in an institutional setting for a number of hours every week? We’ve been considering preschool for our little boy, but we’re not sure if the pros outweigh the cons. What’s your perspective?
How can we stop our preschooler from bullying other kids? Our 4-year-old is a bright and loving child, but he’s also quite strong willed. His teachers have already talked to us several times about his uncooperative behavior — interrupting, ignoring instructions, etc. But now something more serious has happened. He recently pushed one student to …
How can we get our finicky four-year-old to eat what we put in front of her? Her highly selective eating habits are driving us up the wall. We never allow between-meal snacks, yet dinnertime has become a major pain. I see this refusal to eat as disobedience, but my spouse is afraid that making an …
Can you help me figure out if my five-year-old son is overly attached to his mother? There are some days when it seems almost impossible to separate him from her. When we ride in the car, he insists that she sit in the back seat with him. Only mama can clean him up when he …
How can we help our four-year-old overcome her fears about going to sleep in the dark? We’ve tried everything – an established bed-time, a night-light in the bedroom, books, prayers, songs – but nothing seems to help. Can we doing anything to address these night-time fears?
How can we help our child overcome his terror of the school bus? The school is too far away for him to walk, and my wife and I both work, so it isn’t feasible to drive him back and forth every day. What can we do?
How can I help my small child deal with his overwhelming fear of insects? He’s always been a little scared of bugs, but recently he was bitten by something at school during snack time, and now he gets hysterical every time the class is supposed to go outside. What’s the solution?
Is there a way to put a stop to the constant state of conflict I’m in with my school age child? I’m spending a lot of time trying to promote harmony and maintain a little order in our home, but when I ask my son to pitch in, I get either passive indifference or outright …
How can I find a trustworthy source to diagnose and treat my young child’s deficient speech and language skills? He’s way behind his peers in this area, and I’m especially concerned because he’s supposed to start school next fall. How do I talk to him about this without making him feel abnormal?
Can you help us decide on a strategy for giving our child the best possible education? Our daughter is ready to start school, and we want her to get her moving in the right direction. What kind of options and alternatives are available to us?
Can you provide me with some general principles and guidelines for responding to behavioral problems in a school-age child? What are some effective methods for disciplining kids at this stage of development?
What is your opinion about overnight group activities for elementary grade children? We want our kids to have fun and participate with their friends, but we’re concerned about exposing them to inappropriate influences. Are we overreacting?
Would you recommend that we take our three young children, ages three, four, and six, to their grandfather’s funeral? My father-in-law is terminally ill and is not expected to live for more than a few weeks. As my husband and I begin preparing ourselves, both practically and emotionally, for his passing, I’m wondering what arrangements …
How can we encourage and promote our young child’s love for learning when we don’t have the money for preschool? She already knows how to read and she’s curious about everything. I’m not sure that I’m equipped to homeschool a child of her ability. What do you suggest we do?
How can we assess whether or not our child is ready to start school? Can you suggest any basic guidelines?
How should I talk to my elementary-grade child about Santa Claus? She’s been asking a lot of questions about him. I am ready to tell her the truth, but I’m hesitant because I don’t want her to think that we’ve been “lying” to her all these years.
How can we prepare our toddler for the upcoming birth of a new baby? What’s the best way to explain the birthing process so that he can understand it? I’d like to be as honest as possible with him, but I also want to be careful not to give him more information than he needs. …
What factors do we need to consider – what should we look for and what should we avoid – when selecting a daycare facility for our child? Some of our friends and family have had bad experiences in this area. Naturally, we’d like to avoid that if at all possible. Do you have any suggestions?
How should we handle it when a friend’s child kicks or whacks one of our kids? Our best friends have a habitually mean and aggressive preschooler about the same age as our children. We try to keep visits short and supervised, but one of our children always ends up getting hit. Is there a way …