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New Kid by Friday- part 4

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Over the last three months I’ve been sharing some insights from Dr. Kevin Leman’s book, Have a New Kid by Friday. In February I reviewed the three pillars of a child’s self worth: Acceptance, Belonging, and Competence. Then in March I reviewed the first of the top 3 long-term concerns of parents, Attitude.

In April I reviewed what he had to say about Character. Of course most of his book is about the third concern, Behavior. It is written for parents with children of all ages; much of the book is beyond the scope of babies and toddlers. Laying good foundations of discipline is so important, though, that I want to take some time to talk about some of his specific approaches.

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New Kid by Friday- part 1

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This month I have been reading a great book by Dr. Kevin Leman called Have a New Kid by Friday. Although it sounds like a quick-fix, self-help book, it is really well written and has such sound beliefs behind his teaching. He is a clinical psychologist, married for almost 40 years, and with experience raising 5 kids. He is a believer in Jesus and uses Biblical principles, though he doesn’t declare chapter and verse. I have been confirmed by this book in what I teach moms with young children. I want to share some of the principles from this book over the next few months when I send your monthly bulletin to you. Of course Dr. Leman has much more to say and lots more examples than I will ever be able to cover in this short email.

For those of you who have been receiving First Steps bulletins for a while, some of these points will be review. Dr. Leman has put these ideas in such easy to remember form that I want to share them again.

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2 Years 7 Months Girl

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Stress and the Preschooler

Your preschooler is probably pretty happy most of the time. But there are many things that can cause stress for your preschooler. She has so many new skills to juggle. The arrival of a new sibling, lack of a regular routine, illness, moving, vacation, change in caregivers, fear of the dark, and even too many planned activities can stress your preschooler.

2 Years 7 Months Girl

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2 Years 7 Months Boy

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Stress and the Preschooler

Your preschooler is probably pretty happy most of the time. But there are many things that can cause stress for your preschooler. He has so many new skills to juggle. The arrival of a new sibling, lack of a regular routine, illness, moving, vacation, change in caregivers, fear of the dark, and even too many planned activities can stress your preschooler.

The signs of stress at this age often depend on his personality. Some preschoolers become withdrawn and seem bored, while others become angry and impatient. Some don’t want to play or want to go home when they have just arrived at play group. Some regress in their toilet training or in self-skills like dressing themselves.

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2 Years 5 Months Girl

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Your Toddler’s Brain and Memory

Your two-year old’s brain is three-fourths the size of her adult brain. By five years of age it will be nearly full size. As her brain grows, structures involved in learning, memory, motor control, and other brain functions are being developed.

Right now she has trillions of neural pathways, double the number she will have as an adult. The more often a pathway is used, the stronger the connections are. The development of these pathways is influenced by how your toddler’s brain is used, the variety and richness of the environment she is exposed to, and also genetics. Routine and repetition cause the brain to strengthen the most important connections. Less used pathways are treated by the brain as less important. The pathways that are not used or only used infrequently, will wither away. This is a normal process called pruning.baby si

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