ArcaMax

Q: My almost-3-year-old, when I begin to do something, will yell, “I WILL DO IT!” When it’s something he can do, fine, but if it’s not, then I just say, “No, Mommy will do it” and that’s the end of it. He also tells me, probably 10 times a day, “No nap, Mommy! No nap!” When it’s naptime, however, he goes upstairs and gets in ...Read more

The questions parents most frequently ask begin “What should I do when my child” and closes with a description of a vexing behavior — as in: “What should I do when my child bites the family dog?”

This particular choice of words reflects the contemporary belief that for any given misbehavior, there is one specific method or consequence...Read more

Q: Our 22-month-old son has developed a bad habit of spitting out bites of food. The first time it happened, I had set a cup on his tray while he was still chewing a bite of food. He removed the food from his mouth, set it on his tray, and then took a drink. I thought nothing of it, but it’s gotten progressively worse since then. Sometimes he�...Read more

In 1993, the Clinton administration signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, an international treaty that extends to children the rights to associate with whom they please and have access to all forms of media, among other head-scratchers. Thankfully, as of March 2023, the U.S. remains the only UN member state to have not...Read more

“What have I done to cause my 18-month-old son to reject me?” asks a new dad. Whenever he tries to hold his son, feed, dress or change him, the child puts up great resistance and screams hysterically for his mother.

Actually, dad is describing behavior that is not at all unusual for this age. It has its roots in the fact that with rare ...Read more

Our Question of the Week is, “Pray tell, what is ‘outdated’ about obedience, respect, proper manners, and humility?”

Said QOTW is prompted by numerous grandparents who have informed me that they are not qualified, apparently, to care for their grandchildren because they are not hip to the most up-to-date parenting methods. They ...Read more

Q: I recently read an article by a parenting expert who said adults need to earn the respect of children. That seems like one more progressive attempt to undermine parental authority. I believe children should respect adults no matter what. Don’t you agree?

A: No, I don’t agree. You’re saying, in effect, that respect is an entitlement due...Read more