Dear Miss Faith, I care for a little boy of 24 months. His parents are having big relationship problems, and this sweet little boy has suddenly become very aggressive, hitting me and the other kids I care for many times each day. I have tried telling him "Gentle hands!" and I help him touch gently, but it is not working at all. I'm losing my patience and the other children … [Read more...]
Quick Tip: Throwing Sand
August 28, 2017 · by · Leave a Comment
If your child is a little too exuberant in the sandbox, what to do? Saying "Don't throw sand" seems to have little effect, as does the ubiquitous "Be careful!" Instead, look at what's going on and try one of these things: Is your child a young toddler and just flinging sand around for the joy of it? Try saying, "You can put your sand into a bucket!" If that has little … [Read more...]
Regular Tantrums
October 17, 2016 · by · 1 Comment
Does every little thing seem to spark a tantrum or meltdown? Read on for ideas of what message they may be sending. It may be different than what you think! Just like the body’s immune system, a relationship’s immune system can get out of balance. This can be from stress, lack of sleep, over-commitment, lack of attention, or other factors. Our bodies “tell” us when we’re … [Read more...]
Correcting Hitting Behavior
July 25, 2016 · by · Leave a Comment
Dear Miss Faith, My son is three and he still struggles with hitting and rough touching. Mostly not being aggressive, it's like he doesn't realize that he's hurting people. When we correct him, he often sticks his tongue out and makes a spitting sound, or runs and hides. Sometimes he will stop but other times he just can't seem to stop. Should I end the visit or leave the … [Read more...]
Silly Defiance
June 10, 2015 · by · 2 Comments
Dear Miss Faith, My 3.5yo son used to be very helpful, but lately when I ask him to do things, he deliberately "misunderstands." For example, if I ask him to bring me my purse, he'll look around and bring something else. If I try to correct him, he just laughs and brings me something else again. What's going on? Dear Mama, My experience is that when kids do something … [Read more...]
Biting from Excitement
February 25, 2015 · by · 1 Comment
Dear Miss Faith, I have an intense, energetic little boy who is almost 3. I just don't know what to do when we are playing with other children and he pushes a child down repeatedly, or bites or hits. It often co-incides with being hungry, thirsty, tired or needing a diaper change, but I usually try to be pro-active about those things and am surprised when my first sign is him … [Read more...]
Being Too Rough with Baby
January 12, 2015 · by · 9 Comments
Dear Miss Faith, What can I do when my toddler is rough with the baby (usually unintentionally, but sometimes by-accident-on-purpose)? My impulse is to yell and I know that’s not good and honestly doesn’t really help! It seems like you often suggest being light-hearted or making things into a game, but that doesn't feel right in this case. I want her to know that it’s … [Read more...]
19 Month Old Hits Dad!
October 27, 2014 · by · 1 Comment
Dear Miss Faith Recently our daughter has been hitting dad, blowing raspberries at him, and generally being disrespectful. It seems totally random; she's often no upset and sometimes even laughs when she does it. He reprimands her but it doesn't seem to make a difference, and it's really starting to upset my husband. What do you think could be going on? Dear Mama, When … [Read more...]
Overstimulation and Aggressive Behavior
July 23, 2013 · by · Leave a Comment
Dear Miss Faith, My 2.5yo son has a lot of trouble in noisy situations where there are large groups of children. He is normally a kind, friendly child, but when in noisy or crowded spaces he loses all impulse control, running away from me, crashing purposefully into other children, knocking other children down, and grabbing toys. The grabbing he does in these particular … [Read more...]
Kids and Social Graces
May 6, 2013 · by · 2 Comments
Dear Miss Faith, My daughter (age 2.75) takes a really long time to warm up in social situations, and seems to feel easily overwhelmed by kids with big energy, even to the point of growling at other kids. It seems like she's so shy and I'm worried that won't be ready for preschool. What can I do to help her? Dear Mama, First of all, I want to encourage you not to worry. … [Read more...]
