Recent Research Findings out of the Institute of Child Development and Human Capital Research Collaborative (say that three times real fast) at the University of Minnesota found that kids who were involved in full-day preschool ended-up being more prepared for Kindergarten than those kiddos who went half-day. As per the reported highlights of the study, the former had better scores […]

It’s your turn Please let me know what topic(s) you’d like me to cover in upcoming blog posts, or questions you have about how to manage a particular situation with your child, or anything about kids you’ve been wondering about and want more explanation. Dr. John Carosso Dr. Carosso has more than 30 years of experience as a licensed Child […]

How it all starts It usually begins innocently enough; your child isn’t feeling well and wants to sleep in your bed. One night turns into two, then three… Or your infant child has colic and is difficult to soothe and you find yourself often falling asleep with your child, year after year. In either case, as well as countless other […]

Yes, it’s that time Yes, it’s tough to even think about the Fall, but nevertheless it’s time to prepare for the ‘back to the school’ routine. Summer vs School Routine Need I mention the difference between summer and school-year routine? If you start about 2-3 weeks out, it’s much easier to ship your kids into shape. Otherwise, it’s a culture-shock […]

Here’s a story for you A Dad and his son were fishing in a boat. The son looked toward his Dad and inquired, “Dad, if Mom and I fell out of the boat and were drowning, who would you save first?” His Dad, without hesitating, responded “son, I’d have your Mother in the boat, and dried off, before I’d even […]

1. The School District Does not have to evaluate your child just because you submit a signed request to evaluate. When you submit a written and signed request for an evaluation, the school district has 15 days to meet as a team, discuss your child’s educational needs, and provide a written response with indication of a game-plan to meet your […]

Pathologizing? There is wide-spread belief that children are over-diagnosed and over-prescribed, which implies that some kids are ‘just being kids’ and we’re pathologizing them, i.e. giving them a diagnosis, counseling, and medication when we should, rather, be sensitive and accommodating to the wide-spectrum in children’s activity-level and ability to attend. Is this an accurate perspective? Just the facts Mam’ First, […]

Without further ado, here they are: 1. ASSUME CONTROL Control based in Action/Relationship Don’t entertain explanations Project self-confidence Business-like Give direction, don’t make requests 2. AVOID ARGUMENTS AND EMOTION Cut-off communication if child becomes belligerent Avoid reasoning with child Give direction and walk away Communicate: It’s your problem, not mine 1-2-3 Magic 3. PLAN FOR NEXT TIME Discuss ahead of […]

Two years ago I wrote about the problems we face trusting research findings. To bring you up-to-date, here is my follow-up post. Unfortunately, the situation isn’t much improved. The information, or misinformation, we face daily You may have read the recent study out of Warwick Medical School in the UK suggesting that kids from families that frequently moved when the […]