10 anger control strategies for children

  QUESTION Dear Adele, Our six-year-old seems to have a low frustration tolerance. In our experience, he angers easily, raises his voice, and sometimes throws or breaks things. We are looking for ideas on how to deal with enraged behaviour and would appreciate your comments—many thanks. Frustrated Parents ANSWER Dear Frustrated

Keep your kids safe from online sextortion—cases are soaring in Canada

 QUESTION Dear Adele, I have heard the term sextortion, but what is it? As a parent of a teenager about to start high school, do I need to be worried about this? Uninformed ANSWER Dear Uninformed,  According to Brieanna Charlebois of the Canadian Press, “Sexual extortion, or sextortion, occurs when someone threatens to

Understand the reasons for “school refusal” before developing coping strategies.

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Last year our middle schooler frequently tried to avoid going to school. He skipped class several times, got behind in his assignments, and would regularly call us to pick him up at school for psychosomatic illnesses, such as headaches, diarrhea, or a racing heart. With classes starting

Overscheduling kids can cause a lot of stress, anxiety, and pressure.

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Our nine-year-old is an excellent athlete. This September, he wants to play hockey, be in a swim club and take karate. We also have a six-year-old who wants to take music lessons, learn to skate and be involved in cubs. Somewhere, we would like to find some “Me”

The importance of teaching manners is part of good parenting

 QUESTION Dear Adele, I am a 32-year-old single, childfree woman who is dating a 35-year-old man with two youngsters, ages five and ten. While I care for the children, I find them quite unmannerly. In my opinion they are often rude and do not seem to know the words ‘please’

When your child keeps getting out of bed!

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Several months ago, we moved our preschooler out of his crib into a junior bed. Unfortunately, this has led to a new sleep time problem. Our son has discovered the freedom of no railings and is constantly getting out of bed after we have said good night.

Knowing when your child is ready for potty training

 QUESTION Dear Adele, My daughter is 21 months of age. I’m getting pressure from grandparents, friends, and daycare workers to start the potty-training process. I hear such conflictual information; I don’t know which way to turn. One family tells me their child was trained at 18 months. Another tells me

Avoiding morning mayhem with kids

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Mornings at our house during the week are often utter mayhem. We have three children and getting them ready and into the car in time for school and daycare is often filled with stress, meltdowns and impatience. Any suggestions? Morning Meltdown Mama ANSWER Dear Morning Meltdown Mama,

Why kids are mean and what to do about it

 QUESTION Dear Adele How do you best guide your offspring when you know they aren’t being nice to other kids? Disheartened ANSWER Dear Disheartened, Children can be very mean to each other in many ways. “Insults, exclusion, gossip, ignoring, taunting, hitting, kicking, and shoving” make the list, according to Psychology

Teaching your kid to ask for help

 QUESTION Dear Adele, We have just finished the parent-teacher interview for our eight-year-old son, who is currently in Grade 3, French Immersion. His teacher said he was bright, social and currently an academic match for his peers. On occasion, however, he struggles, and does not seem to know how to

Why children should help out at home

 QUESTION Dear Adele, I have been a parental observer for some years now, in the role of a grandmother. For the most part, my daughter and her husband are doing a good job, in my opinion. However, I note that the children do very little to be helpful. They seem

Bedtime routines for kids

 Question Dear Adele, My husband and I are at odds about the subject of bedtime for our preschooler. I think our son should have a set bedtime each night, while my husband thinks we should wait until he appears tired to put him to bed. We are arguing about this

Incorporate some new traditions into your Thanksgiving celebration

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Thanksgiving is fast approaching and I'm at a loss about how to make it a special weekend for the immediate family. Covid-19 is impacting my traditions and I'm looking for some new ideas for a family of four and possibly a few guests. Can you help? Out

The Challenge of Parenting Twins

 QUESTION Dear Adele, My husband and I have been involved in fertility treatments for several years. We are very excited at this time, because we have just found out we are expecting twins. People tell us twins are a monumental challenge. We have not had a lot of experience around

Children’s mental health — dealing with depression

 QUESTION Dear Adele, We have heard a great deal about the impact of Covid-19 on the mental health of children. What are the signs of depression we should be on the alert for? Watching ANSWER Dear Watching, According to National Geographic in ‘Your Emotions, The Science of How You Feel’,

Putting the brakes on the bickering

 QUESTION Dear Adele, We need some help. Our three school-age children are constantly squabbling and bickering about everything.” He’s looking at me!” says one. “She’s breathing on me!” retorts the other. And then the exchange of verbal assaults ensues with one of us parents sometimes raising our voices to tell

How much screen time is reasonable for children?

 QUESTION Dear Adele, We are parents of young children and seek advice concerning what is a reasonable amount of screen time for kids. We see many of our friends and relatives allowing their children to spend copious hours a day in front of screens? We sometimes wonder what has happened

Helping your child deal with feelings and emotions

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Our young children do not seem to always deal well with their emotions and feelings. Like all of us adults, they take their turn at being angry, anxious, frustrated, embarrassed, jealous, happy, sad and so on. Knowing what they are feeling and then dealing with those feelings

Why your kids should do homework

 Question Dear Adele, My children attend in-person school and seem to be required to complete copious amounts of homework. My ‘mom’s group’ and I are ready to throw up our hands in frustration at trying to complete the work, supervise the children, and factor in everything else we have to

When sibling rivalry is like taming a Green-Eyed Monster

 Question Dear Adele, My husband and I always wanted three children. To tell the truth, sometimes we would like to send two of them back. Any two would do, actually. Having just one child would eliminate the constant fighting, bickering, competing, and sometimes hatefulness that seems to rear its ugly