Qualities To Search For In A Babysitter

 If you are a newbie parent, you need help every single day. There's nothing wrong with that, and that does not mean that you are not capable. Do not let malicious people guilt trip you. One of the best ways to help yourself is to hire a babysitter when you

Parenting tips to deal with your argumentative teen without loosing your cool

 Question: Dear Adele, We are embarrassed to tell you and the world that our sweet 14-year-old daughter has become so argumentive, causing discord, friction, and disharmony in our family. We thought we were the perfect parents with an ideal child. We never expected a disagreeable teenager to emerge almost without

Should teenagers be encouraged to get part-time jobs?

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Our teenager is experiencing some peer pressure to work at a local ice cream shop this summer with his friends. While it would be beneficial for him to have some of his own money, we are not really sure he is ready to take on the responsibility

Win the war on whining and create a peaceful, cooperative family

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Our two young children are driving us bonkers with whining. We need to bolster the troops to win the war on whining. Whether it’s the battle about bedtime, the demand for more chocolate brownies, or the desire to watch just one more television show, the children whine.

Scuttling the sass and buttoning up the backtalk

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Our six-year-old has recently become quite sassy! When things don’t go his way and we have to speak to him, he seems to come back at us with a proliferation of backtalk. We believe in respectful communication and need some ideas on how to end this. Help

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

What can parents do when grandparents play favourites

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Our children have overall, wonderful grandparents who love them dearly. We are sincerely grateful for this. However, one grandmother seems to favour one of our children more than the others. Her gifts for him are just a little bit nicer, her attendance at his sporting events is

When your child always wants to be the ‘Top Dog’

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Our young son seems obsessed with winning! Everything turns into a competition and he loves to loudly boast of winning. This seems to be the case in everything from his team sports to family boardgames. Sometimes when he does not win or sees that there is little

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

Easy ways to help build self-esteem in kids

 QUESTION: My daughter is a preteen and often seems shy and lacking in confidence. I try to tell her how awesome she is, but somehow, she doesn’t seem to appreciate how many good qualities she has. Can you share a few tips with me on self-esteem building? Proud Parent ANSWER: 

Mental health concerns skyrocket for children during Covid-19

 QUESTION: Dear Adele, Covid-19 seems to be taking a toll on our son. He is out of in-person school, away from his extracurricular activities, and has little chance to interact with peers. He appears mopey, disconnected and disheartened about his life. We are worried about him but really do not

Understanding why some kids turn into bullies while others don’t

 QUESTION Dear Adele, We understand that bullying is quite a problem in today’s society. My husband and I both recall a few incidents of being bullied ourselves as teenagers. Now we are young parents with two preschoolers who want to avoid raising a bully. Can you clue us in on

Making your child’s first dental visit a happy experience

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Our toddler has a mouthful of pearly whites now! I have always hated going to the dentist myself, so have been unenthusiastic about making an appointment for him, to say the least. Any suggestions on how I can make a first dentist appointment, an easy, relaxed and

Getting family support during the pandemic

 QUESTION: Dear Adele, My husband and I live in a rented apartment building with paper thin walls! Recently we have heard frequent loud arguments, yelling, banging and the sounds of crying children coming from our neighbours unit. We have concerns about the well-being of the toddler and infant who live

Managing messy munchkins

 QUESTION: Dear Adele, Our three munchkins, ages five, eight, and eleven are driving us bonkers! They are wonderful children in so many ways, but their messiness is extremely irritating. You would think a tornado had gone through my eldest daughter’s room by Saturday, not to mention that the rooms of

Supporting adopted children in the search for birthparents

 QUESTION Dear Adele, My husband and I adopted an infant 19 years ago. Several years later, we divorced and I raised our son to adulthood by myself. My child is now 19 and is interested in searching for his birth father and birthmother. I have a number of concerns about

Meltdowns and explosive behaviour in young kids

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Our two preschoolers are getting more proficient every day in the art of delivering monstrous Mount Vesuvius meltdowns. When they become angry or frustrated, they yell, scream, cry and sometimes throw things, bite and hit. We often wonder what has happened to those adorable cooing babies in

Teenage privacy — earned privilege or a right?

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Our middle school son will soon be given his first cell phone and personal computer. We realize he is maturing and becoming more independent, but just don’t know how much space and privacy to give him. Any words of wisdom? Hating to Snoop ANSWER Dear Hating to

Does ‘birth order’ impact a child’s character and personality development

 Dear Adele, We have three little munchkins who are as different as night, dawn and day. Sometimes we wonder how they could all the been produced by the same parents, from the same gene pool. I have heard that birth order affects personality development and other traits of an individual.

Hand your kids a shovel and let them clear their own way

 QUESTION Dear Adele, I was recently called a ‘Snowplow’ parent. I don’t know whether to be complimented or feel offended. Can you tell me what ‘Snowplow’ parenting is all about? Snow Shoveler ANSWER Dear Snow Shoveler, The characteristics of ‘Snowplow’ parents are shared by those called ‘Lawnmowing’ parents or ‘Bulldozing’ parents.

Ensuring your child knows you love him unconditionally

 Dear Adele, Question I’m worried that my preteen son may not feel loved because I never tell him that I love him. I am just not that touchy-feely, mushy-gushy, emotional kind of guy and feel quite uncomfortable with saying “I love you” to a five-foot-six, hundred- and thirty-pound hunk of

Will my children inherit my Grinch attitude at Christmas?

 Question: Dear Adele, Sometimes when December rolls around I feel like the ultimate Grinch. I find myself hating Christmas carols, the tiring shopping and wishing the Christmas turkey dinner with aunt Gertrude never had to happen. I’m not exactly sure why I feel this way but if truth be told

How to talk to young children about Covid-19

 QUESTION: Dear Adele, We have two children ages four and six. We have always thought we were decent communicators and able to talk to our children about almost anything. We need to talk to them about the coronavirus and issues related to it but surprisingly find ourselves feeling a bit

Heart to heart with Adele Blair — Divorce and the holidays

 ​Question: Dear Adele, My husband and I were separated earlier this year and are proceeding to a divorce. We seem to be at war over how our two young school-age children should spend the Christmas holidays. Our legal bills are skyrocketing and I wondered if you have any suggestions. We