Preschool (4-5 years)
John's Most Recent Articles
Why Hanna Sleeps With Us
Posted on 5/9/2023
My wife, Willie (nee Wilma), and I are the happy caretakers of a happy seventeen-month-old pure white toy schnauzer, Hanna. Hanna occupies the center of our attention. If you spent a day in our...
Read MoreOdd Behavior Does Not Always Need Psychological Diagnosis
Posted on 12/13/2022
When America’s mental health industry sees the opportunity to broaden its influence, they pounce. If said opportunity presents itself in the form of odd behavior on the part of certain children,...
Read MoreDrama-Free Bedtime
Posted on 11/29/2022
Q: Several months ago, my husband and I allowed our five-year-old daughter to sleep with us for a couple of nights. We thought this was innocent, but she began crying hysterically when we...
Read MoreHelp Son Learn to Give and Take In Conversation
Posted on 11/15/2022
Q: My just-turned four-year-old repeats things he has heard or has said before. For example, even though my brother’s family moved away nearly two years ago, whenever we drive by their...
Read MoreHelp Big Brother Understand Baby’s Limits
Posted on 8/2/2022
Q: Our soon to be 5-year-old son enjoys playing with his 14-month-old brother, but there have been three times recently when the baby has started crying and when I check, big brother has a guilty...
Read MoreDon’t Just ‘Settle’ Dispute, Solve It
Posted on 5/3/2022
Q: Our sons are six and four. When their same-age cousins, come over, they all go down into our basement to play. Invariably, within thirty minutes my youngest comes upstairs crying because his...
Read MoreOn Chores, Discipline, Potty-Training
Posted on 3/29/2022
Q: When I give my 5-year-old daughter a chore, she does it, but all the while she is muttering under her breath, huffing and puffing, and so on. Do I discipline that behavior or just let her...
Read MorePatience With Young Daughter’s Questions Will Pay Off
Posted on 3/1/2022
Q: I’m concerned that my 3-year-old – she’s nearly 4 – daughter has some sort of language issue. For example, even though my brother’s family moved away nearly two years ago, whenever we drive by...
Read MoreIn Defense of ‘Because I Said So'
Posted on 2/1/2022
Q: Concerning chores, another expert recommends giving a child a certain number of chips, like poker chips, every month and if he or she fails to do a chore or doesn’t do it properly, you take a...
Read MoreIs This Battle Worth It?
Posted on 12/29/2021
Q: I have six-month- and thirty-two-month-old boys. The older one—well-mannered, easy going, very affectionate—attends a preschool program three mornings a week. This is his second year there. ...
Read MoreRecent Questions
Why Is My 5 Year Old a Mean Girl?
Posted 2 weeks ago
Our 5-year-old daughter has been acting aggressively towards others (classmates in school AND her 7-year-old brother) when either she doesn't like what they do or they won't let her do whatever...
Read MoreNighttime Potty Training a 4-Year-Old
Posted 2 weeks ago
My daughter is 4 and I've been putting off nighttime potty training until the school year ends because sleep deprivation turns her into a bear. Once school is over, I plan to start with John's...
Read More5 YO GIRL SELF-STIMULATING
Posted 3 weeks ago
Hi John, Your work has been of immense value for our family! We have two little girls (5 and 2). The 5 y/o has been touching her vagina quite frequently. It started to concern us a few...
Read MoreTime to get their attention
Posted on 4/20/2024
Hi I wrote in 10 days ago and never heard back. We’re struggling with bedtime. We have 2 girls, ages 5 and 3. We moved them into the same bedroom about a month ago. We read another response to...
Read MoreDon't talk so much
Posted on 3/21/2024
My 4 year old daughter has been having problems listening and following directions, particularly at her after school program. She gets written up at least once a week and has been suspended from...
Read MoreChallenges to challenging behaviors.
Posted on 3/20/2024
Our 5.5 year old boy consistently whines, cries or throws mild tantrums at disappointments. We recognize this is inappropriate, but have struggled to have victory in this area. Typically, when...
Read MoreNot Listening the First Time
Posted on 3/20/2024
We believe in the necessity of our children obeying the first time they are told-without challenge, delay or excuse. However, we also wish to walk the tightrope of a loving, nourishing home,...
Read MoreUpping the Ante Not Working with Misbehaving 5YO
Posted on 3/17/2024
We have a 5 year old who continues to disobey. We tell her “go upstairs it’s time to brush your teeth.” Or “It’s time to clean up your legos.” And she’ll say, “No!” If we up the ante and say,...
Read MoreChoices for Children?
Posted on 2/28/2024
Hello, listening to John's podcast. Great stuff. When is it permissible to allow a child a choice? I understand John speaks against 'democratic' parenting but would be good to hear a podcast...
Read MoreGrandparent's observation.
Posted on 2/27/2024
My almost 4 year old(in one month) Grand Daughter vigorously fights her parents over many things. In the morning, she fights over the choice of clothes and getting dressed(30-45 mins). She often...
Read MoreTopics Covered
- Academic Issues
- ADHD and other disorders
- Adoption/Foster Parent
- Aggression
- Allowances
- Alpha Speech
- Anxieties, Fears
- Arguments with Children
- Audio Files
- Bedtime/Sleep
- Bedwetting
- Behavior Modification
- Biblical Parenting
- Bill of Rights for Children
- Bonding With Baby/Child
- Boundaries
- Bullies/Bullying
- Character/Values (teaching)
- Chores/Responsibilities
- College
- Consequences/Punishment
- Daycare/Preschool
- Depression/Self-Harm
- Developmental Issues (e.g. late talking)
- Discipline Methods (e.g. time-out)
- Disobedience/Defiance
- Divorce/Custody
- Drugs (marijuana, cocaine, etc.)
- Education
- Electronics (Computers/Video Games/Television/Cell Phones)
- Elementary School
- Emotions
- Extracurricular Activities/Hobbies
- Fatherless Homes
- Fathers
- Food/Eating Problems
- Gender
- Gender Identity
- Gentle Parenting
- Grandparents/Grandchildren
- High School
- Homeschooling
- Homework
- John's Discipline Methods
- Juvenile Antisocial Behavior
- Learning Disabilities
- Lying
- Manners
- Marriage Issues
- Mealtime/Eating
- Mental Health
- Middle School
- Miscellaneous Discipline Problems
- Miscellaneous Editorial Columns
- Mothers
- Nouveau Parenting
- Only Children
- Pacifiers/Security Blankets/Thumbsucking
- Parent Leadership and Authority
- Play
- Podcasts
- Post Modern Psychological Parenting
- Preschool
- Psychiatric Diagnoses
- Psychology
- Rebellious Behavior
- Respect
- Rewards
- School Behavior Issues
- School Issues
- Seasons of Parenting
- Self-Esteem
- Seven Biggest Mistakes Parents Make
- Sexual Identity
- Sexual Issues
- Shyness
- Sibling Conflict
- Single Parents
- Social Issues (fighting/arguing with friends)
- Socialization/Social Skills
- Spanking
- Step-Families
- Strong-Willed Child
- Tantrums
- Teenage Issues
- Terrible Twos
- Toilet Training
- Videos
- Violence (Looting, Stealing)
- Webinars
- Woke Parenting