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Laura Markham

  • Five Strategies That Help Kids Want to Behave

    Discipline is one of the most googled words for parents. The word "discipline" has nothing to do with punishment. The root of "discipline" is "disciple," from the verb "to teach." The question, of course, is what kind of discipline is most conducive to learning?

  • Top Ten Tips for Toddlers and Sleep

    Toddlers don't seem to have an off switch. Often, when they're tired, they just reverberate faster, like an overwound toy, until they crash. Reading your toddler's cues so you can ensure she gets enough sleep can be a challenge.

  • Attachment Parenting: Why Should I Use It?

    Once the baby learns that her caretakers are reliably nurturing and protective, she builds on this internal security as she proceeds to the next developmental task of exploration, matery of the environment, and forming relationships with others.

  • Attachment Parenting: Create a Connection

    What do babies need? Their parents. Not the cute baby clothes you got at the shower. Not the baby swing, or seat, or crib. Not even diapers. You may need all that. But your baby needs his parents.

  • Gameplan for Mothering Your Newborn

    Welcome to Planet Parenthood, where the sleep is scarce but the love will blow you away. Your newborn may seem to be mostly eating and sleeping, but he or she is actually tackling some complicated developmental tasks:

  • How to Raise a Generous Child

    We all want our children to be generous. There are some people, in fact, who believe that our purpose on earth is to grow by giving to each other, an idea I find beautiful and inspiring. It is important to understand that you shouldn't force it however! Dr. Laura Markham explains.

  • When Your Toddler Starts Whining

    Whining is very common as little ones head into their second year. Babies who are beginning to toddle but not speaking much whine as a means of communication. They don't know that we find it irritating, and they wouldn't have the ability to communicate differently even if they did.

  • Can Your Kid Trust You with Secrets?

    Kids don't just come up to a parent and say things like "I know you want me to get A's in school and I have a chance to cheat on the test; what should I do?" or "I'm bulimic." Parents have to earn that kind of trust. How? You're being tested! If they can trust you with the little stuff, they'll come to you with the big stuff.

  • Helping Your School-Age Child Learn to Fall Asleep by Himself

    If your school-age child has difficulty falling asleep without you lying down with him, you are not alone. It is actually much more common than you'd think for a 7-year-old to be afraid of the dark and to need help falling asleep.

  • How Much to Help with Homework?

    So you've done what all the teachers advise and set up a regular place and time for your child to do his homework every night. So how come he's pestering you for help every minute? Isn't he supposed to do it himself?

  • Six Easy Everyday Strategies to Raise Your Child's IQ

    Many people believe that intelligence is static; either you're smart or you're not. But it turns out that intelligence is like a muscle: it can be developed with use. What's more, if you believe that's true, your brain has more potential!

  • Positive Discipline

    Ultimately, love is the only leverage we have with our children. Even if they worked, fear and "Because I say so!" only last for as long as they can be physically enforced. Every parent knows how fast children grow; fear works for a very short time if it works at all. Love, on the other hand, becomes a more effective motivator over time.

  • Coping with Colic

    All babies cry. Most babies cry a lot. Some babies are more easily comforted, others can routinely work themselves into a frenzy. Of course it sends your heart racing. That's Mother Nature's way of insuring that the human race survives.

  • How Do I Stay Close to My Toddler?

    We have grown very distant since the birth of our daughter five months ago. I have been punishing by putting him in the "peace corner" but I don't like to isolate him either. My husband and I have resolved to figure out a better way to bring love and joy back into our family.

  • When Your Toddler Starts Whining

    Whining is very common as little ones head into their second year. Babies who are beginning to toddle but not speaking much whine as a means of communication. They don't know that we find it irritating, and they wouldn't have the ability to communicate differently even if they did.

  • Breastfeeding: 9 Essential Steps to Success

    Most pregnant women are nervous about whether they will be able to breastfeed. Successful nursing starts with your intention. Here, 9 strategies to insure happy breastfeeding for mother and child.

  • Why Do Kids Need Routines and Structure?

    Children, like the rest of us, handle change best if it is expected and occurs in the context of a familiar routine. A predictable routine allows children to feel safe, and to develop a sense of mastery in handling their lives. As this sense of mastery is strengthened, they can tackle larger changes.

  • Top Ten Tips for Toddlers and Sleep

    Toddlers don't seem to have an off switch. Often, when they're tired, they just reverberate faster, like an overwound toy, until they crash. Reading your toddler's cues so you can ensure she gets enough sleep can be a challenge.

  • What Kids Really Need

    The most important qualities of a great parent? Not playing endless games, or making cookies, or coaching the soccer team. What makes a great parent is being fully present when you're with your kids. Loving and accepting your child 100%, exactly as he is; at the same time that you offer him inspiration and guidance to grow.

  • Curing Colic, Maybe

    I buy the idea that babies need another month or two in a womb-like environment to mature. But what do I do to create a this environment for my baby? Here are techniques to use when your baby cries, but they are also preventive tools to keep your infant from getting over-stimulated all day long: