Parenting Solutions
Need some backup? Parenting Solutions is packed with advice and info from our childhood experts. Here you’ll find fun, practical, play-based solutions for the key challenges of raising a preschooler, plus plenty of down-to-earth articles on play and development. Be sure to check back often to see what’s new.
Recent Articles
Play is nature’s preschool. PLAYSKOOL was founded on that simple idea more than 80 years ago, and today, experts in the field of child development agree. PLAYSKOOL has partnered with Parents.com to bring you these valuable features on child development and the benefits of play. Because behind all those giggles are the foundations of your child’s physical, intellectual, and emotional development… foundations that will last a lifetime. These materials are published with the permission of the Meredith Corp.
This Mother's Day, Give the Gift of Play
Lawrence Cohen, PhD
To help your child really learn, step into their world of play instead of pulling them too early into the world of quizzes and memorization. read an excerpt>
Rainy Days are a Great Time to Play
Lawrence Cohen, PhD
Rainy day inside fun doesn't have to mean low-energy quiet time. Wouldn't it be nice if every time you're stuck indoors, your children wanted to play quietly?read an excerpt>
What Your Child Learns from Play
The editors of Parents.com
Play is monumentally important to all aspects of child development -- it's how children of all ages learn... read an excerpt>
The Importance of Play
The editors of Parents.com
AAP advises making play a significant part of a child's life to nurture happiness, development, education, and parent-child bonding... read an excerpt>
Starting a Collection: What Kids Learn
The editors of Parents.com
To a child, collecting things like stuffed animals or trading cards provides an exciting way to become more independent and a common ground for socializing...read an excerpt>
The Power of Make-Believe Play
The editors of Parents.com
Want your child to be a good friend, to feel confident and secure, and to succeed in school? It's as simple as encouraging her love of make-believe... read an excerpt>
First Playdates
The editors of Parents.com
Toddlers don't always play well together. But with just a little planning, you can keep the peace... read an excerpt>
Appreciating the Power of Play
The editors of Parents.com
At age 3, playtime is serious business. Here’s what your child learns from fun and games... read an excerpt>
More Articles
Empowering Girls and Connecting with Boys
Lawrence Cohen, PhD
All children need roots and wings. They need encouragement to spread their wings so they can explore the world and be independent... read an excerpt>
The Emotional Roller-Coaster
Lawrence Cohen, PhD
I was baby-sitting my niece once when she was around two years old. She had a hard time saying goodbye to her mom and dad... read an excerpt>
The Benefits of a Little Frustration
Lawrence Cohen, PhD
I heard a great story the other day about the unexpected benefits of frustration—in this case the frustration of having a brand… read an excerpt>
Better than a “Spoonful of Sugar”
Lawrence Cohen, PhD
Mary Poppins suggests a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down, but I think that some playful parenting can help even more… read an excerpt>
Books
Toddler-Friendly Summer Celebrations
Robin McClure, from the PLAYSKOOL Toddler’s Busy Play Book
For fashionable summer fun, you and your child can make a unique pair of flip-flops for a caregiver, babysitter or friend…read an exceprt>
Why Is My Child Scared?
Rebecca Rutledge, PhD, from the PLAYSKOOL Guide to the Toddler Years
What scares toddlers most? A dog, the dentist, the dark, the loud grocery-store clerk—just about anything has the potential to...read an excerpt>
Sleeping Like a Baby
Jamie Loehr, MD and Jen Meyers, from the PLAYSKOOL Guide to Baby’s First Year
One of the great challenges of parenthood is getting your baby to sleep. And to stay asleep. For a newborn, this really isn’t an issue...read an excerpt>
