Home
>
Parenting
>
7 Ways to Know Your Child

7 Ways to Know Your Child

How well do you really know your child?

There is so much information at our fingertips to learn more about a child's personality, 'behaviorisms' and intelligence. Of course, we want to be the best parent we can, and so we read all the information. And some of it is great! Take the four different temperaments . . . I can see my child in one, but then I turn the page and I see him in another temperament ? it all depends on the day or even the time of day!

I used to spend a lot of time looking at ways to give labels to my children. I thought that if I could just find the word that would sum them up, parenting would become so much easier. When child number three came along, I just didn't have the time to be searching for someone else's opinion about the type of child he was. I don't want any label other than his name used on him. This kind of parental confidence can be hard to find. We seem to be knocked off balance every time we read a newspaper ? you know, another piece of research, another thing we are doing wrong. But you are the one to understand and know your child the best. And this knowledge will teach you how to interact and support your own, individual child.

Seven Ways to Know Your Child Better

1. Observe your child: That's right. Just back off and actually watch them. Watch them at play, at work and while they are reading.

2. Allow your child to discovery their tendencies: Does your child, given the opportunity, rush to the Lego box, or maybe to the pile of books or to the art supplies. Find out what your child chooses to do ? it is probably this that they are good at!

3. Take lots of photographs: In this age of digital photography, it doesn't matter how many photographs we take, because we needn't print or keep them all. Photographs provide an excellent memory of what your child does ? and you will probably notice things you hadn't before.

4. Let your child dictate stories to you: Many children enjoy the art of storytelling, but find actual handwriting tiresome. Take this strain away from them by being their secretary. You'll be surprised at how your child's brain works when they create their stories.

5. Create a journal: Now, this doesn't need to be a work of art! Have a blank scrapbook and write in it, get them to draw pictures, glue in certificates and photographs.

6. Trust your instincts: Teachers may give you a wider understanding of your child ? take it on board ? but remember that your instincts are probably right.

7. Talk often with your child: Make sure you let your child lead a conversation with you every day. If you are the one that holds all the information and knowledge in your house, your child will be less likely to share with you. Let them joke, let them explore their emotions and let them just babble away.

Marilynn McLachlan, Author REAL parenting in the REAL world Author of "The New Parent Code: 12 Vital Clues for Achieving Modern Family Sanity", Penguin Books, 2005.

Visit http://www.marilynnmclachlan.com to sign up for her free fortnightly e-zine.

recurring cleaning service Mundelein ..

In The News:

New phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

7 Ways to Know Your Child

Parenting