What Do You Do When Your Toddlers Are Hitting Each Other?

As a mom of two sets of twins, a question posed to One Sassy Doctor about twin-twin toddlers hitting each other was familiar!

Hitting is normal amongst twins and non-twin siblings. Although it is distressing to see one child hit—and another child be hit—it is an expected part of development that becomes more salient when both of the kids are your own! You’re looking at one child thinking, “My baby is getting hit!” and another child thinking “My baby is hitting another child!” Where do you begin?

Dr. Jen’s Tips on Biting

Having experienced my own children being bitten—and also biting others—I consider myself a mommy/doctor biting control pro!

Why do kids bite, and how should adults respond?

Biting is a way for a child to express frustration, anger and loss of control. It is a normal part of social development, although not an acceptable part. There are certain behaviors that parents, teachers and caregivers should simply ignore and let children work out for themselves. Biting is not one of them.

Working Mother Guilt

Working mother guilt? So many moms face this struggle, and it is one you’ll wrestle with through motherhood. It is absolutely normal to feel this way, and by acknowledging this question and expressing your emotions you are taking the first step.

The Pre-Two Terrible Twos!

The “terrible twos” may arrive before the second birthday! Parents of toddlers often ask for my tips on how to handle public outbursts with really young kids. Here are Dr. Jen’s tips on discipline—for pre-two-terrible-twos!

Healthy Sassy Smiles! Information About Healthy Dental Development

Wow, is this One Sassy Doctor’s husband obsessed with our kids having good teeth. Perhaps that’s because his late father was a dentist. Or perhaps he knows how healthy teeth create healthy smiles and reflect a positive projection into the world. Well, I married him for his glowing smile, so I suppose he’s right (lucky guy…).

Anyhoo … with tooth decay being the primary dental problem among children ages 2 to 5, we’re fortunate that it can be completely prevented! If we encourage healthy dental habits starting from the baby years (sassy baby years, if I may…), this will help foster positive habits and the healthy glowing smiles we want to see when they are all grown up.

Here are some One Sassy Doctor informational tips on healthy dental development—starting from birth!

Imitation is the Greatest Form of Flattery

It’s ridiculously cute to see a little one imitating mommy, daddy or an older sibling. It’s even cuter when the imitating is just a little bit “off”—for example, my daughter said “in the meantime”, and her little brother later said, “You are going to go into the mean time. Mommy why is time mean?”

Some little ones even imitate themselves!

And, believe me, my little one is certainly imitating my dramatic flair in this shot!

Juicy Advice From Our One Sassy Doctor

When it comes to juice, I draw a line in the sand. I am not the perfect parent (believe me!) and faced some juice challenges when my sons’ daycare served juice. So, this advice is not coming from someone who never gave her kids juice. My kids are heavy water drinkers, but have tasted juice (preferably watered down) at birthday parties and at daycare during meals only (and I limited it to once a day). However, none of them had a dose of juice until they were three years old. Not a taste. We made sure to stick to breast milk, formula, whole milk, lower fat milk and water at the appropriate ages.

When In Doubt, Get Out!

This is our #1 family motto in the Canter house. When those winter days are getting to you, get out of the house! When it is spring or fall, and you can take a leisurely stroll, do it! When it’s summer and you can get into some safe water play, or have a social interaction with friends/family outdoors, motivate. I am a big believer in getting outdoors—for your own enjoyment and to set an example of healthy lifestyle.

Strolling Along, Sassy Style

Wow, did we go through a lot of strollers with these two sets of twins! I’m going to refrain from specific product suggestions here, but give you some of my tips for a start:

Go-Go-Go in the Car, Sassy Style

We’ve posted all about car seat safety in the past here on the One Sassy Doctor blog. Now we’re going to go into how to make car rides, the longer ones, more enjoyable for you and for your little one.

Here are One Sassy Doctor’s tips for a fun, safe and chilled out car ride:

Our Double Twin Travel Adventure!

We’re hopping and bopping over here at Sassy—on the move and in the groove. Getting up and getting out is a wonderful part of parenting, but it presents challenges as well. In this first blog post in our series on “Get Up & Go, Sassy Style”, I’m going to share a personal story about my family’s trip to California a few years ago—where my husband’s family lives. Here are the preparation and execution steps we used for this massive undertaking! I’m also going to share the mistakes I made and lessons learned. At the time, our twin girls were close to four years old, and our twin sons were close to one year old.

Playground Safety: Dr. Jen's Take on the New York Times Piece

A repost from www.playthisway.com.

As a pediatrician with a sub-specialty in child abuse, and a mother of two sets of twins, I read the New York Times article Can a Playground Be Too Safe? with significant concern. In this piece, John Tierney explains the history of New York City’s playgrounds and safety. Specifically, regarding a 10-foot-high jungle gym in Manhattan near his childhood home, he explained that as long as he was the parks commissioner, the monkey bars were going to remain in place. This was despite researchers at the time, who cited accident statistics and the importance of safer playgrounds. Fast forward to 2011, and this article, in accordance with Mr. Stern’s 1990’s edict - critics saying that playgrounds may “stunt emotional development, leaving children with anxieties and fears that are ultimately worse than a broken bone”.

Wow, do I disagree.

Dr. Jen’s Favorite Grill Recipe

I cannot express enough how much I love going to the local farmer’s market, picking up whatever is fresh and abundant, and plunking it on the grill. Although I’m careful to avoid charring (not good for little ones!), I do grill veggies and serve to my kids. I also used to put veggies on the upper rack and serve as finger food (cut in small pieces) for my kids when they were toddlers. I do not recommend pureeing grilled veggies for baby food. Please read my posting on food safety.

Ticks & Lyme Disease FAQs

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about Lyme Disease, thanks to the awesome American Academy of Pediatrics resource, Healthy Children!

Ticks & Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease and other tick-bourne illnesses are a serious health issue—and we can engage in activities that reduce the risk of getting bitten by a tick, and responding appropriately when we notice a tick. I chose to write about this topic on the One Sassy Doctor blog for two reasons—it’s a growing problem nationwide, and I have had personal experiences that have made spreading awareness about this topic very important to me.

Toddler Play & Fun Tips

A repost from www.playthisway.com.

It’s not easy to be alone with a toddler all day long, but you can spice it up and still stick to the routines that are so important to children. Here are Dr. Jen’s tips on toddler play, fun ways to engage with your toddler more, and some ideas on toddler activities!

Dr. Jen's Tips for Water Play & Safety with Children

Summer time means more water play! One Sassy Doctor wants you to hear loud and clear: Water can be a lot of fun, but safety should be number one! (A rhyme, remember, bear with my goofy sense of humor!)

Here are Dr. Jen’s Tips for Water Play & Safety with Children:

Dr. Jen’s Tips for Dealing with Stranger Anxiety

This is a repost from www.playthisway.com.

An 11-month-old is in the peak period for stranger anxiety, and it’s a challenging phase. And it will end. As my grandma, my mother, and now I like to say when we face many of life’s challenges, “This too shall pass.”

Here are Dr. Jen’s Tips for Dealing with Stranger Anxiety:

Outdoor Play

My husband often says, “When in doubt, let’s go out!” I believe getting outside, even for a brief period of the day, is a very important part of raising healthy, active, adventurous children.

But it’s not always easy! In my stomping ground, good old New York, it’s cold for a fair portion of the year. We all have our own reality—mine in the winter is:

1. 12 boots 
2. 12 gloves 
3. 12 hats 
4. 12 scarves 
5. 12 coats 

Although we do engage in fun winter outdoor play (stay tuned, we’ll write about that on One Sassy Doctor in the future!)—the start of spring & summer really do boost the mood of the entire family. Welcome sunshine and warm weather! Whoo hoo!

Liquids vs. Solids: How Much & When?

A repost from www.playthisway.com.

Figuring out exactly the right amount of milk/formula intake for a who's starting solids (and when that curiosity kicks in!) can be challenging. An 8-month-old baby is well into solid soft foods and probably will start pincer-grasp self-feeding within a short period of time. A baby at this age may start “weaning” herself from a more liquid diet to a more solid one, which is a natural part of development. Every step babies take in the eating category is a step toward more independence. Further, the fine-motor skills she's learning will lead to self-feeding.

Here’s Dr. Jen's handy way to think about volume of liquid nutrition for a child who has started solids: