Christine Tranchina has been in practice for 27 years, working with families, children, parents and general relationship issues. Her early training first took her to a state funded Family Crisis Center where she worked with families and their children. read more

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Sign In to Ask a Question Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8   child development expert   Thread Posted by Replies Views Date   1 yr old not saying ma of da yet Question Hello Christine                               We have another question Our son is 1 yr old should he be saying mama and dada yet He doesn't say anything but he moves his mouth when you say it to him He says ahhhhh ahhhhh We have been working with him I know you are not supposed to compare babies I am just concerned about my son because my daughter was saying dada 7 months My daughter will be three in nov she is trying to get my son to say dada and mama Should we be concerned or wait a little longer Answer soccermom 1 408 10/6/07 3:01 pm   Tween boy wont do what needs to be done Question He isnt studying for tests in school his grades are slipping not doing his chores tht are his responsibility He has ALD he not complying with the dietary restrictions taking his medication properly Flat out not doing what needs to be done Answer jamiesbusy 1 398 9/28/07 9:10 pm   Daughter In The Middle Question   Recently my daughter came home from school troubled about her best friend and another classmate who can't seem to get along Both girls seem to want to play with my daughter (she's 10 yrs old) but her friend is acting mad it her when she gives the other girl attention I know that there were problems last year with this other girl and she was treating them bad so I'm pretty sure some hurt feelings carried over into this year But I've taught my daughter to forgive and if this girl has changed well then she can decide for herself if she wants her friendship My daughter has a big heart and she wants to play with everyone but feels badly now because her best friend since kindergarten is not willing to befriend this girl who caused problems before and she feels like she has to choose I've given some suggestions but they don't seem to be helping do you have any tips Answer 1 420 9/25/07 12:50 am   Sharing problem Question Hi Thanks for ur earlier reply My son is 3 yr old high energy child He is improving on his sitting down part and the teachers also say that he has now starting responding and sits down though still somewhat distracted Thats fine But the real issue with him is understanding the concept of sharing and taking turns He also has this habit of following other children and copy the same they are doing (be that a 2yr old or 5yr old child) and also wants to do that thing (like climbing sliding etc) before the other one does If we try to make him wait he starts crying and is all fussy How to make him understand this thing Thanks Answer curious 1 454 9/30/07 3:19 am   what to do Question My daughter is 2 1/2 years  old and she has been sleeping with me since about 6 month I can lay in her bed with her till she falls asleep but If I just put her in her room she screams mama I am so scared so do I let her cry or do I keep going in there with her I am 31 weeks pregnant and have a 1 1/2 year old that sleeps by her self   how do I go about getting her to sleep in her own bed Answer tamann 1 480 9/19/07 10:00 pm   12 month old will not hold her bottle Question My little girl will be 12 months next week I am due in five weeks with my second and i'm concerned that she doesn't hold her bottle yes she does hold her sippy cup but will only drink water out of it perhaps a sip here and there of milk then throws it away she likes for me to hold her bottle and i've even changed to a bottle that has handles I know they do things in their own time but I guess I am a little anxious because I am due soon Answer nicky2 1 447 9/15/07 7:48 am   3 yr old stubborn boy Question Hello I have a 3 yr old stubborn boy He does not sit down and so active Even teacher at his school complain he does not sit down and is too distracted Even at park he does not take turns (he  wants to go first all the time)so he end up having bad time He is late in speaking(he is bilingual) he never asks me questions just says his part What to do Answer curious 1 456 9/14/07 5:27 pm   could it be RSV? Question my baby girl is only 3 weeks old since birth she has had a slight congested noise i mentioned it at the hospital and they said her lungs were clear but this doesnt seem to be in the lungs Her doctors sent me to a Ear nose and throat specialist who ruled out astma but drew no concrete conclusion and thinks "she might just grow out of it" I dont want to take any chances since its gotten worse since birth the E N T doctor told me to go to the childrens hospital to have a small camera put down her nose to see into her throat I scheduled their soonest appointment which is A MONTH AWAY i'm hoping you can give me some insight as to what i should have her seen for in the meantime  Her difficulty breathing includes  loud wheezing sometimes rapid breathing & she's sounding even more congested her appetite has decreased and she is yawning frequently as if her body is not getting enough air WHAT COULD THIS BE  it just cant be normal Answer Despina 1 447 9/14/07 1:17 pm   Baby Has to Cry to Sleep Question OK I'm back I posted about 1 1/2 months ago and the situation is no better My son is now 7 motnhs old and he cries screams & now bangs his head & body against the mattress to fall asleep Sometimes if we pick him up he'll stop but not always He'll just squirm in our arms & continue to cry & scream slap & pull our hair as if to say leave me alone Also most of the time when we go into his room he doesn't even acknowledge us it's not like he's looking for us He also wakes in the middle of the night Sometimes he wakes cries for a minute or two and then falls back to sleep Two nights ago he cried & screamed (after diaper change closing A/C vent trying a bottle) for an hour In all other respects he is normal & healthy although he's not a great eater (weight is normal but still only takes about 25 ozs formula & a little bit of solids) We are at our wit's end Any more suggestion Angela Answer Angela 1 455 9/8/07 6:17 pm   24 month old and clean-up time Question Thank you very much for answering my previous questions so promptly The information has been very helpful Right now we were wondering what to do with our 24 month old daughter We have been trying to include her in picking up her toys before bed each evening for a number of months now She usually cooperates but sometimes she is distracted and starts playing or sometimes she even throws herself on the floor in resistance Is she old enough to be held accountable for helping with clean up time Should we use time out if she doesn't Or is she too young to truly understand the process and is it OK to just let her clean up only as she cooperates Any information and expertise would be appreciated Answer Susan 1 405 9/12/07 9:49 pm   what can i do? Question Hi I really need your help i am so stuck frustrated and upset My Son is 3 years over the past year we have been doing a lot of traveling i e we moved from the United Kingdom i am British and my husband American We moved to Wisconsin for 6 months and then moved here to Manassas VA for job reasons i started potty training my son just after his 3rd birthday in July when we were settled in our new apartment its now September and he is dry and pees in the toilet or potty but i can not get him to poo in the potty its always in his underwear i have tried staying in the same room for days but he holds it in I even tried leaving him in his room alone with the potty and explained he has to got to the potty but he does not do it not once my nieces in England are potty trained completely in just 2 weeks and there younger am I a bad mum what am i doing wrong i have tried everything i never shout at him if he makes a mess I just say its dirty you should poop in the potty and he just ignores me please any advise would be great   thanks Answer joeykareen2126 1 442 9/5/07 4:41 pm   3 1/2 year old Question My 3 1/2 year old is still potty training   She does great at daycare   The teacher wants me to bring her underwear to wear because she only wets during nap time   At home is a different story   She refuses to use the toliet   I don't know what else to try with her   Answer nliska 1 421 9/12/07 8:24 pm   Problems with kindergarten teacher Question Hi My son is now in first grade and seems to be happy with his teacher but had many problems last year and now he is started to reveal them It started almost immediately last year he wet his pants daily I know this wasn't normal and I tried talk ing to his teacher Mrs J and she didn't seem to know what could be going on My son wouldn't tell me anything other than the bathroom was ugly to him and he didn't want to go in there I expressed these concerns over and over to Mrs J and nothing ever came of it I asked my son over and over if someone was hurting or bullying him and if he teacher was nice and he always said everything was fine He wet almost daily up until the last day of school last May and since hasn't had 1 single accident He is now in First grade and loves his teacher and has started telling me more He told me that his new teacher didn't hurt him lik e Mrs J did I asked him what he meant and he said Mrs J hurt his feelings everyday last year   He talks about how she would make mean faces and yell I am really concerned that this teacher was emotionally abusing him in some way  or singling him out and he didn't feel comfortable telling me until he was out from under her reign Today the subject came up again and when I tried to ask  him more(about the wetting) he got upset Instead I asked him if he would like to draw about it and he loved the idea He drew me several pictures and Mrs J was always in the back ground VERY tall and VERY mean looking The child in the picture was very small compared to her and sad Another picture showed him moving his clip(something they do when they get in trouble they get time away from recess etc with each move) and it showed him crying while Mrs J stood by laughing This whole situation really concerns me and I'm angry with myself for not figuring it out last year My question is am I too late should I just let this go and move on Of course I want to confront the teacher with this and the principal but am I jumping to conclusions My son has a lot of anger issues too and I'm wondering if this contributed to it Please help I don't know where to go from here Thanks Tracy Answer gogomom 1 455 8/19/07 3:55 am   question Question I am due Sept 25th and my 4 year old daughter asked me where doe the milk come from   I told her in a bottle or on the breasts   Now with her baby dolls she will lift up her shirt and feed her baby on her stomach   Its kinda funny but she will be going back to school soon ( Kindergarten) and i don't want her to be lifting up her shirt in front of people especially at church   What do i do or tell her Answer Lisa 1 488 8/25/07 2:47 pm   question Question I am due September 25th and my daughter asked me where does the milk come from I told her from a bottle and from the breasts   She is going to be 5 in October   Now with her baby dolls she has she will lift up her shirt and put her baby on her belly button like she is feeding it Its cute but I don't want her to be doing that when she goes back to school if she plays with a baby doll She is going into Kindergarten   Also at church they have dolls and I don't want her to be doing that church also   What do i do   Do i just tell her to feed her babies only with her baby bottle   My daughter has been so fascinated about me being pregnant and definitely can't wait unitl the baby comes   What is your suggestion   She will be seeing me breastfeed   Thanks a bunch   Lisa I am 36 weeks along Answer Lisa 1 471 8/31/07 12:18 am   pacifier use Question We have a daughter who is turning 2 next week She still uses her pacifier while sleeping at night and during her nap We put them away while she is awake so she doesn't use them Should we start to "wean" her off of them or wait until she loses interest I don't want to traumatize her by taking them away but I also don't want her to be using them when she is 6 Answer Susan 1 476 8/24/07 9:17 pm   25 month old Question My 25 month old is not talking   Her vocabulary is approx 10 12 words   She is not putting words together   Her words are basic: ball mom dad bubba (brother) no yes boo etc   Our ped dr says not to be concerned but I am She understands almost everything   She amazes me the amount of direction and commands she comprehends but no talking   Should I take her to a speech therapist Answer MarieVS 1 446 8/23/07 12:06 am   daughter scared @ night Question My daughter who is going to be 5 in October she says she is scared night and wants the light on   I have a night light for her but that isn't good enough   Then it takes her longer to fall asleep   I sometimes turn it off when she falls asleep but sometimes its too late and i want to go to bed too   What do you think i should do   Just leave the light on all night Answer Lisa 1 474 8/15/07 1:47 am   Scared @ night Question My daughter is going to be 5 in October   She is going through a stage that she wants her light on night   So I have a night light that plugs into the wall and she still wants more light   I gave her a teddy bear lamp that runs on 15 watts which is more light than her night light   It works   But i was wondering when is she going to outgrow this   I told her that there is nothing to be afraid of   Sometimes she will play with her toys in her bed now that she can see more   I told her that she will give her a spanking if she stays up   Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't   What do you think Answer Lisa 1 452 8/18/07 11:59 pm   Strange sleeping arrangement Question Hello Christine I am concerned about a situation between my best friend and her son who is spoiled terribly  His father left because of her behavior to him after their son was born She would say the baby comes first and he comes last He is now  not involved in thier lives and he doesn't even pay child support send birthday cards or see him she is fine with that Since he was born she has always slept with her son  It started by rocking him to sleep while in a chair and then falling asleep herself while holding him  Then as he grew larger he demanded she always be with him when he slept which turned into her sleeping with him she was thrilled when she found info on cosleeping to support her ways  Then he was older and needed a big boy bed and she got a queen sized bed for both of them  The boy is now overTEN years old  He is not showing ANY signs of wanting to sleep on his own  Whenever she tries to get him to sleep on is own or even tries to encourage him to lie down alone he throws huge temper and screaming tantrums until she gives in and he gets his way She always gives in  She tried many times to put him in bed and sneak out when he fell asleep  This caused more temper tantrums in the middle of the night and she gave in because she needed sleep too He is in perfect health there are no health or mental problems with this child he is just very spoiled   He has a tendancy to act somewhat baby ish around her and even use baby talk around her to try to get attention She still feeds him bathes him and dresses him  He just refuses to do it Every other normal healthy 10 year old I've known is able to hold a fork or spoon to eat bathe themselves and put clothes/shoes on by themselves In fact they WANT to do it by themselves and so do their parents This problem has had lots of bad effects on her life  She has not slept in her own bed in ten years she can't have company over late or past 8:30because "he wants to go to bed"  He actually tells people to leave He insists on having all of her attention to himself at all times He cannot stand someone else talking to her on the phone or in person He will tell you rudely Her idea of dicipline is "that wasn't nice" and he laughs She devotes almost all of her time to him and him alone doing or buying what he wants She cannot go out late because he refuses to go to sleep until she gets home and throws huge screaming tantrums before she leaves and when she gets home  He does not participate in sleep overs like his friends and she cannot go anywhere overnight without him  She is "not allowed" to date or have a life or friends of her own When she goes to the bathroom he stands outside the door banging and yelling for her to come out until she does He is very clingy I don't think this is at all healthy   It's almost as if he's taken on a wierd husband role (i don't mean that in a sexual way )or man of the house role and she does everything he says the reason he's so spoiled  She never acted submissive like this to her husband or anyone else Her son and his behavior has taken a huge toll on our friendship and I'm the only friend she has left  We hardly see each other anymore except at work and if we talk on the phone he screams at her until she hangs up He's a smart kid who gets excellent grades and I saw his report card his behavior their is excellent She is trying to be a good mother What do you think  Is this something he will outgrow on his own  Will he suddenly decide to sleep on his own  I think if she could get the sleeping situation under control the rest might improve too  Do you think this is ok and am I just being too wierd about it What does the future hold for him he doesn't outgrow the sleeping arrangement and rude demanding behavior Answer Olivia 1 458 7/31/07 6:52 pm   2 questions Question My daughter is going to be 5 yrs old in October   She already had preschool and she's going into kindergarten in Sept   She still can't write her name   Any suggestions    I'm so worried about it   She will be taking some speech a couple times a week during her class due to other things she will need help with   She talks real well   SHe will be going to school full time   Also I'm concerned about her going to school all day She still takes 1 2 hour naps   How is she going to get through the day   She won't be getting home until 4:00pm   Do i just send her to bed at 7:00   What time do yo think i should be getting her in bed   I want to make sure she gets her sleep   And not get sick   She is an excellent sleeper I have to get her up 6:00 am   Sorry this is so long          Thanks Answer Lisa 1 443 8/8/07 8:08 pm   question Question My daughter is going to be 5 years old and she still can't write her name   She trys to and you I can't read it yet   She does her k's e's different   Sometimes she gets frustrated   She is going into kindergarten next month   What can i do Thanks    Answer Lisa 1 415 8/7/07 1:42 pm   Premature child developement Question Dear Ms Tranchina My daughter was born 7 weeks premature All the doctors told me that she might be a little behind in developing She is turning 1 september 4 of this year but she still has no teeth Her doctor said it would be ok but im getting worried Is this normal for a premature child or should i see a specialist about this thank you for your time sincerely Kayla Answer Cheena 1 392 8/2/07 3:49 pm   preschooler speech Question My son is 4 yrs old next month and I feel like his speech and vocabulary are lagging   He is an only child and did not have much child interaction until he started preschool a few months ago    Although I figured with all the adults around him that he would have definetly made up for vocabulary   He is very shy all though you could never tell at home I hear his friends talk in complete sentences and wonder why he does not He will confuse terms such as: "My did not do it"  or use phrases instead of sentences   I have also noticed he has problems pronouncing his "C" and "K"(cat sounds like tat)  and   "G" (grapes sounds like drapes)  My mom keeps pushing that I put him in speech therapy   Though I feel like it has been better since starting school any suggestions Answer Canseeu 1 435 8/1/07 3:09 am   advanced 1 year old Question i have a 1 yearold who developing at an increased rate she has the characteristics of a 2 3 year old what kind of things should i expect from her in upcoming years and how do i deal with her mentally growing up faster than my other child my 1 yr old does things my 3 yr old does Answer babiesangel 1 415 8/3/07 8:11 pm   Language development Question I have a daughter who will be 2 years old at the end of this month I am concerned because she really isn't speaking in short sentences yet  She is able to name many objects (probably 100 200) and communicate her needs with one word sentences ("eat " "milk " etc ) She has just started copying a few phrases she repeats "there ee is" when she points out a person or object we are talking about but doesn't put her own sentences together Should we be concerned yet Is there anything we can do besides talking to her a lot and reading stories to her that will help at this stage Answer Susan 1 438 8/5/07 3:48 pm   losing patience Question my five year old daughter has me ready to pull out my hair she's super hyper very intelligent and it's like she just has her own plans and it doesn't matter what i or her stepdad tell her we've tried everything short of adhd meds the doctor prescribed an anihistimine that works like a sedative and seems to calm her sometimes but other time it's like she hasn't taken anything we have tried the reward system that works sporadically we've tried timeouts taking away privileges you name it some background: she has had some major changes in her life the past three years my ex husband and i split in 04 my fiance and i got together the same year my oldest son moved in with my mother in 05 ( he was happier there his father did not stay in contact and he needed my stepfather) i also had another son in 06 so she has had some big events but i cannot allow bad behavior just because things haven't been perfect all the time i also believe in firm consistency my children are on a very good schedule everything is the same time everyday i would be very appreciative if you had any helpful advice thanking you in advance robbi Answer robbiashley 1 377 8/4/07 10:16 pm   1 1/2 yr old son - a dozen temper tantrums a day Question My 1 1/2 yr old son has a temper tantrum almost every time we say no or try to lead him from a place he shouldn't be (edge of the sidewalk reaching in toilet etc ) He screams and kicks us when we change his diaper something we thought he had gotten over 8 months ago We have been consistent with how we respond (being calm and firm speaking to him at his level explaining why he can't do what he wants at that time and removing him from the situation) for weeks Still he is getting worse When we pick him up when he intentionally falls on the ground in public (crying fit doesn't want to take our hand) he brings his feet up and tries to kick off of us What are we doing wrong Is this just something that has to run its course Thanks Answer Deana 1 371 7/28/07 4:42 pm   Can't sleep on her own Question I have 8months old baby girl and she doesn't wanna sleep on her own Everytime I put her on her bed and leave the room she cries and she will stop only from crying once she saw me She will sleep only if I'm around and pat her legs to sleep and she kepts on waking up every 30mins What should I do Answer bybz 1 437 7/27/07 5:41 am   Baby Has to Cry to Fall Asleep Question I've tried everything that I know to get my baby to fall asleep without crying & nothing works Even implementing a routine catching him before he's overally tired etc doe snot work The minute I start rocking or singing to him it's like he knows what's coming & starts to fuss It's not just crying either he arches & squirms too like he's fighting the sleep I went ahead and started just letting him cry it out (it doesn't matter if I picked him up anyway he still cries) I go in every few minutes to reassure him He now falls asleep pretty quickly but always has to cry at least a few minutes first I just wish going to sleep could be a nicer experience for him Any suggestions Or do some babies just have to fuss a bit before falling asleep Thanks Angela Answer Angela 1 434 7/21/07 1:20 pm Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

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