Category Archives: ACA Blog

Back in the 1960s, a professor at Stanford University conducted an experiment on impulsivity at a local nursery school. Left in a room with a single marshmallow, the children were told they could eat the treat immediately, but if they waited twenty minutes, they’d receive two treats. When the professor followed up decades later, he […]

A child’s pet is often her first and dearest friend. After years of running in the backyard with a puppy, sleeping with a cat at the end of the bed, or feeding a treasured goldfish, a preschooler will likely be flummoxed and overwhelmed by the loss of her companion. Where did Rover go? When is […]

It’s a mad, mad world out there, and it’s getting more competitive every day. Every parent aspires to give their children that certain edge so that they’ll succeed in society, school, and ultimately in all aspects of their lives. Fortunately, most of the factors that influence a child’s intellectual and social development don’t depend on […]

Do you remember when adults were the only ones sporting cell phones? Teenagers soon keyed in on the advantages and spent entire allowances for the chance to text under the desk. Soon middle school latchkey kids were seen carrying phones so they could keep in touch with their worried parents. Today, there are dozens of […]

Consider Generation Y: The Millennials, children born between 1980 and 2000 and raised in a family-centered, highly educated society during a period of great affluence. With so much attention on raising happy, well-adjusted kids, one would think that the decisive manual on parenting would finally have been written, the one we all wished we had […]

Discipline has got a bad rap. Just the mention of the word evokes the image of a screaming parent seizing a child by the scruff or swatting his behind—a cringe-inducing moment we’ve all witnessed in grocery stores nationwide. Nobody wants to be the parent who resorts to yelling and physical restraint. At the same time, […]

If you are living the typical life of a young American family, then your kitchen calendar is the size of a serving tray and it’s currently bleeding six different colors of ink in order to keep track of everyone’s schedules. From t-ball to soccer practice, music lessons to doctor’s appointments, school events to swimming meets, […]

Parenting happens in discrete, unpredictable, and often terrifying moments, like when you see your son stand up in the playground to face another boy in a heated dispute. What do you do? Do you intervene ahead of the first punch? Or do you act like your own parents probably did, and let them fight it […]

“Spend time with them now, because they grow so fast!” Parents hear this and see it splashed all over Facebook and other social media sites. Some parents promise themselves time with their children when all the dishes are put away and the ironing is done. They may decide to wait to play until after they’ve […]

Genetics play a role in a child’s intelligence, but external factors also influence their mental development. The early years of a child’s growth, from birth to age four, are when their brain starts to create a firm foundation for learning in later life. A parent can help their child’s brain expand during those formative years […]