How to Help Your Children Get a Great Start at Their New School

Think about how you felt when you first began school, or if your family relocated and you transitioned into a different school altogether. You were probably a bit scared and nervous. Chances are your children will be, too. Going to a new school doesn’t have to be a source of stress and anxiety for your kids. As a parent, what can you do to help them feel less anxious?

How to Help Your Eight Year Old Build Healthy Relationships

Good friends provide us with support from childhood through adulthood. It takes practice to learn how to be a good friend – practice at being kind, supportive, trustworthy, and a good listener.

How to Help Your Eight Year Old Understand and Manage Emotions

Emotional self-awareness involves identifying and understanding one’s emotions – including “big feelings” that can sometimes overwhelm us.

How to Help Your Five Year Old Build Social Problem Solving Skills

At age five, kids develop more stable friendships and social conflict among friends becomes inevitable. Kids are more likely to have conflict with close friends than with acquaintances because they spend more time with friends and have to negotiate different opinions, temperaments and styles of play. The good news is kids this age are highly motivated to solve these social problems because they care about the relationships. As parents, we can help children learn how to collaborate, cooperate, communicate, negotiate, self-advocate and respect others.

How to Help Your Five Year Old Build Social Problem-Solving Skills

At age five, kids develop more stable friendships and social conflict among friends becomes inevitable. Kids are more likely to have conflict with close friends than with acquaintances because they spend more time with friends and have to negotiate different opinions, temperaments and styles of play. The good news is kids this age are highly motivated to solve these social problems because they care about the relationships. As parents, we can help children learn how to collaborate, cooperate, communicate, negotiate, self-advocate and respect others.

How to Help Your Five-Year-Old Build Healthy Relationships

It takes practice to learn how to be a good friend who is kind, supportive, trustworthy, and a good listener. These are skills kids can begin to learn at an early age.

How to Help Your Seven Year Old Develop Empathy

Empathy is a skill – one that we can cultivate and strengthen with practice. Empathy means that we can imagine what someone else is thinking or feeling and then respond in a caring manner.

How to Help Your Six Year Old Build Healthy Relationships

Six-year-olds care a great deal about friendship and belonging. They are curious about friends’ lives, ask questions and share stories with each other. They can engage in collaborative play and are increasingly sensitive to social rejection – including the ultimate threat of “you are not my friend anymore.” At this age, that usually means, “I am frustrated that things aren’t going my way,” and the conflict is often resolved quickly. You may also hear kids talk about best friends, but don’t be surprised if they have a new “best friend” every week.

How to Help Your Six Year Old Build Their Social Problem-Solving Skills

At age six, as kids develop stronger and more stable friendships, social conflict among friends is inevitable.

How to Help Your Six Year Old Understand and Manage Emotions

Emotional self-awareness involves identifying and understanding one’s emotions – including “big feelings” that can sometimes overwhelm us. Six-year-olds can begin to understand and identify more complex emotions. While preschoolers may only know the word “mad,” at this age you can help kids differentiate between angry, frustrated, annoyed and disappointed – and what types of situations may cause a person to feel a certain way. They can also understand that they may have more than one feeling at the same time.

How to Increase Your Child's Reading Level at Home

Reading is a learned skill that grows better with practice. To get your child to read more, and become a better reader, engage his imagination and natural curiosity. Associate reading with doing something fun. Even children who prefer energetic, outdoor activities will enjoy reading books about their favorite things to do. Present your child with a good mix of subject matter and don't underestimate the power of pictures. Graphic novels and audio books can help engage interest in reading.

How to Look for the Helpers (And Be One!) During Coronavirus

The coronavirus continues to affect families’ lives and alter daily routines. Like many parents, I’m learning how to navigate these unexpected times right alongside my four young children. Curious in nature, they’ve looked to me to help guide them.

How to Make a Teen More Responsible

Teens don't always pay attention to the big picture. Instead, they're more concerned about the here and now, which can lead to chronic irresponsibility. If you want your teen to buck up, take responsibility and think ahead, you'll need to adjust your own parenting skills. You might be the one enabling your teen to ignore responsibility and get away with lazy behavior. Make your teen more responsible by expecting more.

How to Make Your Kid a Leader & Not a Follower

Your little one is growing up before your eyes and as he grows, you might think more about his future. Regardless of his career choice, you probably hope he’ll be a leader throughout his school years and into his adult life. In the article, "Raising Leaders: Developing Leadership Skills in Children," Dr. Steven Richfield explains that, "Leadership skills can make the difference between a child who thoughtlessly follows the arrogant will of the majority versus the trailblazer who obeys their own moral principles and sensible convictions." The qualities and skills of a leader are ones you can teach your child now.

How to Motivate a Child

Everyone needs a little motivation to do unwanted tasks from time to time, but inspiring kids can be especially challenging. Bribing a child to clean his room or do homework with sweets or toys may seem like a good idea, but all it will ultimately motivate him to do is expect a reward in exchange for doing the task. If you want to foster a sense of drive, responsibility and accountability in a child, you need to tap into rewards such as pride, self-esteem and the satisfaction derived from reaching for and achieving a difficult goal.

How to Motivate Kids to Help Out Around the House

Kids often leave behind a messy trail from dirty laundry to broken crayons. Getting your child to clean up that mess or help out with other household tasks isn't always easy. A little motivation can help get your child moving on her duties around the house. Getting her to help out teaches her responsibility and takes part of the workload off your plate, leaving more family time for everyone. With a little effort, you can find the combination of motivators that works best for your child.

How to Motivate Your Child to Read

The more children read, the more they want to read because it becomes easy and fun. However, some children get in the opposing habit of not reading and not wanting to read. With lack of practice, their skills stagnate and reading becomes work, not fun. As a parent, you have a unique opportunity to motivate your child to read more and read better.

How to Parent Using Gentle Discipline Techniques

Many challenges come with parenthood. Most parents struggle trying to appropriately discipline their children. Being too strict can break a child's spirit, and being too lenient can lead to future discipline problems. Using gentle discipline is a balanced approach to providing your children the guidance they need.

Avoid power struggles. Power struggles are common among parents with strong-willed children. Avoid getting into a power struggle with your child because that will only lead to further frustration for you and the child. Instead, take a deep breath, walk away and collect your thoughts so you'll be able to approach the situation from a different perspective.

How to Raise a Caring Child

We are hard-wired to pick up on other people’s emotions.

How to Raise a Good Problem-Solver

Three-year-old Marcus is trying to find where the pieces fit in a challenging puzzle. Four-year-old Ruby is working on how to keep her block tower from falling down. Omar and Zoey are looking for what they can use as superhero capes when Omar’s mom won’t let them use her scarves. These are all examples of kids hard at work solving problems.