Parenting Tips

A ten-year-old girl sits in my office, her gaze averted. She tells me that she’s worried because she “froze” and couldn’t remember anything on her math test. She thinks her parents will be upset. She also worries that her teacher will tell her to study harder. She doesn’t want extra math homework. She’s sure that she’s just “not good” at math and there is nothing she can do about it.

Like it or not, your tween is probably already obsessing over Instagram. Here's how to talk with your child about social media before they make an account, plus tips from Instagram's new "Parent's Guide" for keeping them safe.

Raising a family while keeping your life balanced is an art form. Here are ten tools that I have seen make life in the family lane a much nicer ride.

A generation ago, bullying seemed to occur primarily on the playground, but in the 21st century, this intimidating and unacceptable behavior is as likely to come through a digital device as on the swing set. Cyber-bullying may take place in the online world, but it is no less damaging than its real-world equivalent. In fact, cyber-bullying often extends into the everyday lives of children, and it’s critical for 21st-century parents to be on the lookout for the early warning signs.

We all know as parents that discussing and negotiating the rules with our children is never easy. Children are all very different, and what might need to be a rule for one, may not even be an issue for another.

Other animals don’t have to do household chores, but in nature, purposeful play is typical. When a kitten pounces on a ball of wool, it’s learning vital skills for its future survival as a hunter. Puppies chasing their own tails are developing motor skills and spatial awareness. A bird stretching its wings in the nest is preparing for flight.

With the competitive, not to mention stressful, academic environment today, more and more kids are experiencing difficulty keeping up with the demands of the school. Experts say that one of the primary reasons why students, especially the younger ones, get tired or bored is that they are given lots of assignments without knowing where to get help with their homework.