Social skills are complex and not all children learn them naturally. Some children need extra help and support to make friends and, not to mention, to keep them. How to Teach Your Child Social Skills Here are some ideas to help your child develop social skills: Observe your child. Take every opportunity you can to […]
Forget Building Self-Esteem: The Best Thing We Can Do for Our Kids
The best thing we can do for our kids is to make their lives more difficult. What do you think about this statement? I struggle every day with the idea behind this statement. As a mom who can actually give her kids the world, I carry tremendous guilt, fear, and often the embarrassment of fortune. […]
The Greatest Gift You Can Give a Child: Empathy & Gratitude
I remember sitting at my nana’s kitchen table. My fingers fiddled with the plastic tablecloth and I could see the bumps from various notes, to-do lists, and articles my nana tucked under the tablecloth for safe keeping and reminders. Grandparents are the best. I can still smell the coffee. I can still hear the percolator…And […]
The Secret to Positive Discipline – Why Time Outs Aren’t Enough
“There has to be a consequence. He has to know the behavior is not okay,” my husband asserted looking at me straight in the eyes. I nodded. We’ve never given timeouts or sent our kids to their rooms for punishment. We’ve always worked through the issue with them, which, arguably, will help them a great […]
How to Teach a Child Resilience, Problem-Solving, & Coping Skills
Many years ago, before I became a parent, I discovered Josh Waitzkin and his book The Art of Learning. At the time, life was all about yours truly and I was searching for ways to build resilience. By nature, I am always seeking ways to be better, how to better deal with stress, and to […]
Why Should Parents Care about Emotional Intelligence?
Imagine sitting down with a group of children to have a conversation. You notice there are children who are completely aware of the topic of the discussion. They listen, ask appropriate questions, and seem at ease with the situation. These children possess a high level of emotional intelligence. Daniel Goleman, a psychologist, wrote the book Emotional […]