Well-meaning parents want their children to succeed. For ten frustrating years, my colleagues and I have been telling parents what a monumental pile of studies consistently show to be the keys to a child’s later academic, emotional, psychological, and financial success.
With landlines fading, fewer opportunities to learn phone manners, sharing and other grown-up skills.
Midseason, with plenty of New England cold stretched ahead of us, our 12-year-old daughter, Birdy, lost her winter coat. This was not a tragedy. Things are only things, after all.
OK, I confess: I let my kids climb up the slide. Some of you are gasping and shaking your fists. Others are shrugging. Apparently, I discovered recently, the Great Slide Debate is one of the throw-down, gloves-off, all-out mommy wars.
To my own mother, it was an article of faith to show no favoritism. If two of us asked her whose drawing she liked best, the answer was predetermined: I like them just the same. When I tried to trick my mother by saying I had done both drawings myself, she saw right through me; she understood that children are constantly trying to elicit evidence of who is ahead and who is behind. And to the end of her life, if someone tried to draw my mother out in public praise, by saying, with reference to some particular milestone or achievement, oh, you must be so proud of your child, she would respond, firmly, yes, I’m proud of all my children.
Frogs are a safe, useful, and age-appropriate way to introduce very young children to some of the themes and rituals of Passover. As our children grow older, however, we want to move beyond a focus on these elements to help them develop a deeper understanding of not only the story of Passover, but the values we can discover in its themes.
I don’t participate in my children’s fun or even bear witness to it. Instead, I make myself joy’s adversary. I’m trying to change that.
As an elementary school teacher, I have encountered a broad spectrum of personalities over the years: the rule followers, the troublemakers, the mother hens, the class clowns, the overachievers, the underachievers. You name it, and I’ve had one in my class. Not surprisingly, meeting with the parents of any of these students explains everything about their personality and classroom disposition.
Here are some fun recipies to make with your kids this Purim!
One evening early this summer, I opened a book and found myself reading the same paragraph over and over, a half dozen times before concluding that it was hopeless to continue. I simply couldn’t marshal the necessary focus.
Using tech tools that students are familiar with and already enjoy using is attractive to educators, but getting students focused on the project at hand might be more difficult because of it.
Say No to Yourself First.
By Paul Rogers and Jane E. Brody
By Ron Leiber
Over the last couple of months, I’ve received a few emails asking a similar question, venting a similar frustration, written in a similar exasperated tone. When I hit “send” on my own version of the question in an email to a friend, I knew it was time to seek some answers. I appealed to a few of my favorite parenting experts and authors, Katie Hurley, Michele Borba, Alyson Schafer and Tina Payne Bryson.
Positive affirmations for any child.
According to psychologist Carol Dweck, adults and kids who possess a growth mindset “believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work,” while those people who favor a fixed mindset “believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits.” Having a growth mindset seems to be connected closely with the traits of persistence, resilience and effort — habits we want our kids to learn from an early age.
Kids who procrastinate can drive you crazy. If pulling your hair out while dangling at your wits end is familiar experience for you … keep reading!
By Arnie Kozak
by KJ Dell'Antonia
Kendra Cherry, Psychology Expert
The Independent School Magazine Blog
The Hamlin School Embraces No Rescue Policy for Parents to Encourage Resilience in Children
By: Holland Greene, Wanda
It’s that time of year where many people begin thinking about everything they have to be thankful for. Although it’s nice to count your blessings on Thanksgiving, being thankful throughout the year could have tremendous benefits on your quality of life.
Advice from ‘The Happy Kid Handbook’ author
According to psychologist Carol Dweck, adults and kids who possess a growth mindset “believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work,” while those people who favor a fixed mindset “believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits.”
“Kids talking back” is a perennial complaint in parenthood.
Too much structure and pressure is killing off the joy of doing and learning. Post published by Richard Rende Ph.D.
Parenting is a weird tension between following your instincts and squashing them.
When I picked my son up from his first day of 4th grade, my usual (enthusiastically delivered) question of “how was your day?” was met with his usual (indifferently delivered) “fine.”
