How Kids Learn Archives - Sleeping Should Be Easy

Raising College Bound Kids (Because It’s Never Too Early to Start!)

Aug 18, 2021

Kids are never too young to prepare for college. Learn simple ways of raising college bound kids and building a love of learning and success. I'm getting my kids ready for college, and they're all still in elementary school. I'm not sifting through college applications or signing them up for enrichment activities. Nothing like that. Instead, I'm cementing the idea of college as an exciting opportunity, even at this young age. We're already talking about the college experience, from dorm cafeterias to getting a degree. And while I won't force going to college, I'll certainly make it as … [Read more...]

How to Praise Your Child for a Growth Mindset

Communication

Jul 21, 2021

Many parents praise their kids with good intentions, but did you know praise can also hinder their potential? Learn how to praise your child for a growth mindset. Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links, which means I will earn a commission—at no extra cost to you—if you make a purchase. I was impressed. My then-four-year-old had just finished building an intricate structure of wooden blocks. This was the stuff I didn't even know he could do. Each block was meticulously placed and symmetrical, and it looked like something a budding architect would make. I was so … [Read more...]

6 Traits That Help Kids Succeed

How Kids Learn

Jul 16, 2021

Want to cultivate the traits your child needs to succeed in school and as an adult? Teach these 6 traits that will help kids succeed. Encouraging success in kids seems to get a bad rap. We've got Tiger Moms who don't accept anything less than an A, or parents pressuring their kids to succeed at all costs. Kids can't cope with losing, and admissions tests are given at the preschool level. No wonder we're hesitant to wish ambition for our kids, fearful that we'll end up stressing them out. But when we look at how to help kids succeed in a different way, we see it's not always … [Read more...]

5 Remarkable Ways to Encourage Deliberate Practice

How Kids Learn

Jul 10, 2021

It's not just about practice—kids should learn how to improve as well. Here are 5 ways to encourage deliberate practice and learning. Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links, which means I will earn a commission—at no extra cost to you—if you make a purchase. Deliberate practice is practice designed to improve specific skills you're trying to master. You receive feedback and correct mistakes to improve your performance and strive for excellence. Coined by psychologist Anders Ericsson, deliberate practice isn't just hours of practice. Sure, you can tell your child to practice … [Read more...]

4 Easy Ideas to Nurture Your Child’s Creativity

How Kids Learn

Jul 02, 2021

You know the importance of play and creativity, but how can you encourage it at home? Learn 4 easy ideas to nurture your child's imagination. I had found the perfect craft on Pinterest—something I could actually try with my then-toddler. The object was simple: draw a cloud outline on a piece of paper, and have your child glue cotton balls within the shape. Once he's done, you'd then cut along the line and you'd yourself a bona fide cloud—voilá! I gathered our supplies and showed him how to apply glue to cotton balls and stick it to the paper. Except... he had his own agenda. First, … [Read more...]

How to Teach Your Child the Value of a Job Well Done

How Kids Learn

May 20, 2021

Do you have a box-checker who speeds through tasks just to get them done? Here's how to teach your child the value of a job well done. Is your child a "box-checker"? She wants to finish the job you ask her to do, regardless of whether she did the task well or not. A quick smiley face for an art project? Done. Tossed the books onto the shelf? Cleaned. From homework to dressing herself, she's eager to finish—and finish quickly—regardless of quality. As much as you appreciate the speediness, you also don't want to focus on ticking off the boxes and crossing off to-dos. Instead, you … [Read more...]

7 Benefits of Reading to Your Child You May Not Know

How Kids Learn

Apr 25, 2021

You've likely heard the importance of reading, but do you know why? Discover 7 benefits of reading to your child, even starting from day one! by Lane Rebelo Some of the fondest memories of my daughter’s first year are of us bundled in the glider in her room reading stories at bedtime. Back then, she fit in the crook of my elbow so perfectly, both of us reading together as we rocked back-and-forth, baby in one arm and book in the other. Now, even at 12-years-old and on the threshold of her teen years, she still wants me to read to her at bedtime each night. I'm savoring every moment … [Read more...]

Are You Teaching These Life Skills Your Child Needs in Adulthood?

Development

Apr 14, 2021

Parenting includes teaching life skills your child needs in adulthood. Find activities and ideas to make learning life skills easy and effective. It's hard to imagine, but our kids will be adults. We assume we have time before they really need to buckle down and learn a few things. We don't think about important life skills they need to learn before becoming adults. Author and former Dean of Freshman at Stanford, Julie Lythcott-Haims, says many young adults don't have the skills they should've learned throughout childhood. Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links, which means … [Read more...]

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