Tired and guilty of yelling at your child to behave and follow instructions? Learn how to get kids to listen without yelling, and foster mutual respect instead. "Don't stand on your bed," I warned my son for what felt like the zillionth time. "You might fall and get hurt." Considering that he sleeps on the top bunk, this warning didn't come lightly. But sure enough, as soon as I started to leave, I turned around to peek in the room and found him standing once again. Every parent will remind her kids of the rules, only to turn around and find them doing exactly what you just told them … [Read more...]
The Best Children’s Books That Introduce Kids to Math Concepts
Learning math concepts is more fun with picture books! Discover the best math books for kids — perfect for kindergarten and elementary school children. Over the last few weeks, my kids have been asking about math concepts I've had to explain in creative ways. When one asks the answer to 3 x 5, I give the example of three kids jumping five times. Fractions are explained with dividing a pizza into slices. Even and odd numbers are compared to sharing between the twins and whether they have equal pieces or if one has more than the other. They compare how many more "heads" they need to be … [Read more...]
How to Get Kids to Do Chores (Without the Constant Reminders)
Wondering how to get kids to do chores without complaining? A lot of it has to do less with rewards and punishment and more with how you talk to your kids about chores. Learn how to do just that in this article! "I'll do it later," my son reassured me. I had told him, for what seemed like the zillionth time, to put his lunch stuff away. After all, food can only stay not-too-gross in a lunch container for so long. I was also determined not to do chores and tasks I knew my kids could do perfectly well on their own. In other words, I wasn't about to empty his lunch bag for … [Read more...]
The Real Reason Kids Should Have Chores
Should kids have chores? You may have heard the benefits of chores, but here's one compelling reason parents overlook that will have you giving kids chores. There was always an excuse that held me back from having my kids load the dishwasher after meals. I worried that the dishes might break and we'd have to fish broken glass shards out of the tiniest nooks. They might not rinse the dishes well enough in the sink, and end up clogging the dishwasher pipes. I even blamed how roughly they turned the faucet on and off, convinced they'd break it given enough time. It wasn't just the … [Read more...]
Children’s Books about Anger to Help Your Child’s Behavior
Need ways to calm your angry child down? This collection of children's books about anger helps kids manage frustration and understand these big feelings. It's that moment when you realize this is far more than just a tantrum or mere stubbornness. And after three kids, I've seen the face of true anger, especially when it arises out of nowhere. It might've been when I said it was time to leave the school garden, only for them to kick and scream in the van the entire ride home. Or when one of my kids yelled at the top of his lungs, his face in anguish because I told him it was time to take … [Read more...]
9 Coping Skills for Kids to Help Manage Big Emotions
Does your child struggle with handling difficult emotions? Learn how to teach coping skills for kids to help them manage big feelings on their own. By Amy Wruble My 7-year-old came home from summer camp the other day in a horrible mood. She called me names, kicked her little sister for no reason, and stomped around yelling for a solid 20 minutes. Since she doesn’t normally act this way, I figured something must have happened to upset her, but it took a while to unravel the details. It turned out she’d taken a scary tumble, got hurt, and felt embarrassed. The physical plus emotional … [Read more...]
What to Do When Your Child Refuses to Eat
Frustrated when your child refuses to eat what you made for dinner? Learn what to do (and not do!) to avoid power struggles and get kids to finally eat. I had cooked orzo pasta for dinner—usually a family favorite—except this particular meal happened to have artichokes. My five-year-old crinkled his nose. "I don't want to eat it," he said, without so much as taking a single bite. "Aren't you hungry?" I asked, hoping his hunger would drive him to at least try one spoonful. "I am," he responded, "but I want something else to eat." And when I told him there was nothing else to eat … [Read more...]
5 Things Resilient Kids Do Differently
Curious to know why some kids persevere while others don't? Discover the 5 characteristics of a resilient child and what gritty kids do differently. My eight-year-old had done a really neat trick with a blob of slime (yes, slime). He had stretched it out to a thin layer, held it in front of his face, then blew on it to make a "bubble." It looked exactly how bubble gum would look when you blow on it. Not surprisingly, one of my five-year-old twins was intrigued. So much so that he decided he wanted to try the trick as well. At that point, I was already cringing inside. In truth, I … [Read more...]
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