You know the importance of play and creativity, but how can you encourage it in your home? Discover 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 have yourself a bona fide cloud—voilá! I gathered our supplies and showed my son how to apply glue to cotton balls and stick it to the paper. Except... he had his own … [Read more...]
8 Keys to Explaining Emotions to Your Child
Is your child struggling with feelings and learning how to cope through them? Learn how to manage emotions and kids with these 8 important techniques. You and I, we’ve had years of practice when it comes to emotions. We can pinpoint when we feel excited over a present or jealousy when we want something we can’t have. We know feelings come and go—all of them—and that everyone feels the same emotions at some point. Kids aren’t born knowing this and don't have the years of experience we've had at discerning emotions. They might assume they're "bad" when they feel angry, or feel stuck in … [Read more...]
How to Teach Your Child to Be Assertive
Assertiveness for kids is an important skill to teach. Discover effective techniques to help your child assert herself and voice her opinions. At the park, an older child noticed my twins playing with sticks they had found on the ground. "I want that," he said, pointing to one of the sticks my son held in his hand. "Here," my son replied, handing him the shorter stick. The boy didn't relent, and pressed for the longer stick. At that point, I did something I knew I shouldn't have done: I stepped in. "Actually, that's his stick," I told the boy. "Maybe you can find another one … [Read more...]
How to Raise Kids Who Love to Learn
Want to raise kids with a genuine passion for curiosity? Discover effective ways to raise children who love to learn — and not because they have to. My son was in the kitchen trying to turn an empty box of strawberries into an airplane. He had attached a propeller from another toy to the front and strapped a rubber band he'd hoped would sling it forward. It even came equipped with landing wheels. The airplane never moved, much less flew, but this is the kind of learning I want to encourage in my kids. Not doing homework begrudgingly or even perfect grades, but the willingness to try … [Read more...]
Mom Guilt: 7 Reasons We Shouldn’t Blame Ourselves for Everything
Do you suffer from mom guilt and blame yourself for everything that goes wrong? Learn 7 reasons we shouldn't blame ourselves for everything — and how to stop. I knew I should've put a jacket on him, I thought. My son had caught a cold, leaving him miserable for a few days. But while the causes of his cold were many—from sick kids at school to not washing his hands well—I focused on how I could've been the one to blame. Mom guilt. We've all felt it, even as early as when we were still pregnant. We worried about all the things that could go wrong, then blame ourselves when they … [Read more...]
How to Be a Better Mom with Authoritative Parenting
Heard of authoritative parenting but not sure how to implement it? Learn how to be a better mom with authoritative parenting. You'd think being a parent—such an important and difficult role—would come with a certificate reassuring us we know what we're doing. Instead, we base our decisions on how we grew up, what we've read or heard, or from our circle of friends and families. No wonder we feel lost at times, or second guess our decisions. But there is an effective parenting style that many experts say is the best way to go. One that balances rules and demands with nurture and love. … [Read more...]
8 Children’s Books about Peace
Want to read about finding and living a life of peace? Teach your child the importance of kindness with these children's books about peace. Talking about peace to children can be difficult, especially since it can highlight the opposite: Struggle, cruelty, conflict, and anything else that isn't peaceful. Kids may not always understand why these events happen. They get scared or don't feel safe. They wonder if these events can happen in their lives rather than in distant places or times past. But kids understand peace better when we talk about it in ways they can relate to. We can … [Read more...]
10 Best Children’s Books for Story Time
Looking for picture books to read aloud at circle time? These 10 children's story time books to read aloud are sure to entertain kids! "I want you to be the Home Reading Parent," my first grader told me. I figured his teacher had told the class about the vacant spot and asked their parents if they were interested. But when he asked me a second time, I wondered if I should give it a shot. "Okay, I'll email your teacher," I said, "but there's a chance another parent has already asked." Except later that night, I received a response from the teacher, delighted I had volunteered. The … [Read more...]
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