Cleaning up toys after play is a perfect opportunity for toddlers and kids to learn responsibility. Here’s how to get your child to help without a struggle. Toddlers and young children are like human tornadoes — all it takes is a moment with your back turned to discover that your child’s bedroom (and the hallway,…
Raising an independent child not only defies conventional parenting advice, it also leads to a more peaceful and positive parent-child relationship. Ask parents what character traits they’d most like to see in their kids and independence and responsibility top the list. But what most parents don’t realize is that in order to raise kids with…
Having a disobedient child can be frustrating, to say the least. Inside are four steps you can take to help address your child’s misbehavior and turn that behavior around. Having a disobedient child is one of the most aggravating, irritating, stressful, and downright frustrating parenting experiences. Especially if it seems our child is chronically disobedient:…
Many parents try to use consequences to change their child’s misbehavior but find they’re ineffective. Here’s why that happens, how to determine when a consequence will be effective, and seven alternative parenting tools that often work better. Your daughter has been playing with Magnatiles for the past hour. You love that she’s so engaged in…
Kind but firm parenting involves setting clear limits for kids while also maintaining a strong, healthy relationship. Here’s how to do it. With a big smile on his face, your five-year-old takes a handful of sand, stands up, and gleefully throws it into the air. He’s in awe over the way the grains scatter in…
Established family rules help everyone know what’s expected of them. Here’s your guide to best practices for developing and establishing your family’s rules. Plus, five rules every family should have. “No one told me I had to clean up!” my daughter exclaimed after I asked her to put away her paint, paper, and brushes strewn…
Misbehaving children can be baffling to parents. But understanding why your child misbehaves can lead to positive solutions to change the bad behavior for good. Every evening it happens — the bedtime struggle. “Time to put on your pajamas,” you say in as gentle a voice as possible. “No!” your son exclaims while simultaneously running…
Inside: Imaginary play (also known as pretend play) helps kids’ cognition, emotions, and promotes problem-solving and creativity. Here are five ideas to help encourage your child’s imaginary play. “We’re playing Abby’s birthday,” my six-year-old daughter told me. “These are her presents!” my three-year-old son chimed in. He pointed to a pile of toys – all…
Kids routines provide children with cues throughout the day that encourage self-reliance and independence. Below are six ways kids and parents benefit from routines. But I don’t want to be tied down to a schedule! I thought to myself as I read about the benefits kids and parents receive from following a routine every day. The…
Educational subscription boxes for toddlers and preschoolers provide learning activities, craft projects, and children’s books delivered to your house every month. Toddlers and preschoolers like to stay busy! (The biggest understatement of the year.) But if you’re craft-challenged like me, or are simply looking for more books and activities for your child, the subscription boxes…
Research shows that quiet time can help boost mindfulness, attitude, and your child’s creativity. Here’s how to get started. “Mom, look! A garage!” My almost 3-year-old had taken a set of Magnatiles and built them into a tower of cubes where he parked his cars and trucks. He had created it on his own, in…
Parenting toddlers through their “I can do it myself!” stage can be tricky. Here are a few ways you can support their independence without losing your mind. “I want my socks off!” my almost-three-year-old cried in desperation as tears began welling up in her eyes. “Socks off!” We’d just come home from preschool and in…
Help your child get dressed independently with these tips. “Never do for a child what he can do for himself.” – Maria Montessori You may have heard this quote before and laughed to yourself while struggling to wrestle a hoodie on your toddler. Great in theory, but not always in practice – especially when getting…
Start these child-rearing practices when your kids are young to make life with adolescents and teens easier. Hindsight is 20/20, isn’t it? As a new mother, I had no idea what kind of parenting would pay off in the long run. Like most parents, I read and received a lot of advice. But, I wondered,…
Inside: You don’t have to be a dietitian to raise kids who make healthy food choices. Here are a few of the things I did that I believe made a difference. “Can I have more salad?” my eleven-year-old daughter asked as we were nearing the end of dinner. She had just taken the last bite…
Toddler chores are a great way to introduce kids to chores and begin to raise natural helpers. Below are seven tips to get you started and be successful. “I need to sweep. Where’s the broom?” my daughter asked as she came downstairs. My first reaction was one of shock. “Excuse me?” I blurted out, still…
There are few parenting experiences more aggravating than kids repeatedly asking “why?”. Here’s the why behind the whys…and the best way to respond to kids asking why all day long. (This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and purchase the item, I will receive a commission at no extra cost to…
Separation anxiety in children can be a heart-wrenching challenge for parents. Here’s how to handle your child’s anxiety in a positive, caring way. Drop-off time at my daughter’s classroom is currently so stressful. It’s full of tears and sobbing. Often she needs to be peeled from my legs before I can leave the classroom. Once…
Each child is born with strong internal motivation. The question is, why do some kids retain it while others don’t? And what can parents do to protect it? Somewhere along the way, often by kindergarten, this intrinsic motivation disappears in many kids, but it doesn’t have to.
In our busy, hyperactive lives giving our kids the space to do nothing can be the most precious gift we give them. Last May I made a list. It’s something I do every spring. You see, summers in New England are short – meaning, we count the warm days by weeks, not months. And yet…
Are you eager to have your young kids do more for themselves? Here are nine ways to encourage and raise self-sufficient kids. Is there anything more agonizing than running late for work and watching your 4-year-old try to tie his shoes? One lace slips out of his hand as he S-L-O-W-L-Y tries to loop the…