It can be challenging to determine the ideal kids bedtime as well as how much sleep they need. Fortunately, research has answers. When becoming a parent it’s instantly clear – kids don’t come with an instruction manual and you could really, as in REALLY, use one. Sleep is in most need of an instruction manual since it’s…
Inside: A bedtime routine for kids that will get them to sleep in no time. Plus, what to do when your child refuses to go to sleep. Getting your child to follow a consistent sleep schedule helps your child fall asleep, stay asleep, and prevents the tiresome bedtime battles that come when it’s time to…
Help your children develop good study habits with these seven essential tips from a former teacher and mother of three. (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 you.) My nine-year-old bounded through the door, tossed his backpack…
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,…
Most kids aren’t naturally responsible and need to be taught. Here are six tips for teaching responsibility to kids. If you’re like most parents you’ve probably dreamed of a world where your kids are more responsible: They pick up their toys without reminders Consistently place their laundry in the hamper instead of the floor Brush…
Getting kids to clean their messy room doesn’t need to be a constant battle. These five tips can help. Slowly you open the door to your child’s bedroom, bracing yourself for what’s beyond. As expected, clothes and socks cover the carpet, the bed is unmade, books and papers are strewn across the desk, and you…
A child’s basic needs include their physical, emotional, and mental well-being. All children need their basic needs met in order to thrive throughout childhood and adulthood. When a child’s social, emotional, and physical needs are met, they’re given a sure foundation on which to experience a happy childhood and achieve their full potential. It’s also…
Inside: Five ideas to establish a calm morning routine for kids that they’ll actually follow From the moment your alarm goes off in the morning the race is on. Waking your kids up, feeding them, getting them dressed and out the door (and yourself too!) can feel like a mad dash…and on some mornings nearly…
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…
It is possible to teach responsibility and stop doing everything for your children. Here are three ways to lead your kids towards greater independence. “It’s time to get up!” you exclaim for the fourth time as you stick your head into your thirteen-year-old son’s bedroom. Every morning it’s a struggle to get him out of…
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…
School day mornings can be crazy…but there’s a really easy way to help your kids get ready for school independently with no nagging from you. “We need to leave in three minutes!” I called out to my daughter from the first floor. “Wait – have you brushed your teeth yet?” “No….” she said sheepishly. “What?!…
Help your kids develop a sense of personal responsibility. This post contains affiliate links, see my Disclosure Policy. True story: back in my early 20s I thought kids’ behavior could be entirely controlled by parents. OK, so maybe I wasn’t quite that clueless, but not far from it… Why are kids so noisy in stores?, I…