Mom, do you find yourself giving scads of “bad news” to your kids all day long? No, you can’t jump on the couch. We’re not buying that super cool Lego set today. Nope. I’m not serving ice cream for lunch. You know you can’t hit your brother. You have to share that favorite toy dinosaur.… →
Kids
How to Teach Kids Gratitude (In a Way They’ll Understand)
We all want our kids to grow into happy and healthy adults. It turns out there is a common thread among happy people, and it’s as straightforward as it is powerful. It’s gratitude. Leading gratitude researcher Robert A. Emmons undertook studies that highlight a link between gratitude and well-being. Emmons says “The practice of gratitude… →
How to Potty Train Your Toddler in 5 Easy Steps
Potty training was one of those things I was really dreading having to do. I had no idea how to begin and I hated the idea of all the accidents and mess I expected there to be!
10 Ways to Find Peace and Create Happiness With Your Child With Autism
The moment you realize that your child has autism, your entire world changes. But it doesn’t have to be negative. When I started in special education, autism was a fairly new condition. It was a time when vaccines were blamed (still are), parents blamed each other and superstitions adorned society. I remember when my mom’s… →
How to Easily Simplify the Transition from Summer to School
One of the highlights of summer with school-aged children is a break from the normal routine. Instead of the daily struggle to get to school on time, the morning slows down and we gradually ease into our day. There’s no pressure to get dressed, pack lunches, or hurry the tiny humans out the door. In… →
8 Surprising Ways to Raise Creative Toddlers
Most people see creativity as a talent, rather than a skill. Children are bound to “be creative,” but as they grow up, it all gets lost in their routines and responsibilities. Or so they say. The truth is that creativity is a skill. And, like any skill, it can be developed (at any age), all… →
How I Potty-Trained My Toddler In Less Than A Week
Potty-training. The moment my oldest son turned two, I was dreading it. I truly believed that potty-training would be the ultimate bane of my existence. I actually pushed it aside for a little longer than I should have – you see, my son was showing the signs that he was ready to use the big… →
How to Encourage Physical Development Skills in Your Toddler
Worried about your toddler’s physical development? Maybe you see your friend’s toddler already walking and beginning to sit, but your toddler wants nothing to do with walking. The rate of each child’s development – both physical and cognitive– vary from child to child. Physical development in children can be divided into gross motor skills and… →
Understanding How to Raise Your Boy with ADHD in 2018
Until the term ADHD came into our lives, I don’t know how many times my son’s disruptive behavior was chalked up to that overused phrase, “boys will be boys.” My son’s behavior seemed to be stuck on hyperdrive all the time. Keeping him from doing and saying certain things became a full-time job. After being… →
9 Survival Tips For Raising Toddler Boys
When I was pregnant for the first time, I wanted a boy – so when we found out that we were indeed expecting a baby boy, I was ecstatic. I dreamed of the messy faces that were soon to come. The Tonka trucks and Hot Wheels explosion on my living room floor and the rambunctious… →