Immersive virtual worlds are coming—and experts have concerns about the effects on children. Here’s how parents can prepare right now. The term “metaverse” seems to be everywhere right now, conjuring up images of a faraway future where people are spending all their waking hours clamped into virtual headsets and living in a virtual space. Think Ready Player One, in which kids escape their dystopian surroundings by playing as avatars, or The Matrix, in which unwitting people are living their lives completely plugged in. But in some ways, the metaverse is with us now. More than 30 million people ..read more

Looking to nurture emotional intelligence (EQ) in your child? Learn high-EQ parenting strategies that will help you build their empathy and emotional awareness—and set them up for lifelong success. Why is emotional intelligence important for children? Establishing respect for emotion is the most important childrearing task you have as a parent. If you and your partner treat each other and the kids with emotional awareness and empathy, your children are much more likely to enjoy strong mental health, stable, satisfying relationships, and a rewarding work life. Here are a few fundamental parent ..read more

One of our children’s deepest needs is to feel heard, and by listening carefully and expressing empathy, parents can help fill this need. More importantly, research has found that if someone feels empathy, even if it’s just from watching a touching video, it can make them feel more connected to — and generous toward — others. In other words, practicing empathy with your kids can help them grow up to be emotionally intelligent adults. This might not seem hard, but it is. If our kids aren’t doing well, parents often feel the need to be disapproving — otherwise, they reason, the kid will think t ..read more

"We don't have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world..... To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.... If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places - and there are so many - where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility ..read more

Russia's attack on Ukraine has caused international outrage, and people around the world are feeling the stress and fear of watching the violence and wondering what will come next.  That includes your children. With so many images of violence and so few answers, your kids likely are aware of the fighting even if it's far away - and they can be terrified or at the very least, extremely worried or troubled. It can be daunting to talk to kids, especially younger ones, about war, and it may feel better to preserve your little ones' bliss by keeping the topic out of their awareness ..read more

Why is teaching kids about feelings so important? The experience of emotions is so universal and innate to who we are as human being’s, parents often mistakenly assume that a child’s self-awareness around feelings also comes as naturally. The truth is, just like any other skill vital to healthy social and emotional development in your child, learning how to identify and cope with emotions needs to be supported and encouraged.  1. Normalizing feelings decreases anxiety.  Intense emotions are a universal aspect of the human experience. Yet, for a small child, big feelings can fee ..read more

This column is part of an ongoing series by USA TODAY Opinion exploring the mental health crisis facing Americans. A 9-year-old girl drew me a picture of a young child surrounded by a dark, swirling storm and four stick figures lying in hospital beds with long tubes attached. A 12-year-old girl told me: “We’ve been at home together for a long time and we love each other but we’re getting in each other’s way. I don’t know who’s more upset, me or my parents? We are a scared family right now.” And a 14-year-old boy said: “My grandmother died yesterday from COVID. I’m so sad. And I’m scared ..read more

Throughout the pandemic I have sometimes felt I could split myself in two and still not treat all the children and teenagers whose parents call me every day asking whether I can see them. Sometimes I add hours and work later into the night, knowing that I too am being stretched. I worry about an 11-year-old girl who was struggling with terrible mood swings before the pandemic and then lost a grandparent to Covid and told me that she cannot breathe wearing a mask. It causes her to have panic attacks, on top of her being terrified that her parents will soon die from the latest variant. I worry ..read more

This post is part of TED’s “How to Be a Better Human” series… I’d like you to take a moment and imagine you’re four years old. You’re building a tower, and you’re really proud of it. But then the next minute another child comes running along and kicks over your tower. You are outraged, and you feel all these feelings bubble up inside — hurt, panic, frustration and helplessness. Just then, an adult comes by. They get close, get down to your level, and ask: “Honey, what happened?” In their eyes, there’s compassion and you feel that their body is calm and regulated. And then all those feelings c ..read more

Practicing mindfulness can help kids learn to focus, manage stress, regulate emotions, and develop a positive outlook. Here's how to teach them the skill. Last year, my daughter started learning mindfulness in her third-grade class at school. The students would sit in a circle, close their eyes, and quietly take notice of their own thoughts and what was happening around them. Each session, led by Danielle Mahoney, the mindfulness educator and literacy coach at P.S. 212Q in Jackson Heights, Queens, had a different lesson: mindful seeing, mindful hearing, mindful breathing, or heartfu ..read more