An abbreviated version of the popular 8-Weeks to Positive Discipline Series is now on YouTube Intro Introduction to positive discipline Outline Week 1 1.1 Role of emotions and “I” messages 1.2 Giving children empathy week 1 outline Week 2 2.1 Positive Intent 2.2 Positive Directions 2.3 Descriptive v. Evaluative Praise week 2 outline Week 3 3.1 Choices, challenges and contribution 3.2 Parenting Style 3.3 Alternatives to “no” week 3 outline Week 4 Natural and logical consequences Review of the steps of positive discipline How this all works backwards for aggression  Week 5 Setting ..read more

It can be hard enough to get children to wear their jackets and keep their shoes on. Getting them to wear masks may seem like an impossible task. With mask mandates and the start of school just around the corner, here are several ways to encourage even young children to wear masks. Fit and comfort first – It may be helpful to start with an assortment of styles. Try ones with loops behind the ears, bands behind the head, bandanas, cone style and gaiters. Try different fabrics; t-shirts, cloth masks, cloth masks with filters, disposable paper masks. Introduce them slowly – It is less than helpf ..read more

An abbreviated version of the popular 8-Weeks to Positive Discipline Series is now on YouTube Intro Introduction to positive discipline Outline Week 1 1.1 Role of emotions and “I” messages 1.2 Giving children empathy week 1 outline Week 2 2.1 Positive Intent 2.2 Positive Directions 2.3 Descriptive v. Evaluative Praise week 2 outline Week 3 3.1 Choices, challenges and contribution 3.2 Parenting Style 3.3 Alternatives to “no” week 3 outline Week 4 Natural and logical consequences Review of the steps of positive discipline How this all works backwards for aggression  Week 5 Setting ..read more

The guidelines for speaking with children about difficult topics vary by age. This is true with the coronavirus as well. With preschoolers you might narrowly focus on building healthy habits and giving reassurances about their safety. In elementary school, many children are ready for basic information and there may be a need to correct misinformation. By middle school and high school, they may be ready for conversations about how viruses move, the impact on differing communities and the importance and impact of social policy. Parents set the emotional landscape – As a parent, how you present ..read more

By fourth grade it can be helpful for a child to use a homework notebook. This is a place to jot down homework assignments, due dates and materials as needed. If your child is struggling with any of these pieces, you might ask his teacher to spot check the lists. It can also be helpful to have a large calendar at home to organize your child’s schedule. This includes daily homework times, extracurricular activity schedules, project and test due dates and weekend plans (for fun). By fourth grade, it can be helpful to teach your child to break down projects and studying for tests in to small pie ..read more

Another common homework battle is over place. The goal is a well stocked, well lit space with a good table or desk and a comfortable something for reading. Well stocked means having everything your child might need for homework for the year. In elementary school this might be pencils, erasers, wide lined paper, markers, crayons, colored pencils, pencil sharpener, construction paper, tape, glue and a ruler. By fourth grade add a protractor, poster board, a dictionary and thesaurus. By middle school a compass, highlighters, index cards, college lined paper and pens. At some point, depending on ..read more

The most common homework concerns are related to time, space and organization. I am linking three blog posts with the aim to answer each. There isn’t a best time to do homework, just several options. The idea is to find what fits your family best for now. There are some children who just want it done. These kids might start homework during the ride home and finish the rest before doing other things. I wish these were my kids. Others need a break after school. They need to eat snack and move their bodies before tackling homework. For some families after dinner is the time. I think this is also ..read more

Separation anxiety is fairly common in the toddler and preschool years. It is most likely to happen in response to the start of a new school year as it is a change in caregivers, setting, peer activity and schedule all at once. Goodbye rituals can be helpful. When my girls were little we had two high-fives and a hug as our goodbye. A ritual lets the child relax until that happens and then clearly signals the separation. Keep the actual goodbye short and sweet. The guideline is – Don’t say it until you mean it, then say it, mean it and go. Goodbyes are important and moving through them helps t ..read more

I am firmly in the learning through play camp when it comes to preschoolers and early academics. Done in a good way, this doesn’t mean just let them play and they’ll be ready. It means thoughtfully providing academic experiences in fun, engaging and play based ways. Early Literacy Skills to Keep in Mind – Early literacy is focused on the experiences we can provide children to later become successful readers. Vocabulary – There are so many ways to build a young child’s vocabulary; read aloud everyday, talk about all the things they are seeing and doing, take them on outings and highlight the n ..read more