Teaching Kids to Be Upstanders
How to teach kids to stand up to cruelty and be Upstanders In an NBC's Dateline special: "The Perils of Parenting," I appeared as the expert on bullying. Producers asked me to teach middle school students--when bullying peaks--specific bystander strategies to deal with bullies. I developed the techniques after reviewing dozens of studies on the “Bystander Effect” and have trained hundreds of educators in how to use them with students. The US Army also invited me to teach these skills on 18 of...
45 Tips to Teach Kids to Stop Peer Cruelty
Teaching Kids to Stop Peer Cruelty & Choose Kindness "Do you have any tips I can teach kids to stop peer cruelty?" a teacher asked. I smiled and I nodded. I've been developing ways we can teach kids to stop peer cruelty and sharing them with kids for over three decades, and we must keep doing so. The effects of peer cruelty are far-reaching and can cause immense stress, anxiety, health problems, depression, and humiliation that may result in serious mental health issues for our children....
7 Ways to Teach Perspective Taking and Stretch Students’ Empathy Muscles
Dr. Michele Borba, author of THRIVERS: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine, offers 7 ways to help children learn perspective taking.
9 Habits of Empathetic Children
Did you know that empathetic children share nine habits that they developed? Here are the 9 habits of empathetic children. I hope you join me to create an #UnSelfie Revolution so we raise kids with empathy, moral conviction and courage. Most writers admit that there is one moment where a book started to gel. Mine was at the United States Air Force Academy where I was speaking to the faculty and cadets about character development. It was there that a young cadet asked me the question of a...
Tips to Help Kids Manage Anger and Strong Emotions
How to Help Kids Manage Anger, Calm Down and Self-Regulate Does your child have difficulty controlling his anger? Does he resort to using aggressive behaviors such as biting, hitting, spitting or fighting? Does he yell or quickly lose control? If so, you're not alone. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adolescents have experienced an anger attack that involved threatening violence, destroying property or engaging in violence toward others at some point in their lives. These severe attacks of...
Teaching Problem Solving to Prevent Bullying
Why Problem Solving Can Prevent Bullying “Let’s flip a coin to decide.” “Everybody breathe a minute, then we can take turns figuring out a way to solve this.” “Why don’t we just both think of another choice?” Researchers have always recognized the benefits of kids learning to work together to solve their problems. After all, using problem-solving skills is one of the best ways to help kids and teens curb playground battles, deal with friendship tiffs, manage teammate squabbles and handle the...
Depression in Young Children
New study finds that young children can be depressed and why we must know the signs Producers from the TV show, THE DOCTORS, asked me to share the signs of depression in young children and what parents should do if they suspect their child is depressed. Here is my report. Preschoolers? Depressed? Impossible!! Well, don’t be too sure. A recent study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, shows otherwise. The research found that depression in young children is real and can be...
5 Ways to Praise to Boost Kid Confidence
Science-backed ways to use praise to boost confidence "How do children construct views of themselves and their place in the world? Children's social relationships turn out to be critical. For example, children develop higher self-esteem when their parents treat them warmly. But they develop lower self-esteem when their parents lavish them with inflated praise." - University of Amsterdam, 2017 Science tells us that the right praise can boost confidence, empathy, perseverance, and character....
10 Ways to Teach Children Emotional Literacy
Ways to Help Children Learn Emotional Literacy Your two-year-old looks at the tears in your eyes and gently pats your face. Your school-age child sees that his friend is sad and gently puts his arm on his shoulder and tells him, “It’s okay. It’ll get better.” Your tween notices that your father’s face seems strained: “Are you tired, Grandpa? Need a hug?” All these are examples of emotional literacy—the ability to identify an emotion in yourself or others. It’s the first, and arguably most...
Helping Kid Perfectionists Feel “Good Enough”
Dr. Michele Borba offers parenting tips to help kids overcome perfectionism and the fear of never being good enough so will be more likely to thrive.
100 Ways Kids Can Practice Kindness
100 Fun, Simple Ways Kids Can Practice Kindness Every Day Kindness is contagious, needs just a small spark to ignite, and spreads quickly. Practicing simple, regular kind acts nurtures empathy, alters behavior, changes a culture, and transforms lives. Kindness is that powerful. Here are three key takeaways: First kindness is strengthened by seeing, hearing, and practicing kindness. The more our children see kindness the more it becomes contagious and something they want to be part of. Second,...
Boosting Kid’s Friendship-Making
Some kids just seem to make friends easily. They’re invited to birthday parties, attend the sleepovers, are chosen first for teams, and are sought after as everyone’s friend. If we could peek into their future, we’d see them continuing to succeed socially throughout their school years, as well as for the rest of their lives. Child psychologists find popular kids have one thing in common: they’ve learned the skills of social competence at an early age. Like most skills, the skills of friendship...
25 Ways to Help Kids Make Friends and Thrive!
25 Ways to Help Kids Make and Keep Friends to Thrive Everyone needs friends –– but especially kids. Of course, the prime reason a kid says friends are important is for fun and companionship. But the latest research tells us friendships are far more significant in our kids’ lives than we ever thought before.Kids need to know how to make friends. Resilient children are more likely to have the skills of social competence - and so they are more likely to thrive! Friends influence our children not...
Why Perseverance Predicts Success Better Than an Ivy Degree
Dr. Borba reveals research that showsthere’s a far more important predictor of a grad’s future success than the prestige of the school or faculty or even the price of tuition. What matters far more is the graduate’s “personal drive quotient.”
8 Tips to Help Kids Develop Caring Mindsets
Dr. Michele Borba, author of Unselfie, shows how to help kids develop Caring Mindsets and how parents can find volunteer projects based on the child’s passion.
Cures for Parent Burnout and Stress
Tips I shared on the TODAY Show to reduce parent burnout and stress during uncertain times. Uncertain times are making us feel on edge. We're overwhelmed, anxious, concerned about our health, safety, finances and the future all while assuming more roles: parent, teacher, day care, cook, cleaner all while working at home. That’s why many parents admit that they feel burned out. The TODAY Show asked me to offer ways to fight burnout. Parents sent in dozens of questions and I answered them with...
9 Habits That Build Children’s “Empathy Muscles”
Science-Backed Ways to Build the 9 Habits of Empathy Did you know that teens today are 40 percent less empathetic than those 30 years ago? That is tragic news for our children and society. For starters, it hurts kids’ moral character, and leads to bullying and racism. Also it correlates with more cheating and less resilience. And once kids grow up, a lack of empathy hampers their ability to collaborate, innovate, and problems solve-all must-have skills for the global economy. It's time to...
Do you know the signs of Autism?
Studies estimate that one in every 91 American children has an autism spectrum disorder. Dr. Michele Borba shares signs of autism and provides resources for parents.
A Parenting Guide to Distance Learning
Dr. Michele Borba shares a new guide that offers answers top parenting questions to help kids succeed with distance learning. The book is called The Distance Learning Playbook for Parents by Rosalind Wiseman and others.
Parent Mid-Year School Check-Up to Ensure Kid Success
Seven items parents should check now to improve their kid's learning success mid-year and counter a potential dip Mid-year is when parents alike have a good idea about how their kids are doing in school - which subjects are hard or easy and how they like their teachers. This is also a time of year when parents often overlook a few important aspects of their children’s school experience that can greatly impact learning success. That’s why now is the ideal time to do a mid-year check up with...
5 Mistakes I’ve Made as A Parent
All parents make mistakes, but how fabulous it is when we actually admit them! That's why I love this article and it's written by one of my favorite children's authors, Trudy Ludwig. Her newest book, Quiet Please, Owen McPhee! is just plain wonderful. I highly recommend it! Thank you, Trudy for once again writing a book that gives parents and educators a tool to help our children become better people! Thanks also for reminding us that we all make mistakes!! After admitting them, our next...