7 Biggest Discipline Mistakes and Simple Solutions to Change Kids’ Behavior
You may be surprised to discover what you’re doing wrong to turn that behavior around Note to my readers: Over the past years I've been on a mission to find the best solutions in child development -- tips that really do enhance our children's character, behavior, emotional, social and cognitive development. I combed literally hundreds of studies and the absolute best solutions I've put together in a compete reference guide of everything parents really need to know about raising good, caring,...
5 Ways a Mom’s Self Confidence Affects Her Daughter’s Self Confidence
If you could give your daughter one quality that would most enhance her chance for leading a successful life--what would it be? Many experts say the greatest gift is positive self-belief. It turns out that a mom’s level of self-confidence and how she expresses herself enhances or sabotages her daughter’s self-beliefs. Here are five Mom Confidence Builders that can boost your daughter’s confidence as well: 1. Find Confident Role Models A study found that a mother’s own confidence level was far...
10 Signs Your Daughter May Be a “Mean Girl” Victim
"Relational aggression refers to harm within relationships that is caused by covert bullying or manipulative behavior. Examples include isolating a youth from his or her group of friends (social exclusion), threatening to stop talking to a friend (the ‘‘silent treatment’’), or spreading gossip and rumors electronically or via the "grapevine." Relational aggression tends to be manipulative or subtle, and may not appear as typically aggressive behavior." - NASP It's the New Mean Girl Scene! “I...
How to Know and What To Do If Your Child Is Bullied
Warnings that a child may be the target of a bully and crucial steps to take if it's true Peer abuse--just the thought can send shivers down our spines. But the fact is hundreds of children skip school every day because they fear being attacked or intimidated by other students. Reports also confirm that bullying is starting at younger ages and is more frequent and aggressive than before. Bullying peaks at middle school ages, and the cruel behavior generally increases with age. So chances are...
How to take the focus off gift-getting and back to the true spirit of the season
Spending TIME (not every dime) and helping your kids enjoy the holidays without splurging on them In the midst of our lousy economy, many families have decided to take holiday spending down a notch and cut back on the shopping and gift-giving. After all, it’s a tight economy, jobs are scarce, and the holidays can be pricey. The last thing you need to do right now is dip into those hard-earned savings. But many parents facing a toned-down holiday find that their biggest concern is not how to...
11 Ways to Help Kids Stand Up to Peer Pressure
Parenting advice to help kids buck negative temptations and stand up to peers REALITY CHECK: A survey of 991 kids ages nine to fourteen revealed 36 percent feel pressure from peers to smoke marijuana, 40 percent feel pressure to have sex, 36 percent feel pressure to shoplift, and four out of ten feel pressure to drink. CNN/Time “What were you thinking?” “But didn’t you tell the kids it wasn’t right?” “You did what?!!@!” Are you concerned that your kid always seems to go along with the crowd?...
Raising Caring, Respectful, Ethical Children
A Coalition to Raise Caring Children to Make a More Caring World – Please Join Us! A Special Note to Readers: Last June I flew to Harvard and met with an amazing group of 40 colleagues in child development (experts, researchers, psychologists, authors) to discuss a joint concern – the breakdown of caring and empathy in our children. The tips below are based on that meeting. Members of that coalition also said: "We vowed to work together in our research, media endeavors and workshops to help...
Parents Too Plugged In? That’s What the Kids Say
Parenting advice I shared on the NBC DATELINE special "The Perils of Parenting" and wow was it ever an eyeopener! “She’s always on her blackberry. It’s soooo annoying!” “I hate it when he’s talking on his cell. It makes me feel sad.” “I put an timer on the computer. When it goes off, it’s time to play with me.” Sound familiar? After all, we do seem be complaining a lot these days about our kids' online behavior these day. The deal is these complaints were issued by children about us!...
10 Parenting Solutions to Prevent Cyberbullying
Mom and Dad, wake up: If you assume your child is using that fancy home computer or smartphone to stimulate his brain or connect with friends, think again. Sadly too many kids are using their keyboards to send vile, hateful and highly slanderous messages about their peers through the Internet or have received them. Once confined to playgrounds, bullying has hit cyberspace, cell phones and pagers, and it’s both serious and sophisticated. So how do you protect your child from cyberbullying? The...
What Bullying Looks Like Age by Age
Peer cruelty is a problem and appears to be starting earlier. Though survey results do vary, by some estimates, one in seven American schoolchildren is either a bully or a victim. And the cruel behavior increases with age. A recent study prepared for the American Psychological Association showed that 80 percent of middle school students admitted to bullying behavior in the prior 30 days. The more we know about bullying, the better we will be able to parent our children. So tune in closer to...
10 Ways Parents Can Help Their Kids Succeed in School
10 tips to boost the right involvement in children's education so parents make the grade The crisis in education is mind-boggling: Every 26 seconds another American children drops out of our school system. Every school day another 7200 students drop out of our school system. We must engage our children early and we must help them develop an early mindset that that education is important. We know that the right type of parental involvement is critical to our children's academic success....
6 tips to help ease back-to-school jitters
You’ve bought the school supplies, sharpened the pencils and packed the lunches, but have you prepared your children for dealing with back-to-school jitters? Many kids experience a surge in anxiety as they meet their new teachers, see their new classroom and settle in a new routine. Though parents can’t be there to solve every problem and ease every worry there are things to help your child feel more secure and make those goodbye go smoother and less stressful. Here are several solutions from...
How to Get Kids to Open Up About Their School Day
Does trying to get your kids to open up about their day feel like an inquisition? Do you feel like you're giving your kid the third degree to tell you anything about their life? If so, studies show that using different communication techniques can help kids open up and share more about their life. Here's the typical conversation: You: "What did you learn today?" Kid: "Nothing" You: "Do you have any homework? Kid: Nope You: "Did you make a new friend?" Kid: Yep If this sounds at all familiar,...
7 Simple, Science-Backed Ways to Boost School Success
Academic success impacts our children for the rest of their life: it influences their self-esteem, college selections, job attainment, financial success, and even their choice of spouses. It's no wonder we go great lengths to give our kids an academic edge. Despite our good intentions we often overlook a few simple strategies that research has proven to impact children's academic success. Even better, these seven science-backed solutions are things that every parent can do, don't cost a dime,...
Could Your Child Be Bullying?
Signs to watch for and three steps to take if you suspect your child is bullying Here is a recent letter I received from a parent. How would you respond? “My son’s teacher says he bullies a classmate by saying cruel things,and deliberately slamming or tripping him. He denies being mean, and says the other kid is just a “wimp” and deserves it. My husband says this is just a phase and a “boy thing.” Do I believe my husband or the teacher?” My advice: Believe the teacher! One of the biggest...
Are You OVER-Parenting?? And if you are, how to step back
Have we become a nation of parents obsessed with doing everything for our kids to ensure they’ll turn out right? A number of experts are suggesting it’s time for parents to loosen their grip, relax hardcore parenting styles and let their kids be kids again. A hot debate is brewing among parents and sides are forming: Over-parenting vs. Free Range. But what is the right amount of "loosening"? How do we know what is too much or just right for our kids? I was asked to weigh in as the parenting...
Fun Ways to Help Kids Learn “Kindness Power”
When my children were little, we played a game called the Silent Fuzzy Pass. Fuzzy was a bright orange, ragged old stuffed animal that I suppose was a bear though it’s debatable. Each night, Fuzzy “mysteriously appeared” on one of my son’s pillows because the receiving child had been especially caring that day-and trying to sneak it there was always challenging. I only needed to put Fuzzy out once for the game to be effective. The very next day-and the next few weeks-the boys were on a...
No Cussing Clubs Catching On With Students and Why Adults Should Join!
Kid-and adult-vulgarity is on the rise with breakdown of respect, civility and prosocial behaviors as consequences. Solutions for home and school to stop profanity and bring back civility and how students are taking matters in their own hands with "No Cussing Clubs." We generally equate childhood with innocence, so it can come as quite a shock when a foul word escapes from the mouth of our sweet little darling. Though “vocabulary experimenting” is typical, (after all, a big way our kids learn...
Easing Kid Homesickness for Summer Sleepovers or Camp
Parenting tips to help kids feel more confident away from home sweet home --whether it be a camp, sleepover, or playdate--based on the latest research Mooommm… I want to come home! NOW! But can’t you pleassse pick me up? I hate it here! I don’t care how much you paid. Come get me now! Ah the joys of camp ...or that weekend with Grandma. Right? And we wanted our kids to come back sooo excited from their first time away from home. I’ll never forget sending my son to camp the first time. I’d...
How to Say Goodbye to Your College Bound Teen
Parenting advice for before, during, and after your teen's move from home and off to college for a positive send-off After all the test-taking, application filling, essay editing, campus touring, and acceptance-waiting, the big event is almost here: dropping your teen off at college. You'd think that would be the easy part, but move-in day on college campuses is actually a high anxiety, emotionally draining affair. (So says the voice of experience! Believe me, you’re never prepared enough)....
Three Dangerous Teen Trends Every Parent Should Know
Let’s face it, teens have always been risk takers and want to fit in. Unfortunately "risky" has taken on a new meaning with the dangerous ways adolescents are now trying to get high. Some of these recent risky trends include soaking tampons with liquor, popping alcoholic-infused gummy bears, drinking hand sanitizer and even “condom snorting” (snorting condoms and then pulling them out of their mouths!). All of these are flat-out alarming. The “Cinnamon Challenge” even encourages teens to chug...