“Mooooommmmm, I don’t want to go to the sitter’s,” seven-year-old Elaina says in a high-pitched, sing-song (as in a fingernails-on-a-chalkboard, not melodic) way. The powerful whine is wielded to get her Mom’s attention. And it works every time. How can you not… Read More
It’s flu shot day. I have a feeling that today will go smoothly. But two years ago, it didn’t. And I notice a sense of dread creep up on me like a zombie in a haunted mansion. A few years back, E… Read More
Category: Building a Positive Family Environment
Tags: anxiety and anger, Empathy, Helping kids deal with fears, Kids, kids and anxiety, kids facing fears, kids' feelings, parenting and fears, parents and anxiety, Patience, Self control, Self-management
“I had a dream that I told the girl I have a crush on that I liked her and seconds later, I watched as the whole world exploded,” my ten-almost-eleven-year-old told me as he was getting ready for bed last night. This… Read More
Category: Building a Positive Family Environment
Tags: Compassion, Empathy, kids and social anxiety, social and emotional learning in middle school, Social awareness, tweens, tweens and social anxiety, tweens and social awareness, understanding middle childhood, understanding middle school students, understanding tweens
“It is high time the ideal of success should be replaced by the ideal of service.” – Albert Einstein Parents, by the very nature of our roles, serve in a leadership position while we raise our children. A servant leader realizes that… Read More
Benefits and Simple Ideas for Summer Enrichment “Mom, come quickly!” E says practically jumping up and down. “There’s a bluejay in our yard!” And this scene has played out over and again but with varying creatures – bunnies, beetles, and butterflies –… Read More
Category: Building a Positive Family Environment
Tags: appreciating nature, Caring, Cooperation, Empathy, Exploring nature with kids, Family connectedness, Motivation to learn, nature and kids, Parenting, Perspective taking, sense of awe and wonder, summer enrichment
For Promoting Social and Emotional Skills in the Home or Classroom Mandy is having a tough day because each friend or relative she meets can’t play. But the narrator of this story asks good questions of Mandy to learn more. It turns… Read More
Category: Building a Positive Family Environment
Tags: "The Grit Up Series", Abbie Kelley, Care to repair, Empathy, negative self-talk, Relationship skills, Responsible decision-making, Self awareness, Self-management, Social and Emotional Learning, Social and emotional skill building, Social awareness
Perhaps you volunteer in your child’s classroom as I do and are helping plan the annual Halloween party. Maybe you are a teacher looking for ways to both entertain, celebrate, and build skills on the holiday. Or you could be planning a… Read More
Category: Building a Positive Family Environment
Tags: Active listening, classroom cooperative games, Collaboration, Collaborative games, Creative thinking, Empathy, halloween cooperative games, halloween games, halloween party, Negotiation, Nonverbal communication, Perspective taking, Problem solving, Social awareness
THE GHOST OF A FLOWER “You’re what?” asked the common or garden spook Of a stranger at midnight’s hour. And the shade replied with a graceful glide, “Why, I’m the ghost of a flower.” “The ghost of a flower?” said the old-time… Read More
Category: Building a Positive Family Environment
Tags: Ages and Stages, Cognitive flexibility, Empathy, Executive function, Halloween, Kids and Halloween, Parenting and Halloween, Perspective taking skills, perspective-taking development, Relational Frame Theory, school readiness, Self-regulation, Teaching kids empathy, Theory of Mind
How Can You Help Your Five-Year-Old during the Major Adjustment to All-Day Kindergarten? “We have to go back every day?!” exclaims five-year-old Simon incredulously in the first week of kindergarten. I was reminded of when the nurse told me “only 20 more… Read More
Category: Building a Positive Family Environment
Tags: adjusting to kindergarten, emotional kindergarteners, emotional meltdowns, Empathy, five-year-olds, kindergarten exhaustion, parent patience, parents dealing with kindergarten, Self control, Self-management, separation anxiety in kindergarten, transition to kindergarten, young children and hyperactivity, young children and self-control
Oh, the places you’ll go! The worlds you will visit! The friends you will know! – Dr. Seuss1 “What are you guys up to?” I say to the three six-year-old friends in my living room. “We’re sharing our books!” one says with… Read More
Category: Building a Positive Family Environment
Tags: children learning to read, Creative thinking, emotional, Empathy, how children learn to read, Moral development, parents reading with children, Perspective taking, promoting reading, Reading, Responsible decision-making, role of reading with families, Social, Social awareness, Stories and social and emotional development, teaching reading
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Posted on October 30, 2018 by confidentparentsconfidentkids
Helping Our Children Deal with their Fears
It’s flu shot day. I have a feeling that today will go smoothly. But two years ago, it didn’t. And I notice a sense of dread creep up on me like a zombie in a haunted mansion. A few years back, E… Read More
Category: Building a Positive Family Environment Tags: anxiety and anger, Empathy, Helping kids deal with fears, Kids, kids and anxiety, kids facing fears, kids' feelings, parenting and fears, parents and anxiety, Patience, Self control, Self-management