Parenting from the Heart

Make being punctual a family value that communicates the message “I respect you and care about you” in any situation, but particularly...

I believe in the world and its bigness and splendor, that most of the hearts beating round us are tender; … that strangers are friends...

“Learning to work together, learning to work as one; learning to work together, that’s how life’s work gets done. ... We are building...

“WHEN I WAS A BABY, my first word was ‘cookie.’” A child’s sense of having a life story doesn’t happen automatically as they enter...

“Old friends, new friends, this is what we do, friends – sing and dance with you.” —Sandra Star This time of year, when we say good-bye...

THE FORCES THAT RUN through plants and baby lambs in spring run through all, though it’s often most apparent in children. At school,...

FINDING THE BALANCE between protecting children and enabling a sense of entitlement can be challenging. No one wants to raise an...

DICTIONARIES URGE PEOPLE to build vocabulary, at any age, by picking a “word of the day” and finding ways to use it in various...

JOYFUL AFTER-SCHOOL REUNIONS are difficult when a child gets angry because they have to leave an activity or they fall apart in the car...

“SAY YOU’RE SORRY.” Adults often insist on children making apologies, thinking that having to say “sorry” is part of learning not to...

“WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO TALK ABOUT how brave and special our daughter is.” These words are part of a recent note to Room 4 families from...

“WHY DIDN’T YOU ASK FOR HELP?” Occasionally parents report feeling frustrated when their child tells them at night that they needed...

“WHO DO YOUR THINK YOU ARE?” That’s a question that Caroline McHugh asks CEOs, politicians, ballet dancers, musicians, and countless...

Why would you do that? What were you thinking? What did I just tell you? Are you trying to upset me? How many times do I have to tell...

SEVERAL SECONDS OF SILLINESS can transform a difficult moment with a child, and taking time for humor helps us all remember to try to...

My daughter’s college roommate had no idea how to operate a washing machine and commuted home her whole first year to have her mom do her...

“No jumping on guitars!” At age four, my daughter shouted this warning when a preschool visitor started leaping over our guitar. Her...

After a frustration-filled day with her daughter, a mom decides that learning the Nurtured Heart approach is impossible. Her child’s...

“Do you want to set the table or clear the plates after dinner?” Most of us know that offering choices is often a key to gaining...

A second-grade teacher fills a large jar with water, then swirls glitter inside, creating a visual image of what our emotions might look...