Parenting from the Heart

I never learned to blow bubble gum and pop it. My granddaughter told me it’s never too late and kindly broke bubble blowing into steps:...

Before: “I was hesitant when I heard about it – it’s the opposite of the way I’ve always thought as a parent and a teacher.” “I felt like...

"When I becomes we, even illness becomes wellness.” Charles Roppel My grandson always loved giving me high-fives. That stopped during...

Maria Montessori, the famous Italian educator, called the process of helping a child successfully adjust to a new class and be open to...

One evening I arrived punctually at an editor’s house to talk about a manuscript. “I’ll be a few minutes,” she said as she opened the...

Parents and teachers have become better observers of children over this year. Staying home, starting distance learning, going back to...

It took months for Margo to help her son Michael to show some self-regulation and talk about his feelings rather than having a tantrum...

This is the season to remind children of important milestones. Whether a child is going to a new class or a new grade, rest assured that...

Children feel safer when adults have the wisdom to know that two emotions can be real at the same time. Traditionally, grown-ups have...

Companies are spending millions to research what incentives motivate employees to give their best. Fitness and dieting gurus use...

“My friends left me out today. No one likes me.” It can be hard for adults to know how to respond to children’s painful feelings. We want...

“You need to reset your voice,” one of our first graders reminds his mother when he thinks her words are carrying too much intensity. How...

A kind of daily art auction began occurring in one of our preschool rooms. Individual artists would spontaneously give work to their...

“It’s all their fault.” Last spring a few kindergarteners announced that Asian people had caused the coronavirus. Their teachers, who...

Parent: “Time to turn off the TV.” Child: “No, I want to see the next part.” We often wish for magic solutions for challenges that...

In a popular Discover Card ad, actors say no in a variety of ways: “C’mon, now, no,” “No way,” “Uh-uh,” “Nyet!” It’s fun to see...

Expect new behaviors in spring. The same force that courses through blossoming plants and propels baby animals to explore their...

With discussions about the American Constitution in the news, it’s a nice time to explore principles of democracy and how they can...

Learning the lessons of ownership takes time and patience, and there are opportunities for new learning on this subject even into...

One question commonly asked of children can undermine efforts to help them learn self-regulation and to respect agreed-upon rules. The...