How I wish I weren’t writing this particular blog…again. How I wish you didn’t need this blog…again. How I wish I actually had an explanation for this madness. I don’t. There is no explanation. So how in the world do we explain it to our children? Too many times in the past I have posted scripts and caveats for talking with kids about the tragic events that keep happening far away and too close to home. There are 23 blogs on the topic under the category SAFETY on my website. All of the … [Read more...] about Talking to Kids about Racism, Law Enforcement, and Violence (in light of the Dallas Shootings)
Character traits
Do As I Do, Not As I Say!
“I’m going to punish you” admonished the 4 year old “mommy” to her 4 year old “daughter,” both children at play in the “Housekeeping Center” of their preschool classroom. That is my favorite place to observe kids at work, reenacting scenes from their lives. “Playing” out their real life experiences is not only a way that children process and make sense of their lives, but it is also an example of how children mimic their parents’ behavior. Regardless of age, your children are watching you, … [Read more...] about Do As I Do, Not As I Say!
Politicians Behaving Badly: Talking to Kids About the Election
Kids of all ages are getting a whiff of election politics at its worst. It’s unavoidable. I'll bet you think I am going to say, “Shelter them! Turn off the radio, TV, computer.” Not this time. This 2016 presidential election (which seems interminable) is an opportunity. It is filled with important lessons for our children, elementary school age on up. Remember, children learn a great deal by making mistakes and by seeing the mistakes of others. It is what I call “ambient learning.” So, … [Read more...] about Politicians Behaving Badly: Talking to Kids About the Election
Redirecting the Holiday Gimmes
Sugar Plum fairies and fa la la la la are not the only things that come with the winter holidays. So does a parent’s worst fear that she has raised the spoiled child she swore she would never have. At no other time of year do the cries of “Gimme Gimme!” echo so loudly across our land. A case of the gimmes is not limited to the well-off. Parents across a wide range of incomes are plagued by concerns that they are raising a spoiled, ungrateful child. But here’s the truth of the matter: having … [Read more...] about Redirecting the Holiday Gimmes
Empathy is a Two Way Street
Cultivating empathy is a hot topic in the parenting world. Current research has demonstrated that children under a year not only have the capacity for empathy but actually exhibit empathy. (Regarding infants: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201306/empathy-appears-in-infancy-varies-age-and-gender Regarding toddlers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX6krHsZA_w .) But parents, usually not educated to recognize and encourage this trait in their very young children, are … [Read more...] about Empathy is a Two Way Street
Grandparents and Gift Giving: An Unspoken December Dilemma
There is a dilemma that accompanies the winter holiday season that is rarely discussed out loud. It certainly is a topic that is dominating my parenting groups this month. That is, how do parents deal with grandparents who want to do as they please with their grandchildren when it comes to celebrating the gift-giving holidays. They might over-gift the grandchild, even though they have been asked to put on the brakes. They might give an item specifically forbidden by the parents. Or they might … [Read more...] about Grandparents and Gift Giving: An Unspoken December Dilemma