The Problem with Praise

Emma, who has just learned to crawl, moves across the room showing new skill and coordination. “Good girl!” exclaims her mother. Jake comes home from third grade with an A on his math test. “You’re so smart,” says his dad, beaming with pride. Chris missed hitting the ball every time it was thrown to him [...]

The Importance of Play

In a report issued by The Alliance for Childhood it was revealed that kindergarteners’ play time has greatly diminished. The study found that children spend four to six times as long being instructed and tested as they do in free play. In the hopes of creating a smart child, many parents discount the importance of [...]

Teaching Very Young Children to Give Back

Making a difference in the world and helping others are the best inoculations against poor self esteem for children. Having a sense of purpose, knowing that you can influence others and give back, creates a sense of self efficacy that leads to great self esteem. Performing meaningful activities decreases boredom, isolation, self-centeredness as well as [...]

Staying Connected with Your Child

Scientists have found a way to predict which couples will end up divorcing: those who don’t insure that they have at least 5 positive interactions for every negative one. It turns out that maintaining this 5 to 1 ratio is effective insurance in every relationship, including between parents and children. Life, with its infinite distractions [...]

Nurturing Intimacy with Your Kids

Intimacy is the glue that holds families together.  It’s what connects us over the years, and across the miles. It’s what gets us through the hard times.  It’s the grease that smooths the rough interactions of everyday life, and the honey that makes it all worth it. Intimacy is hard to define, but we all [...]

Building a Great Relationship with Your Child

Want to be a great parent?  Want to raise a happy, healthy, well-behaved kid?  Want to live in a home where discipline becomes unnecessary?  The secret is to create a closer connection with your child. “What do you mean?  Of course I love my kid, and I tell him so all the time.  But that [...]

Managing Anger Between Parent and Child

Mothers often say that they get “horribly angry” with their young children. As one mother stated “I get so mad at them sometimes, mostly when they fight, that I end up screaming – no screeching – at them. I even told them I hate them one time recently. I feel so out of control when [...]

Teens and Independence

I often hear parents say they wish they had a manual on how to raise caring kids. Of course, there are many including the work of Dr. Michele Borba, who is one of the leading experts on nurturing character in kids. After reviewing hundreds of articles, book excerpts, interviews etc. from many of today’s top [...]