How to Use the Holidays to Teach Kids Emotional Intelligence
The season of giving can be the start to building a child’s emotional intelligence and compassion year round. Kids are more primed for receiving than giving as the year wears down. They’re simply too hyped about Christmas and Hanukkah presents. Still, winter holidays tend to stress the virtue of giving, which require emotional intelligence—the ability to recognize someone else’s emotions while managing one’s own. That means the holiday season is the perfect time for parents t
How to Prevent Ungrateful Kids during Winter Holidays
Parents who don’t want to hear whining over gifts should do some preparation as the holidays approach. Nothing can ruin the happy glow of gift giving faster than a child whining about not getting what they wanted. The slap of ingratitude is particularly sharp around the holidays when charity and thankfulness are at a premium and stress and money worries are running high. Worse still is when a child lacks gratitude in front of seldom-seen relatives. But parents should take a b
#CantBeBought Santa
[To view the video associated with this post, click here.] The best things about the holiday season #CantBeBought. This season we asked kids what gifts they have that mean the most to them. Watch what happened and share the gifts in your life that can’t be bought. Sneak Peek: "Every Christmas, kids ask Santa for gifts.....But this year, Santa asked kids a different question. 'So tell me some of the gifts that you already have.'" The responses are priceless. - - - - - - - - -
Your Kids Won't Remember What Was in the Box
It seems like adult conversations in the weeks leading up to Christmas are always the same: What are you getting the kids? This sentence strikes fear and embarrassment in my core. I’m an indie author and freelance writer. What that means is I’m actually a stay-at-home mom who writes for a living during nap time and after the house has gone to bed. My life isn’t terribly lucrative even if it is blessed. What am I getting my kids? Probably less than you are getting yours. When
How to Navigate the Holidays with Kids with Autism
The holidays can be a chaotic time for anyone. For kids with autism and sensory issues, the bright lights, loud music, and overall hustle and bustle can be even more overwhelming. Minnesota mom Kate Swenson knows what it’s like to navigate the season with a child with autism. Her 7-year-old son, Cooper, is on what she calls the “severe” side of the autism spectrum and is nonverbal. Swenson, who writes about her life as a parent on a blog called Finding Cooper’s Voice, told Hu
One-on-One Time is Important to My Kids...And to Me
Last night after dinner, as my kids scattered to the four winds to play with the neighbors or ride their bikes before bath time, I found myself alone with my nine-year-old. I had dishes and laundry to tend to, but this seemed like one of those times when they need to go undone in favor of more important things, so I seized the opportunity to hang out with my son, just the two of us. We sat on the couch together and went through old Facebook pictures and status updates – the m
The School Holiday Party that Helped Me See Beyond My Son's Reading Progress
After my son was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia in first grade, my early conversations with his teachers and IEP team were all about the “big stuff.” Evaluation results. Individualized reading instruction. Accommodations. We talked about all the ways to help him catch up, and keep up, with his peers and succeed at school. We didn’t discuss what I considered the “small stuff”—the daily goings-on at school that weren’t a challenge for him, like recess, assemblies and field tr
To the Woman who was Critical of My Son Using a Cell Phone
Yesterday I heard you talking about us. I heard your disapproval and felt your judgment. “Look at that young boy on the phone, isn’t it terrible?” Initially it made me feel small, ashamed, like a bad parent because, to be honest, part of me does wish my son wasn’t on his mobile phone at the beach. I would like him to be enjoying the beautiful scene before him instead of playing Pokemon. But please don’t judge my choices without understanding my reasons. - - - - - - - - - - -
