If there are any silver linings to the pandemic, one might be that we have increased our use of consent-based social behavior. Before, if we accepted a social invitation, we might have asked questions like, “What can I bring?” or “Does anyone have food allergies?” Now we ask questions like: “Would you be more comfortable …
Talking to Kids about Body Boundaries During the Holidays Read More »
I had just criticized my fifteen-year-old son for staying on his video game longer than we had agreed. I could hear him laughing, talking, and interacting with a number of his friends from school as they played the game. They used the time to interact with each other. I simultaneously felt frustrated and confused as …
COVID Babies Grew Up! Remember somewhere around mid-March of 2020 someone flipped a switch? The museums we visited the day before were closed. Schools with the same friends and teachers as last week were shut. Office meetings were no longer around a staff table but on Zoom. Now after varying degrees of “stop and start”—and …
Play. To many, a simple, daily activity built into a child’s schedule where children are free to use their imaginations, set their own rules, and just be “kids.” But there is more to play than what meets the eye. Play is an essential part of a child’s overall development. As children develop, they pass through …
Stop any parent on the street and ask them what their number one goal is as a parent and I’ll betcha the answer is more or less the same regardless of how old their kids are or where they are on their parenting journey. At our core, most of us just want our kids to …
How to Support our LGBTQIA+ Youth in Today’s Challenging World Read More »
It was recently brought to my attention that there is such a thing as National Peanut Butter Cookie Day. And why wouldn’t there be? There are national days to celebrate just about everything under the sun. It only makes sense that there would be a special day for something as delightful as this cookie. Given …
As parents and caregivers, we have a primary instinct to protect our children from psychological and physical harm. When traumatic events arise—from school shootings to natural disasters—we often feel overwhelmed by confusion, anger, grief, numbness, and sadness. As the shock wears off, we want to have the skills to tend to our children with the …
7 Top Tips for Helping Children Cope After a Traumatic Event Read More »
When you ask people to recall their preteen and teen years, a consistent pattern emerges. Alongside positive memories, they remember trying to fit in, exclusion, and friendship changes. They share uncomfortable stories and feelings of insecurity. And this rings true for adolescents today. A UCLA study of 6,000 sixth-graders found that two-thirds changed friendships during …
The 3 Big Questions Kids Navigate During Adolescence Read More »
“Mommy! Look at this!” my youngest shouts, bouncing down the hall.I’d love to look, but I’m too busy picking dried-up fruit snacks out of the living room carpet. “In a minute, sweetie,” I shout over my shoulder.Thirty brief seconds pass. “Mommy!” The voice gets louder . . . and the bouncing gets closer.“Hold on!”I make a mental note …
One important way to nurture your baby is through play. I can’t overemphasize the value of play and enjoying play without any agenda. Playing is simply what babies do! While you can play with no agenda, many of us need a good starting point. Here are some month-by-month ideas to help you and your baby …
