Many schools have done a great job raising awareness about bullying. Bullying is never okay and needs to be addressed immediately. However, with this heightened awareness, kids may have a hard time differentiating between bullying and mean behavior. Understanding the difference is important as it helps kids know how to respond. Let’s start with some …
Friendships can be challenging, especially during adolescence. When you ask women to recall their preteen and teen social lives, a consistent pattern emerges. There are stories of enduring friendships but also uncomfortable social memories. Women share stories of exclusion, drama, loneliness, fitting in, and friendships lost. And this rings true for girls today. A UCLA …
Why Girls’ Social Struggles Intensify During Adolescence Read More »
I can’t help it. I’m an Olympics junkie. Every stroke, every flip, every serve, every stride—there’s not a sport I won’t devour. But when I really think about it, I realize the reason this event appeals to me so much is because of the athletes’ storied journeys. Beyond their exceptional athleticism, I marvel at their …
Friendship Truths to Guide Kids as They Head Back to Classrooms Making and maintaining friendships can be challenging, especially during the preteen and teen years. Given the wide range of social-emotional skills in a single classroom, it’s no wonder that friendship struggles unfold. Throw in a pandemic, social distancing, and school closures and it’s no …
Author C. Hope Flinchbaugh shares what inspired her to write the Baby Babbles series and her newest book Baby Babbles C/K. Inspired by Baby Before I wrote and published books, I enjoyed teaching my classroom of first and second graders how to read. What a joy to watch the face of a child light up …
It’s totally cliché, I know, but I’m saying it anyway . . . laughter really is the best medicine, especially when you’re raising kids. That’s because, as just about every parent knows, parenthood is the most perfectly imperfect job out there. Where everything that can go wrong usually will go wrong. But when life goes sideways, there’s no …
Adolescence is a time of tremendous change and growth. Preteens and teens begin to rely more on their peers than their families for support and identity, hence the increased need to “fit in.” They begin to shape their own identity through what they wear, who they hang out with, and what they do. And all …
How to Support Your Kids Through Friendship Struggles Read More »
Author and illustrator, Gabe Jensen shares what inspired him to write Neverwoof. Read along to learn what inspired Gabe to create this hilarious book. Like father, like son I tried to publish my first kids’ book when I was eighteen. My dad is a sci-fi author, so he was able to get an editor to …
Some parenting experts say that connecting with a teen is like trying to hug a porcupine. In other words, it’s just not easy. One-word answers, eye rolls, and shrugs might be some of the replies you are used to receiving from your teen on any given day. But if we encourage and receive active engagement …
Author, Tim j. Myers shares what inspired him to write Full of Empty. Read along to learn what inspired Tim (and his wife and co-author Priscilla) to write this story about a little girl who is in need of cheering up. Story about the story One of the reasons I love being a writer is …
