Today’s dads are working harder than ever to be good fathers to our children. According to Pew Research, 63% of fathers say being a good dad is harder now than it was a generation ago.  We all want to do the right thing but trying to strike the
Once a child hits elementary school, she can complete many important tasks without a parent's help, including dressing herself, combing her hair, brushing her teeth, making her bed, and even making new friends. Â Hard to believe this "little miss independent" finished preschool only a short while ago!
Graduation is a time of celebration. Pupils graduating from elementary school deserve to have the event acknowledged by school officials and parents. In some areas, even graduation from Kindergarten is marked by a big celebration. How can you support your child appropriately?
In the 1990s, when my children finished Kindergarten,
With tornadoes spurring and hurricane season in the near future, the power may go out more than we would like. This past winter was rough in many towns with snowstorms that ended the same way. So when the power fails, how do we amuse the kids? It’s bad enough
I recently had the opportunity to counsel with a tearful mother whose son was the victim of bullying. The problems did not rise to the level of physical conflict but her 10-year-old son, we’ll call him “Aaron,†was suffering from continuous and demoralizing taunting from his baseball teammates. Aaron
Lots of things change. The toys elementary children yearned for 20 years ago have long been out of vogue. The same holds true for which style of popular music they like. Kids in my day loved the Bay City Rollers! Even slang comes and goes. (When did sick become
The transition from elementary school to middle or high school is exciting and an important step in a child’s education. How can a parent help the child make this move successfully?
The grade a child leaves elementary school depends on the area you live in. For some, the elementary school
Whether you live in the country or you’re a city dweller, it’s time to launch a conversation with your children about how to become eco-friendly and better the planet. If talking about the environment or the importance of going green has you stumped, here are a few ideas to
Our world increasingly embraces the role of government in the duties of raising our children. Examples abound of parents abdicating their responsibilities one inch at a time and institutions usurping them as quickly as possible. There’s the school in Chicago that's banning home packed lunches, instead forcing children to
Over the past 100 years, expectations of a child have changed dramatically. Long ago, children needed to entertain themselves for hours at time with simple items, such as jacks or a jump rope. Now they demand to be entertained with TV, computers, and hand held games. In addition, children
Are you concerned about your child’s academic progress? Would hiring a tutor be helpful? How do you find a tutor? What issues should you consider?
Firstly, decide why you want to hire a tutor. Are you concerned about remediation or maintenance? “Remediation†concentrates on addressing specific gaps in learning, usually
We define a good citizen as a person who works with others to help make communities, schools, state, and country a safe place to live. And we try to teach our children to be responsible, kind, respectful, honest, and cooperative with others. We also teach them to demonstrate self-control