Blog - GenParenting

Jun 10 2025

Celebrating Our Child’s Learning

It’s funny once you hit Spring Break blink and it is summer break. Where did the year go? How was the year? Before rushing into vacation mode, here are a couple of things you can do to make sure the year ends on a good note and set up our children for success next year.

Celebrate Growth—Big and Small

One of the best ways to wrap up the school year is by celebrating your child’s growth. This doesn’t mean just focusing on report cards—progress is about so much more than grades! Think about all the ways your child has grown, whether it’s mastering new sight words, improving their social skills, becoming more independent, or developing a better attitude toward learning. [Read more…]

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May 27 2025

Helping Kids with ADHD Focus: Classroom and Home Strategies

As a special education teacher, I’m frequently asked to observe students who appear to be distracted. As teachers, we can’t diagnose but we can find ways to support students who struggle in the classroom, regardless if it’s ADHD.

Today’s classrooms are not what many think, learning is hard and standards must be met, so students spend more time sitting than moving around. Students’ minds move fast, their energy levels fluctuate, and traditional learning environments don’t always meet their needs. Parents often ask, “How can I help my child focus better?” [Read more…]

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May 13 2025

Why Does My Child Need Assessments?

Springtime on any school campus brings a schedule jam-packed with activities, events, celebrations, and, everyone’s favorite, standardized testing. Right at the time when students can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel, they are hit from left and right with test after test, and assessment after assessment. Some forms of standardized testing start early, even in Kindergarten or first grade. My daughter is only in first grade, and at our last parent-teacher conference, we were shown almost 2 years worth of diagnostic and assessment data about her performance. [Read more…]

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Apr 29 2025

Embracing Spring Rain: Strategies to Get Kids Outdoors

For my 40th birthday, I was surprised with a trip to Vancouver. As I packed my bags, I was told to bring rain gear—there was no way my family was going to let me stay inside just because of a little rain. I was there to explore, not to hide indoors. The same is true for kids in the spring. Just because it’s rainy or chilly doesn’t mean outdoor play has to stop!

Everyone needs outdoor time, no matter the forecast. In many schools, rainy days mean canceled recess, and that lack of movement can lead to restlessness and frustration. Getting outside, even in less-than-ideal weather, helps with attention, sensory processing, and emotional regulation.

The truth is, outdoor play is just as important in spring as in any other season. Movement helps kids regulate their bodies, develop motor skills, and improve focus. Plus, time spent in nature is proven to reduce stress and boost mood. [Read more…]

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Apr 15 2025

What Should Parents Know About AI?

As a product of the 80s and 90s, I grew up with a bit of uneasiness with the idea of AI. It seems like a cool idea, to have robots and machines do all of our undesirable tasks. But movies like Terminator drop a bit of fear of a robot takeover into the back of my mind. The list doesn’t stop with Arnold, the killer robot: The Matrix, I, Robot, Bicentennial Man, Short Circuit, Wall-E. They are all movies about how robots take over in some way, shape, or form. It always seemed far-fetched or like a fantasy from a world too far in the future to become my reality. [Read more…]

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