Parenting resources for all who love and care for children
When I consider my son’s first year experiences attending college away from home, I must adjust my administrative guidance for the teachers working with college bound middle and high school students. I am learning that helping our students develop life skills is even more important for college survival than added academic skill development. [Read more…]
A couple of months ago, I shared about identifying educational services for children who have special learning needs When Learning Disabilities Arise. Today, I am sharing about Developmental Disabilities. This subject is close to my heart because one of my sisters has this type of disability.
Some children have conditions that require deeper attention and support. These conditions may interfere with their growth and development. When parents realize that their child is not developing as other children do, they often ask:
Preschoolers and early elementary children are very interested in talking about death and difficult subjects. Typically, children will ask parents a variation of one of these questions:
A Parent’s ResponseWhen asked these questions, parents are typically overwhelmed about how to simply answer the question. When their great grandparents died, we told our preschoolers and early elementary grandkids that their great grandparents were very sick for a long time and that they died from old age and being very sick. We assured them that we would not die tomorrow and are taking very good care of ourselves. We also do not project fear and were very loving about the fun times the grandkids shared with the older relative. [Read more…]
Heroes Among UsSchool shootings, children separated from their parents, suicide, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods…these are just a few of the devastating headlines coming through the radio and across my newsfeed. Not to mention, there are so many more personal stories of families experiencing a serious health issue of another family member, children caught in the middle of a custody battle, or even children being intimidated by a menacing bully on the playground. If you are like me, these news reports and life events leave me feeling sad and helpless. Imagine, then, how much more devastated and vulnerable our children may feel. What can we do to help our children develop core values so they can be strong in difficult situations?
Parents should help instill positive, core character values in their children. Are the traits of Hope, Courage, Perseverance, and Integrity being modeled and practiced at home? Think about the words and tone of voice you use when you hear about discouraging news. When we react to a less than ideal situation, our children observe and mimic our behavior. Are children being taught to respond positively? When children are confident and affirmed that they possess these qualities, then they are able to practice and extend Compassion and Generosity towards others. This is the first step in helping children see that they can be a positive change agent. In the face of difficult situations, they can be a hero to their brother, sister, friend, or stranger. [Read more…]
As a parent, one of the things I wanted for my children was for them to grow up to be independent, capable adults. Raising capable adults is a process that begins when children are very young. Think of the two-year-old who yells, “I do it!”, when you’re trying to help them. The process continues until they leave home.