Why Forcing Gratitude in Kids Backfires—And What to…
Do you like being told what to do? If you’re like me, the only time you appreciate it is when you’re too tired to pick a place for takeout. Kids don’t love being bossed around either. As adults, we guide—but trying to force feelings doesn’t work. That’s true of many things, but let’s focus on […]
Eight Tips For Talking With Your Kids About Death
Parents have many tough conversations with their kids. We explain to stubborn toddlers why it’s important to share their toys and talk with disappointed elementary schoolers about their feelings after losing a game. Some conversations are more challenging than others, such as discussing why Mommy and Daddy don’t live in the same house anymore. Among […]
There Are No Bad Kids
Thirty years ago, right after completing my bachelor’s degree in psychology, I spent a summer teaching kindergarten at a Columbus, Ohio, school designed for children with behavioral disorders, many of whom were diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). The student body was overwhelmingly BIPOC and had endured extensive trauma: separation from family, various forms of […]
Parental Eating Behaviors Shape How kids Interact With Food
Young children see their parents as their greatest role models. They seek the approval of their parents and want to be like their parents in as many ways as possible. They notice when their parents are there and when they’re gone. Children take note of more than we tend to assume or give them credit […]
Send the Kids Outdoors, Improve their Mental Health
The weather in Quebec can be pretty unpleasant during winter and early spring. And yet, it was during the months of February, March, and April that over 500 children aged 10-12 were given classes outdoors for two hours each week in a gutsy experiment to see whether time in nature doing art, meditation, or learning […]
What to Do About Guilt Over Your Kids’ Screen Time
What parent hasn’t been there? It’s been a long day, you still have dinner to make, maybe lunches for tomorrow, too, and you just don’t have the energy to wrangle your kids into a new art project or plead with them to pick up a book. Instead, you give in when they beg for more […]
How to Help Kids Deal With Obsessive Thoughts
Rohan’s nighttime fears of being robbed and abducted began at five years old. At nine, Rohan was still sleeping in his mother’s room plagued by nighttime obsessions. “I feel like we’re going to get robbed, and it’s probably real,” Rohan would tell himself. Then he had a second thought that made his fear even worse, […]