Lots of parents would like to help their kids learn at home, but are nervous about making their children’s lives into one long series of lessons, being told what they did wrong, and feeling stressed. Experts in how children grow and in early learning say that children’s natural desire to know things thrives best when…
People usually think family stress comes from who everyone is, how they’re feeling, or simply not having enough hours in the day, yet family experts who work with daily patterns find that stress also increases when all the things you do regularly aren’t organized. It’s not typically that things are incredibly hard every day for…
People often think of independence as something a child just has at a certain age, but those who study how children grow say it happens over time. Little kids don’t go from needing everything done for them to being sure of themselves all at once. Instead they slowly become more independent by doing things over…
Families run into surprisingly lots of arguments about screens, more than they usually think, and this is particularly true as phones, tablets, and TVs are now a normal part of things at school, for fun, for keeping in touch, and for relaxing. Lots of families aren’t in trouble because they have no rules about screen…
Meaningful family traditions don’t have to be grand displays or cost a lot of money, or even be meticulously planned. When children look back, they usually remember the things the family did over and over, and that just felt like how things always were. Experts on families say that doing things repeatedly like this helps…
Most people picture a child starting to write when they begin to actually make shapes of letters with a pencil. But actually, writing tends to flow more easily when lots of other abilities are getting better. People who’ve studied young children say writing isn’t one thing, it’s lots of things built on top of each…
Lots of families feel like tomorrow’s troubles are beginning by the time today is over. Lunch hasn’t been made, important papers are lost, what everyone will wear is still a question, and the morning is already looking hard before it’s even happened. What’s behind this for a lot of families isn’t a lack of trying,…
It’s usually not that kids won’t talk with their families, but that adults and kids operate on different timelines that make talks stressful. Moms and dads (or other adults) will ask a question and want an answer immediately, particularly when things are hectic or if everyone is feeling a lot of something. Younger kids, though,…
Adults are keen for their kids to get better at dealing with annoyance, particularly when they are toddlers or in preschool. But experts in how children grow tend to say that learning this is a gradual process. A small child being tearful about a broken toy, getting upset at having to wait their turn, or…
Lots of family talks about screens get tangled up because people act like if something is “educational” it automatically solves all the problems with kids and devices. But even with learning-based apps or shows, you still have to think about how much focus they require, when kids are using them, sleep, physical activity, and everyone’s…