Parenting Playbook

Tune into your tone . . .

Words are powerful. Words can build up or break down your child’s confidence, shape her identity, and affect her emotions. And words are never just words. Words are voiced with tone and volume. When you speak to your child, the tone and volume of your voice are...

Tall tales or lying . . .

Tall tales and lying are two different things. Tall tales are stories that a child makes up or true stories that he or she exaggerates. Lying, on the other hand, is a willful attempt to deceive as a way to get positive results or avoid negative consequences. Preschool...

Impart good judgment . . .

If we can instill good judgment in children, they will be more likely to make healthy choices when we are not around. Simply getting them to be obedient lasts only as long as we are in the room because it doesn’t help them understand what to do in new, novel...

Reproducing patterns . . .

If you have a child who has reached toddlerhood, it won’t be long before she puts your hat on her head, grabs your purse, prances around with a grin, and waits for your captivated laughter. Your toddler has recognized and is imitating a grown-up pattern of behavior,...

The science behind play . . .

Play is fun and important. Play allows children to try on new roles, rehearse new skills, and learn about their personal capabilities and limitations. It encourages children to learn social rules and the difference between fantasy and reality. Play is also one way...

Help kids learn to do something about stress . . .

As a parent, you can’t prevent stressful events from entering your child’s life. You can, however, teach your child what to do to control reactions to stress. Here are a few quick tips that you can teach your child to use in the face of stressful situations. Talk it...

Shifting gears . . .

When children and parents spend time apart during the day, adjustments are necessary when reconnection takes place. This reentry into each others’ lives can create some missteps because everyone is full of feelings remaining from their time apart. Everyone also has...

Learning to be fair . . .

Children are often given opportunities to learn and develop beliefs about how to fairly divide material goods. Concerns can surface and debates grow loud over what size allowance siblings of different ages should receive and who gets to play longer with their friends...

Tilt toward the good . . .

Scientists believe a negativity bias is wired into the brain as protection against all the dangers faced over the millions of years of evolution. Our brains are alert to potential threats that might have an impact on our survival. In effect, the brain is like sticky...

Sharing can be difficult for kids . . .

Nearly every parent has watched a child refuse to share his or her toy. The child who is not sharing may even know that the fair and acceptable thing to do would be to share, but for some reason, he or she just can’t seem to resist grabbing the toy and holding on for...

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