PARENThings

  Defined as the acquisition of social skills, socialization is the process of how people learn to associate and relate with others. Watching children play together provides parents with valuable insight into how socialization affects child development, and during their formative years, children will acquire most of their social skills through group interactions with other […]

Do your children respect you and themselves? Many parents I hear from feel that they are losing this battle for respect and, with it, their ability to positively influence their children. Many children I talk to don’t feel that their parents are relevant anymore. Well, let me say this loud and clear: You better be […]

Are you preparing your child to be independent? Teaching your child life skills is not only important for self-care and sufficiency it also allows him to feel empowered, works on socialization and reasoning, and helps develop healthy self-esteem. This list of age-appropriate skills will help prepare your child for each stage of his life from […]

  Do you ever feel like the only words that come out of your mouth are direct orders? “Empty the trash, be nice to your sister, quit jumping on the couch!!!” A big part of preventing bad behavior, however, is to provide encouraging words to reinforce good behavior when you see it. And a quick […]

  Ever heard that little ditty? I grew up with it. In fact, it was handy to yank out of the closet to diffuse matters whenever my own rather vocal toddlers began a slinging match with one another. Then my six-year-old wisely pointed out to me one day that, in fact, words can harm you. […]

There is nothing more obnoxious than an adult who is always late. This bad habit can affect an adult’s career and relationships in a negative manner. Early childhood offers many opportunities to teach children their place in a relationship to others. Taught early, children can develop good traits such as being punctual and honoring others’ […]

An Important Key to Your Child’s Success Research shows that children with consistent school attendance learn more. If pupils are to fully benefit from the many opportunities schools offer them, regular school attendance is vital. A student who is 10 minutes late every day will miss 30 hours of instruction during the year a significant […]

Play dates and playground trips may seem like just a routine way to keep your little ones busy, but socialization is an important developmental tool. Every interaction your kid has helps him learn language skills, ways to cope with emotions and how to work within social norms. The concepts may seem technical, but socialization and […]

Children will take their cues from you. Simply put, if children are around respectful adults, they’re more likely to show respect, however, when they’re around disrespectful adults, they’re more likely to show disrespectful behavior. Yelling, cursing, grabbing, shouting over, and sarcasm are transferable! “Young ones will eventually express themselves as you do, but realize it […]

Children Love to Learn Open and honest communication will create a lifelong closeness with your child. Routines and responsibilities will let your child know what to expect. When a rule is broken, a natural consequence needs to follow. As you teach your child how to be independent, you also need to teach how to be […]