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Category: Kids
Stress in Children
Helping Kids and Teens Handle Worry
I was recently asked to try to go back to my own childhood and try to remember the things that I worried most about when I was young. Closing my eyes, it didn’t take me long to channel my inner child and generate a robust list of worries that ranged from, “my basement” to, “an… Read More →
Children in Grief: Crying is Brave
And Other Insights From Kids
I had a summer screen time post all written and ready to post on the website. Then our family dog got very sick and eventually passed away earlier this week. In an instant work, emails, newsletters, and to-do lists flew off the priority list and grief took its place. Jasper, our thirteen year old husky… Read More →
These Books and Podcasts Will Boost Empathy
We can’t just hand kids a book or download a podcast titled, “Get Empathy.” Nope. But well crafted stories do allow kids to get lost in characters whose lives both mirror and diverge from their own.
10 Tips for Building Trust With Parental Controls
It doesn’t work well to install parental controls, close our eyes, cross our fingers, and hope for digital greatness. How we use parental controls has a huge impact on whether or not they are effective in helping our kids build digital skills and whether or not they build or erode trust.
Anger Management is a Big Part of Parenting, So How Do We Do It?
From Calm to Chaos The sun rises, your alarm rings, you roll out of bed and find your way to your first mug of coffee (Not a coffee person? Imagine tea instead). The birds are singing. The world feels full of possibility. You take a deep breath, committed to starting your parenting day with smooth… Read More →
When Are Video Games Good for Kids?
“Yeeessss! There’s going to be another Fortnite Day!” I heard a child exclaim in the hallway of my kids’ school last month. Confused, I turned to a teacher for an explanation. He responded “I think they mean snow day…” The kids were eagerly anticipating yet another giant storm (yes, we live in Minnesota and yes,… Read More →
Here’s Why You Should Thank Your School Librarian
The fire crackles and flickers onto the surrounding birch trees. Hanging lanterns transform the tents in front of me into glowing nests. Two signs point towards the nearest outhouses and children’s voices ring out through the air. As I describe this scene, you are likely picturing an adventure deep in the wilderness. But this past… Read More →
Helping Kids Cope With Tragedy
Age-by-age advice from early childhood through adolescence
Unfortunately, mass shootings are not uncommon in the United States. Even if they don’t happen in their community, children and teens hear about them from friends and in the news. These events may cause children to fear that an event like this could happen to them or their parents. All of us, including our children… Read More →
Diverse Books for Kids – Nine Essential Questions
No matter your child’s racial or cultural identity, you can take a look at your bookshelf, tablet, or library loans to see where you can diversify your child’s story world and start important conversations about commonalities and differences.
Gift Ideas That Encourage Free Play
I wish I could say that my children made simple gift requests this holiday season reflecting the spirit of the season – perhaps asking for a beautifully illustrated book and some simple wooden toys. My five-year-old punctured this vision last week announcing he would like his very own and “very new” iPad and every single… Read More →