Parenting the strong-willed child is not for the faint of heart. Learning what these spirited kids really need from you makes it easier to honor their unique temperament. I realized I was dealing with a very strong-willed child when my youngest daughter was still a baby. She had a push to her that my other…
Is your child struggling in school? Here are the signs to look for and how to find the tutor your child needs. My oldest daughter began the 4th grade in a new state with an entirely new type of math curriculum. As far as math homework was concerned that year, it was awful with a…
What are we teaching children by the way behave on social media over politics? Edit November 3, 2020: I wrote this a few days after the 2016 presidential election. Tonight we wait for the results of the 2020 election and the division in our country leading up to this day is astronomical. I still stand…
I feel confident in saying that the craziest time of day for moms is right after school. You might think it’s because of homework or having to chauffeur to extracurricular activities, but it isn’t. It’s because I have three children who all want my attention right now this minute. Sometimes my brain wants to explode…
Is it okay for parents to be check grades online? Find out the pros and cons and make the decision that’s best for you and your kids. I get online a couple times a week to quickly check my girls’ grades. In our school district we use PowerSchool. There are many other similar programs out…
As a child, I didn’t like Saturdays very much. Saturday was the day that my mom made us do chores—lots and lots of chores. I remember having to clean the toilets, mop the floors, wipe out the kitchen cabinets, and weed the yard while I watched my neighborhood friends ride their bikes around the block….
As a mother, bedtime is a difficult time of day for me. I’d even go so far as to say it’s the absolute worst time of day for me. Everybody is exhausted, and the last thing I want to do is sit in their room and read a book to my kids! I want them…
To work or stay home? Many moms grapple a bit with the decision to either stay home or go back to work after having a baby, but I didn’t. I knew from the get go that I would be staying at home when I had my first. It wasn’t until I had my third daughter…
Is your child starting a new school after a move or other life transition? Here are several ideas for parents that will help kids adjust to being the new kid. There are few things kids anticipate more than starting school each fall, but it can be stressful for students who are beginning at a brand…
Children’s FLONASE® Allergy Relief compensated me in connection with statements made in this post. My youngest daughter had to miss her first two field days at the elementary school due to her severe seasonal allergies. It was the saddest thing ever. Field Day is the most anticipated day for a first-grader, especially when you are…
My name is Lara and I struggle to stay on task. I’m really good at starting things, but I fully admit that finishing them often seems difficult. I get distracted, I get overwhelmed, I have no motivation. Whatever it is, many things never get finished and some of them don’t ever make it off of…
Reading any book is a wonderful way to help children develop empathy. Here are seven books for middle-grade readers that go the extra mile in teaching kids to be empathetic. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to teach kids to be more empathetic and kind lately. After writing a very emotional post about my…