Category Archives: Teaching Social/Emotional Skills

Three Questions, Then Calm

Online School at Our House Annie: “My Spanish teacher insists on teaching class from her back deck! She thinks it’s so relaxing out there. Maybe for her it is. Yesterday her neighbor’s kids got in a fight in their yard … Continue reading

Posted in Teaching Social/Emotional Skills | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Happy to Announce My New Book!

  As many of you are aware, I’ve been working on a book project for the last few years based on this blog and much additional research. For those of you who’ve offered feedback and suggestions to my blog posts … Continue reading

Posted in Active Kids & Families, Education, Family Travel, Life Skills, Parenting, Teaching Social/Emotional Skills | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

People Are the Priority

It was clear early on that my friend Christina’s daughter Ava was a bright girl.  She was one of those toddlers who spoke in eloquent sentences when my same-age son was struggling to put two words together.  Her parents were … Continue reading

Posted in Life Skills, Parenting, Teaching Social/Emotional Skills | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

How to Beat Cabin Fever: The Art of Roughhousing

When our middle child, Daniel, was 3 one of the phrases we’d regularly hear was, “Will you roughhouse me please?”  He was so desperate for this kind of play that it was the only time he consistently used the word … Continue reading

Posted in Teaching Social/Emotional Skills | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

During Life’s Tough Times – 6 Ways to Help Your Child Handle Uncertainty

Our middle son, Daniel, just began middle school.  A middle child in middle school.  It’s gone about as you would expect from that combination – not too well.  Daniel now attends our neighborhood middle school, but comes to it from … Continue reading

Posted in Teaching Social/Emotional Skills | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Tears at the Airport: How Kids Can Learn Emotional Intelligence

I was in a Barnes and Noble bookstore not long ago and wandered into the children’s section.  In one corner was a toy train table with wooden tracks and colorful train cars attached to one another magnetically.  Engrossed in play … Continue reading

Posted in Teaching Social/Emotional Skills | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“You’re smart.” Versus “You worked hard.”

Eliza lives down the street.  She’s seventeen now but we’ve known her since we moved to the neighborhood eight years ago.  She’s a tall girl with a tangle of blonde curls.  She’s often wearing splashes of colorful apparel, chosen more … Continue reading

Posted in Teaching Social/Emotional Skills | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Teaching Kids Optimism

My daughter Annie started first grade raring to go.  After all those years of watching her big brothers attend full-day school, her time had finally come.  She was a real school kid.  There was just one problem.  In Annie’s mind, … Continue reading

Posted in Teaching Social/Emotional Skills | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

What Role Does Quitting Play in Our Children’s Lives?

My husband Todd grew early. By 7th grade he was 5’ 7.” For boys this can be an advantage, a luck-of-the-draw event that goes your way. Todd had always enjoyed basketball and his early growth spurt, along with hours and … Continue reading

Posted in Teaching Social/Emotional Skills | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

What is Enough? Teaching Your Children the Concept of Enough

I’ve been thinking about the idea of “enough.” Whether it’s a material item (shoes) or a non-material one (free time), how do you know when you have enough of something? Enough seems to reside at the sweet spot between needing … Continue reading

Posted in Teaching Social/Emotional Skills | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments