Celebrating Unity in Diversity During the Holiday Season

Hannukah celebration

The holiday season, with its rich tapestry of traditions and celebrations, presents a beautiful opportunity to introduce children to the wonders of diversity. It’s a time when homes are aglow with different traditions, stories, and rituals. So, how can we help our children not only understand but also appreciate the incredible mosaic of cultures around…

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School Counselors and “Extra Duties”

tired teacher

Recess Duty Lunch Duty Specials Rotation Classes Testing Coordinator It goes on and on. Everyone in a school must pull together to make it work, so teamwork counts, but what do you do when you feel that all the extra duties are creating a serious problem in meeting the goals of the actual job description…

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4 Ways to Raise a Happy Child

happy-boy

4 Ways to Raise a Happy Child What does it take to raise a happy child? A trip to the toy store and a pocketful of cash? A loaded bag of candy after a night of trick or treating? Popcorn, a movie and permission to stay up late? While all these things might garner a…

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Connection with Kids

Two fathers play educational games with their children,

Connection with Kids In her book, The Good News about Bad Behavior, the author, Kathryn Lewis, identifies three steps that are taught in the Parent Encouragement Program. It will come as no surprise to counselors of all types that the first step is connection. Establishing rapport with a student is always the first necessary step…

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Are Kids Less Disciplined than Ever?

Young girls playing or working on a computer

Kids and Discipline If you have any connection to the educational system as I do, it’s not unusual to hear teachers complain that children today are much harder to teach than in years past. In fact, the job of the teacher has become so difficult that the average length of time that new teachers stay…

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Five Steps to Teach Kids to be Kind

kids sharing

We all want and expect others to be kind but exactly what is kindness, how is it developed, and why does it matter? There are 5 steps to teaching kindness: Define what kindness: Teach that kindness is being friendly, generous and considerate. Next teach that  based on our environment, our family of origin, and our…

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