5 Steps to Growing Up a Confident Child

boy on ladder

Confident Children As parents, educators and other concerned adults, we all want children to grow up and be confident, courageous and successful. Being confident is not a gift. It’s not built into a child’s DNA. Is not something that descends upon you, fully formed. No one wakes up one morning and discovers they are suddenly (thank goodness, it’s about time!)…

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4 secret skills that kids need to succeed today

Group of boy and girls

How to learn from failure Remember a major disappointment or failure from you own childhood? Trying out for a team or a group and not making the cut? Not getting included in a party invitation or missing out on a special occasion? Losing  a friendship or a loved one? Bet you remember the details of…

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Five Ways to Encourage Creativity in Kids

Children's smiling colorful hands raised up.

Tapping into the Creative Spirit Wonder how to encourage children to be creative? Do you find students are more and more dependent on adults and technology for inspiration and ideas? Here are five ways to encourage creativity in  kids without breaking the bank: Play–Every kid (and adult) needs playtime.  Much of our modern day life tends…

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The Secret Sauce for a Happy Child

Father and kids sitting on wooden dock

Positive and Negative Feedback Do you wonder what the key is to having happy children? Maybe you even wonder about the key to finding happiness in your own life? Turns out we don’t find happiness… it’s not even related to our circumstances.  Surprised? The Research on the Happiness Advantage In Shawn Achor’s  book, The Happiness Advantage, he…

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4 Steps to Better Communication

father and son

Using Communication to Change Misbehavior In my last post, I wrote about connection, the first of the three steps taught in the Parent Encouragement Program by author, Kathryn Reynolds Lewis. The second step outlined in her  book, The Good News about Bad Behavior is communication. It is important to note that communication follows connection. How often…

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What every child wants…

Children playing with painting

Misbehavior and belonging Studies indicate that children today are harder to teach and more difficult to discipline than in previous years.  Diagnoses of ADHD, anxiety and depression are skyrocketing.  What is a parent or educator to do?  How can we cope? Before identifying some approaches to the problem, Katherine Reynolds Lewis, the author of the…

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