building self-esteem, child development, compassion, critical thinking, developing empathy in children, empathy, fostering independence, growth mindset, independence, life skills, life-long learning, life's challenges, overcoming challenges, parenting, personal growth, preparing children for life, problem-solving skills, raising confident children, resilience, resilience in children, responsibility, self-confidence, teaching patience, teaching perseverance, teaching responsibility

Endurance and Hard Work: Preparing Children for Life’s Obstacles

As parents, it’s our instinct to love and support our children to set them up for a happy, successful life. Yet, an old saying warns that “too much of a good thing is not good.” In your attempts to shield your children from life’s harsh realities, you may unintentionally prevent them from undertaking challenging experiences ...

Haidene Go

Happy brother and sister leap into the air while holding hands outside by a pond.

7 Ways to Encourage Children to Clean Their Rooms

Many parents, particularly mothers, can relate to the exasperating sight of their children’s disorganized rooms, strewn with clothes, toys, and various objects. Remember, though, that a messy room doesn’t indicate your failure as a parent or your child’s shortcomings. After all, even adults often consider cleaning a chore rather than a pleasure. Yet it’s vital ...

Nathan Machoka

Boy's bedroom with stylish furniture.

7 Ways to Encourage Honesty in Children

As parents, we all want our children to grow up into responsible and reliable adults. Honesty plays a big part in this process. So what do you do when your child starts telling little white lies? First, don’t panic. It’s normal for kids to start stretching the truth as they develop their own way of ...

Nathan Machoka

A group of smiling children.

Is 13 Too Young to Have a Social Media Account?

The surgeon general is the “nation’s doctor” in the United States. He is tasked with giving Americans the “best scientific information” about their health. Late last month, the current U.S. surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, warned 13 is too young to join social media. He said it poses a risk to young people’s “self-worth and their ...

Troy Oakes

Teen girl sending text messages.

How Can Families Raise Well-Rounded Children?

A survey found that 90 percent of parents raising their children will instill anxiety in them! The main reason is that many parents fail to control and manage their emotions. Chronically anxious parents tend to be overly sensitive and irritable and often lose their temper when interacting with their children. Children constantly exposed to emotional ...

Emma Lu

Parents walking together while their daughter rides her bike.

Early Childhood Experiences May Lead to Irreversible Changes in the Brain

Changes in the brain caused by early childhood experiences are not entirely irreversible. This is the conclusion reached in a recent study by researchers at Universität Hamburg, led by the psychologist and neuroscientist Prof. Dr. Brigitte Röder. Earlier neuroscientific studies have revealed that unfavorable experiences in the first few months and years of life, for ...

Troy Oakes

Two young girls walking across a bridge.

Children With a Promising Future Have These 4 Traits

As the saying goes: “the boy is the father of the man.” Character traits nurtured and encouraged in children will have a lifelong impact, so early childhood education is crucial in determining a person’s future path. Successful adults often display some of these characteristics as children  1. Extraordinary creativity Knowledge is taught; creativity is inborn. ...

Kathy McWilliams

Two girls sitting at a wooden table and coloring together.

Japanese School Lunches Vs. American School Lunches

School lunches in the U.S. have been questioned for years. Most often, it is only the quality of the food that is discussed. Efforts have been made to improve this aspect, but what about the other factors involved? Are we so focused on the food itself that we’re missing a larger, more critical concept? This video of lunchtime in ...

David Clapp

Asian girl wearing a backpack and carrying a lunch tray looks for a seat among students in the school cafeteria.

10 Tips for Raising Good Children

The earliest education you receive in life comes from your family, especially from your mother, whose input is critical in raising good children. In order to study a mother’s influence on her children, an American psychologist picked 50 people who obtained significant success in their chosen careers and 50 people who had criminal records. The psychologist wrote ...

Helen London

Mother and young daughter smiling and talking together on a couch.

Is Having an Imaginary Friend Normal for Children?

Growing up, do you ever recall having an “imaginary friend?” A best friend even, who was completely real to you, and only you?  I can’t say that I ever did. I would hear the term often, and yes, I may have pretended within the realms of my own vast imagination that I was friends with ...

Katrina Hicks

Girl whispers in teddy bear's ear.