Critical thinking is one of the most crucial life skills to have; it not only builds a strong character, but also creates a savvy and successful adult. Schools can only do so much to nurture critical thinking abilities due to a standardized syllabus, but you as a parent can encourage your children to think critically with some activities you can do at home. Here are some examples of activities to teach children critical thinking. 1.…
Read More »Team building games for kids serve a variety of purposes, but most importantly, they help children develop essential social skills. By participating in team activities, kids learn to work together, understand the importance of collaboration, and develop empathy towards others. Moreover, these games promote communication skills, as kids are encouraged to express their thoughts and ideas with their teammates. Through team building games, children become more aware of their role within a group, learning to…
Read More »Think about any time you’ve seen an army boot camp portrayed in pop culture: the traditional drill sergeant, ordering his troops to do endless laps and push-ups as punishment for their errors that day. Now, with that scenario in your mind, imagine it being played out by children and teenagers at school, and instead of drill sergeants, their teachers are at the helm. Believe it or not, it’s actually quite common in certain areas of…
Read More »Politics can be a difficult subject to discuss with children, but as they grow and begin to understand the fundamentals of civics and how people choose their local and national leaders, the subject is hard to avoid. Voting allows people to come together as a community to make a collective decision; it fosters democracy and allows for a fair process in electing local and national leaders. How do you talk to kids about voting and…
Read More »Going back to school can be a little intimidating, but while you can’t hold your kid’s hand as they try to find their classes, you can get them prepared with the right gear for the year. Here are a few items that can help keep you organized, energized, ready to tackle the start of the new school year. 1. Start the morning off right with a sunrise alarm clock. If mornings are difficult for your…
Read More »It’s hard to believe that school will be starting up soon for most kids and teens. The back-to-school season can be exciting and challenging, but a smooth transition helps families adjust well and thrive with the new school year. Here are some practical back to school strategies to help your kids and teens (as well as you) prepare. 1. Help your child make a plan and get any remaining summer assignments completed. Divide up reading,…
Read More »Children look forward to the summer months when a break from school gives them a chance to enjoy the outdoors, travel, and relax with friends and family. However, it’s important to ensure children’s safety while they’re having fun in the sun. Specialists from Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and Johns Hopkins Children’s Center offer seven recommendations for keeping kids safe this summer season. 1. Keep children away from burn hazards. Fireworks can be extremely dangerous…
Read More »The summer slide is a decline in a child’s academic skills that occurs over the summer vacation when school is not in session. Summer slide goes by a number of names, including the summer learning loss and the summer brain drain, but in essence, they all mean the same thing: over the summer vacation, children are likely to forget a lot of the information and knowledge they have picked up over the past academic year. Summer…
Read More »In the United States today, more than 23 million children live in a single parent family. This total, has risen over the last half century and currently covers about one in every three kids across America. A number of long-term demographic trends have fueled this increase, including: marrying later, declining marriage rates, increasing divorce rates and an uptick in babies born to single mothers. Within single-parent families, most children — 14.3 million — live in…
Read More »While active shooter drills have become common practice across much of the country, some experts and parents worry they may do more harm than good, particularly if they involve simulation. One of those critics is Dr. David Schonfeld, director of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. He spoke to NPR’s Steve Inskeep about how high-intensity drills can harm students’ mental health, and shared what alternatives he would…
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