Parent-Child Advice

8 Planner Tips for Students

The assignment is due when? Tomorrow? We’ve all been there at some point. Somehow, that assignment due date can slip right up on you without you noticing. That is why using a planner and building organizational skills are so important to school performance. Who wants to get an “F” because they’ve forgotten to put their completed project in their book bag the night before it was due? Here are 8 tips for students on using…

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7 Organization Tips for Parents

When you live with kids, your home is bound to get messy, and the more stuff they have, the more time you have to spend organizing it and cleaning it up. That’s why psychotherapist and mom of two Denaye Barahona prefers a less-is-more approach when it comes to buying and keeping kids’ clothes, toys and gear. When you “pare back on the amount of clutter in your life, you can focus on the most important…

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Help Teens Build Better Habits

James Clear’s book, “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Ways to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones,” explores the underlying principles of habit formation and destruction and explains in simple steps how to change them. Intended for readers who have an appetite for altering their own habits, the book also provides tools for parents whose children need help adjusting theirs. If 40 to 50 percent of daily behavior is a function of habits, as…

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During the IEP Meeting: Tips for Parents

Experts, advocates, and other parents agree that preparing for the IEP meeting is the key to building a plan that will ensure your child’s success. Knowledge of your child, the school system, and federal and state laws and regulations will empower you to become the advocate your child deserves. An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is the foundation of your child’s education. Many parents feel overwhelmed and anxious about the IEP meeting, but it doesn’t have…

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Preparing for IEP Meetings: Tips for Parents

Experts, advocates, and other parents agree that preparing for IEP meetings is the key to building a plan that will ensure your child’s success. Knowledge of your child, the school system, and federal and state laws and regulations will empower you to become the advocate your child deserves. An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is the foundation of your child’s education. Many parents feel overwhelmed and anxious about IEP meetings, but it doesn’t have to be…

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Talking with Teens About Healthy Relationships

RESPECTfully is a social norms campaign designed to speak to teens directly with key messages that articulate everyone deserves mutual respect in relationships, and today’s tips were sourced from them. Youth-serving individuals and organizations can encourage parents and caregivers to be aware of the signs of unhealthy behaviors, educate teens on what respect looks like, and have clear conversations about consent. Parents, teachers, coaches, and caregivers can help increase the capacity for teens to experience…

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Should Phones Be Allowed in Class?

The presence of cell phones in schools has ignited one of the most enduring debates in modern education. Educators, parents, and students often find themselves split between the benefits and the drawbacks of allowing cell phones in the classroom. Should schools ban them entirely, or can they be harnessed as powerful tools for learning? One of the strongest arguments for banning cell phones in schools is the distraction they pose. Research has shown that students…

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How to Talk to Kids About Gender Stereotypes

Before most children can even read, they have already been told gender stereotypes like boys are strong, and girls are weak. Research shows that by age three, children begin absorbing these stereotypes. By age 10, boys are more likely to see themselves as leaders, while girls internalize limits on their abilities. One study found that 6 in 10 boys said boys are naturally better than girls at sports, and by age 14, girls are dropping…

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5 Organization Tips for Back to School

The start of the school year brings a new schedule, additional activities, and budding demands on everyone’s time. Forget New Year’s Eve: the start of the school year is when parents often make resolutions to get organized! Getting ready for back to school may cause some stress in your life, but you don’t have to let school send your family life into chaos. Use these back to school organization ideas and tips to handle the…

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Helping Your Child Make Friends

Making friends looks a little different for everyone. We all want our children to make and have friends, but what can parents actually do to to help? Here are some tips for helping your child make friends. 1. Teach conversational skills. To make new friends, kids need to learn how to introduce themselves to others and think of appropriate things to say. They also need to learn how to listen well and to provide conversational…

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