Parenting from the Heart

“Why do I have to learn to read?” a six-year-old asks her dad. “You can read to me,” she explained patiently. Her father asks what she...

In the weeks approaching Halloween, we have the chance to see what value this celebration holds for children and note some of the risks....

“In an age of constant movement, nothing is as urgent as sitting still.” Pico Iyer A second grader running relentlessly on the grassy...

Can you remember a childhood experience of being forced to do something or stop doing something, and the adults involved didn’t...

Want your child to be able play cooperatively with others? Many interactive games teach social skills in an enjoyable way that promotes...

Why do parents feel so much frustration when a child’s development suddenly goes backward? When we have a child who has adjusted to...

We have a delightful photo exhibit in our Hallway Gallery, and we hope families and classroom groups will spend time looking at the...

Make being punctual a family value that communicates the message “I respect you and care about you” in any situation, but particularly...

I believe in the world and its bigness and splendor, that most of the hearts beating round us are tender; … that strangers are friends...

“Learning to work together, learning to work as one; learning to work together, that’s how life’s work gets done. ... We are building...

“WHEN I WAS A BABY, my first word was ‘cookie.’” A child’s sense of having a life story doesn’t happen automatically as they enter...

“Old friends, new friends, this is what we do, friends – sing and dance with you.” —Sandra Star This time of year, when we say good-bye...

THE FORCES THAT RUN through plants and baby lambs in spring run through all, though it’s often most apparent in children. At school,...

FINDING THE BALANCE between protecting children and enabling a sense of entitlement can be challenging. No one wants to raise an...

DICTIONARIES URGE PEOPLE to build vocabulary, at any age, by picking a “word of the day” and finding ways to use it in various...

JOYFUL AFTER-SCHOOL REUNIONS are difficult when a child gets angry because they have to leave an activity or they fall apart in the car...

“SAY YOU’RE SORRY.” Adults often insist on children making apologies, thinking that having to say “sorry” is part of learning not to...

“WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO TALK ABOUT how brave and special our daughter is.” These words are part of a recent note to Room 4 families from...

“WHY DIDN’T YOU ASK FOR HELP?” Occasionally parents report feeling frustrated when their child tells them at night that they needed...

“WHO DO YOUR THINK YOU ARE?” That’s a question that Caroline McHugh asks CEOs, politicians, ballet dancers, musicians, and countless...