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10 Tips On How To Raise A Free-Spirited Child

Raising a strong-willed child can be a challenge when he or she is young. They might seem overly difficult, stubborn and opinionated. But strong-willed children are also spirited, fun and courageous. They simply want to learn things for themselves instead of accepting what others tell them. They may have a habit of testing boundaries and limits, but it’s because they are strong, passionate and they live life to the fullest. So how can a parent raise a strong-willed child without discouraging the child’s high energy, persistence and spunk? Here are ten tips for parenting a strong-willed, free-spirited child:

We Could All Learn A Lot From This Disturbingly Hilarious 7-Year-Old

As far as we're concerned, the whole point of having kids is tweeting the absurd and vaguely disturbing things they say. There's nothing quite like seeing inside the mind of a tiny person who hasn't yet been shaped cultural norms (and common decency). And we owe the Twitter famous and fabulous Kelly Oxford a huge thank you for bringing us the wise words of her seven-year-old daughter, Bea.

[WATCH] GoPro Helps You See The World In The Eyes Of A Toddler

For a child, everything is new. Refresh your view of a mundane day through the lens of a toddler!

How To Stop Worrying About ‘Screens vs. Books’ And Just Get The Kid To Read Already

In this information age where communication is so crucial, our kids are reading less and less. How should you approach this problem? What can you do?

10 Traditional Parenting Practices We Should Continue In This New-Age World

Parenting has changed a lot since we were kids. For instance, parents and teachers are now very careful about meting out punishment and criticizing children. On the other hand, there appears to be a shift towards fostering the child’s independence and self-esteem. Moreover, the traditional family model has changed – from a stay-at-home mom (and dad as breadwinner) to dual-income families; in some countries, even single-parent or same-sex parents’ families are acceptable. Technology has also changed the activities that a child engages in, as well as familial interactions.

Too Fast, Too Curious: How to Handle a Hyperactive Toddler

“He can’t stay put in one place,” sighs Maielle Paterno as she watches her four-year-old Chico run around the house. “He seems to be fueled with boundless energy,” she says. “The only thing that can quiet him down for a while are his Disney CarsTM toys, or when he’s already exhausted!” Otherwise, Chico would jump from one interest to another without really locking on to anything.

7 Productivity Tips for Working Parents

If you’re tired of always being the last parent to pick up your child from daycare, consider this: are you working as smart as you can? Clocking in extra hours doesn’t always mean you’re working harder. While it’s no secret that workplace pressure continues to rise, it’s nearly impossible to leave the office on time if you’re not working efficiently from 9 to 5, regardless of what’s on your plate.

Harmony between different races, religions fundamental principle for Singapore: PM Lee

SINGAPORE: One of the fundamental principles for Singapore is the harmony between our different races and religions, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Racial Harmony Day.

Why parents should encourage their kids to read ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,’ according to a top psychologist

Apart from the facts that the “Harry Potter” series has reached more people than any other book series in history and inspired an entire generation to read, Adam Grant, a professor of management at Wharton and author of “Originals,” tells Business Insider that J.K. Rowling is perhaps the most influential person alive because of what her books teach kids: originality and morality.

Pull-up diapers: When to make the switch

Pull-up diapers can help with potty training and nighttime training, but knowing when to start and stop using them is key.

21 Fun And Delicious Recipes You Can Make With Your Kids

Cooking with kid is a time-efficient strategy -- by playing with kids, you get your dinner ready. And these recipes are amazing as they allow you and your kids a roomful of space for freedom and creativity.

How Harsh Parenting Can Backfire

Most of us modern parents worry at some point (maybe daily!) whether we are parenting our kids the right way. At a time when we see countless examples of helicopter parenting and entitled children who can't cope with setbacks, there are plenty of reasons to be asking ourselves if we're firm enough with our kids.

Japanese toy maker keeps wooden spinning tops and toys alive

Fourth generation craftsman Masaaki Hiroi, 80, loves making traditional spinning tops and other wooden toys. This is his story, in his own words.

9 fun ABC games for kids

Break out that giant collection of toy cars and stick a piece of tape marked with a letter on top of each one. Then have your kid line them up in alphabetical order and sing the ABC song while pointing to the car with the correct letter.

Why do we make children sleep alone?

One particularly strange feature of middle-class family life is the way we train our children to sleep. “Go to your room,” we tell even very young children, “and stay there all night.” We have invented elaborate techniques to support this supposedly essential aspect of child development, implementing them at great emotional cost to all parties involved. For the parents: agonizing decisions about when and whether to comfort a crying child, bleary-eyed squabbles about which parent takes a turn in the middle of the night.

10 Ways to Tame Your Kid's Tantrums

When your toddler has a temper tantrum, it may send you into one, too! However, experts agree that it is crucial to keep your cool. With these coping strategies, you can head off two tantrums at once: yours and your child's.

Teach Your Kid How To Read With Interest, Not What Books To Read

Your child may read every book in the world but if he/she doesn't understand a word, it only accounts for wasted time you could have used for a more productive activity. For you, we simplified it down to five tips so you can follow through easily and apply it to your child rearing.

1. Know The Way Your Kid Thinks.
2. Teach Your Child The Art Of Conversation.
3. Give Your Kid Books That He/She Will Understand.
4. Know The Content That Peaks Your Kid's Interest.
5. Let Your Kid's Mind Float Away Every Once In A While.

19 Kids Who Probably Dress Better Than You

Seriously, why are they even posing better than me?

20 Guaranteed Ways to Mess Up Your Children

Parenting is nerve-wracking. You love your children and want them to grow up to be happy, successful adults, but some days you’re not sure how to make that happen.
Sometimes you fear that something you’re doing or saying will mess them up permanently. But here’s the good news: Part of great parenting is avoiding mistakes. Even better news is that you don’t have to discover these mistakes for yourself.
- See more at: https://www.familiesforlife.sg/discover-an-article/Pages/20-Guaranteed-Ways-to-Mess-Up-Your-Children.aspx#sthash.7UKv8IoI.dpuf

The collapse of parenting: Why it’s time for parents to grow up

If anyone can be called the boss in modern, anti-hierarchical parenthood, it’s the children

How To Raise A Digitally Savvy Kid That Isn’t Always Staring At A Scree

Your kid is part of a whole generation that can swipe right before they can write. And because of that fact, you’ve become a little paranoid with how they interact with technology. It’s one thing to curb screentime, cut off the Wi-Fi, or investigate the feasibility of becoming Amish. But instead of taking their tech away (or just running away), why not just teach them how to use all of it responsibly and for their benefit?

Don’t Tell Anxious Kids that Everything Will Be O.K.

It doesn't help. Here's what to say instead.

Today’s kids are more worried than any kids in recent history. According to some long-term surveys of mental health literature, the average kid today is more anxious than people who were hospitalized for anxiety in the 1950s.

Why it’s important for you to admit to your child when you’re wrong

Find out why apologizing for your mistakes makes you a more effective parent

Protect Your Children From The Risk Of Drowning

1. For Toddlers ages 1-4, make sure your toilets seats in the toilets are kept closed. Doors are also to be closed always in bathrooms and the laundry rooms.

Diy Felt Frame For Kid Art

Is your child an artist? Even if they don’t become famous or make art a part of their profession some day, it’s so important to encourage creativity in young children. One way to do that is to let them know that you value the art they are making by placing it in a DIY felt frame.

15 Things Toddlers Think Before Falling Asleep

We have a video baby monitor because I’m a crazy nut job who has to know if my kids are really sleeping or if they’re just laying their quietly waiting me out to see if I’ll come in and check on them. They’re crafty children. After I lay them down, I check the monitor every 5-10 minutes or so just to see what they’re up to.

Sometimes they’re talking or laughing. Sometimes they’re screaming or playing nicely in their cribs.That’s not super interesting. It’s kind of cute, but I see them laugh and play and scream all day.

Figure Out If You Kid Is Lying To You With These Tips From An FBI Agent

An FBI agent is lending an insight into distinguishing lies by kids.

4 Student Engagement Tips (From a Student)

How To Effectively Discipline Your Toddler Without Yelling?

You may find yourself yelling at your toddler, especially when it seems effective in getting your child not to do something? You think it is harmless since yelling is not spanking and no physical harm is done to the child?

A Stellar Daddy Photographers Records The Journey of His Astronaut Son

Check out this stellar photo records of 'Small Steps Are Giant Leaps' Project which is about reminding parents that to our kids this is a new and exciting world just waiting to be explored.

Healthy Diet For Kids: 5 Best Superfoods For Toddlers

Toddlers can learn better, develop faster and become less susceptible to diseases by regularly eating a healthy diet. Here are some of the best superfoods for toddlers to optimize their growth and development.

Coding classes for kids in high demand

With software becoming the language of our world, the demand for coding courses for kids are rising.

How A Single Mum Juggles 4 Businesses & 2 Kids

Munas Van Boonstra runs four businesses simultaneously, while gracefully juggling life as a single mother to two adorable children. Her businesses include an events planning company, Nasty Inc; an events furniture & props rental company, Event Rental Malaysia; Gingerbread Haus, a line of children’s clothing she’s started with her kids, and her latest venture being Supermumpreneur, a women & mum’s university where she teaches women how to do it all and entrepreneurship.

Why Fewer Toys Will Benefit Your Kids

Toys are not merely playthings. Toys form the building blocks for our child’s future. They teach our children about the world and about themselves. They send messages and communicate values...

If it feels weird to have to force your kid to hug their relatives, there's a reason.

The in-laws get in after long travels for the holidays, and the first thing they want when they walk in the door are hugs and kisses from their darling grandbabies. Super sweet. Except when the kids aren't feeling like freely giving affection. What happens next?

Improve Your Child's Vocabulary by Simply Reading and Talking to Him

Don’t stop reading aloud to your kids—even when they’re in their teens. It sounds weird and funny, but speech language therapist Anthony D. Koutsoftas, PhD., one of the speakers at “Beyond Borders,” the first convention by the Philippine Association of Speech Pathologists (PASP), insists it is one of the best ways to improve your child’s reading and language abilities.

Google launches ‘Project Bloks’ toys to teach kids to code

Google wants to help teach kids how to code, so now it’s launching a hardware platform for kids (and curious) adults to learn the principles of code. It’s called Project Bloks.

Teacher Lets Students Express Their Creativity on Her Dress on the Last Day of School

The pupils illustrated all sorts of inventive doodles on the skirt: rainbows and kites, butterflies and bugs, and even a sock monkey makes an appearance!

Why you should never use Vicks on babies and toddlers

Mums everywhere turn to Vicks VapoRub when their little ones fall ill, but most don’t know that misusing the popular remedy can actually make your child’s symptoms worse—even to the point of sending them to the hospital.

When an 18-month-old girl was sent to the emergency room after having trouble breathing, Dr. Bruce Rubin and his team found out that her grandparents had rubbed Vicks VapoRub under her nose.

Why Extended Family Is So Important for Children

Dr. Phil explains why he believes it’s so important for children to have relationships with extended family, such as grandparents.

In Defense of Absurdly Early Bedtimes

Yup, I make my almost 2-year-old and 5-year-old go to bed at 7 and 7:30 p.m., respectively. I know—you think I’m rigid, no fun, that I’m denying my kids a joyful childhood because they rarely get to frolic outside at dusk. I get a lot of crap for it. “Can’t you just … ?” My friends ask. No. I’m sorry, no, I can’t.

6 Ways to Praise Without Spoiling Your Tot

For obvious reasons, praising your kids can lead to a whole lot of good for your little one’s wellbeing. It boosts her confidence and self-esteem while keeping her motivated to do her best. It also shows your tot that you are aware of her struggles and triumphs.

Even for parents, it feels good for you to praise your progeny because they represent the best of you.

How To Help Your Child Develop Friendship

If your child is having a hard time breaking into a group or getting along with her peers, she may need your help -- though how (and how much) you should intervene depends on the particular dilemma. We've rounded up some common kid complaints and suggested solutions.

Free Nursery Rhymes Sequencing Printables

Learning and reciting nursery rhymes in early childhood is important for language development and early literacy skills. These free printable sequencing activities will increase comprehension of the stories and will also build critical thinking skills.

8 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MY QUIET KID

Silence in kids often arouses worries to the parents. But don't. Their reservation appears not because they are incapable of what other kids do, but because they communicate with the world differently. Here are a few things you might want to know:

Female chief in Malawi breaks up 850 child marriages and sends girls back to school

Theresa Kachindamoto, the senior chief in the Dedza District of Central Malawi, wields power over close to 900,000 people… and she’s not afraid to use her authority to help the women and girls in her district. In the past three years, she has annulled more than 850 child marriages, sent hundreds of young women back to school to continue their education, and made strides to abolish cleansing rituals that require girls as young as seven to go to sexual initiation camps...

My Child is Being Bullied—What Should I Do?

How can you tell if your child is being bullied? If my child comes to me and tells me he is being bullied, what is the best thing to do? So, what can I do to stop the bullying?

I Still Can’t Decide If Letting My 4-Year-Old Ride Alone Around The Block Was A Good Or Terrible Idea

Playing out front with some neighborhood kids one sunny Saturday afternoon last month, Apollo asked if he could go around the block on his bike. By himself and he is 4.