30 Questions to Ask Your Kid Instead of “How Was Your Day?”
Here is a list of questions that your child could hopefully answer with more than a single word or grunt!
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Here is a list of questions that your child could hopefully answer with more than a single word or grunt!
“Children feel under pressure to have this perfect life that it looks like everyone else is having according to Instagram and that’s really hard to deal with”
Dr. Leonard Sax has been a family physician and psychologist for 27 years, conducting workshops around the world for parents, teachers, social workers, counselors, school psychologists and juvenile justice professionals.
He’s also a dad, and it’s from all those perspectives that he took on his fourth book, an alarm bell of sorts titled, “The Collapse of Parenting,” out recently from Basic Books.
Five years after the nuclear disaster, 20 Japanese schoolchildren are in Singapore for fun therapy, at a unique art camp to help them deal with the trauma of 3/11 and their disrupted lives.
The clock is color-coded so that kids can easily follow along and know what task they should be working on. Having structure in the evenings helps develop an easier bedtime routine, which is essential for kids. Their brains are working overtime, so make things as easy as possible for them!
As part of its latest guidelines on kids and screen use, the American Academy of Pediatrics says parents not only need to pay attention to how much a kid is using a screen, but also when and why they are using it.
For a decade and a half, the big chocolate makers have promised to end child labor in their industry—and have spent tens of millions of dollars in the effort. But as of the latest estimate, 2.1 million West African children still do the dangerous and physically taxing work of harvesting cocoa. What will it take to fix the problem?
When Beth Laitkep was fighting for her life in the hospital, she found unwavering support from her best friend, Stephanie Culley as she became a critical part of not only her friend's battle with breast cancer but also in the lives of Beth's six children.
I took this picture because initially I thought it was funny. I was going to send it to my husband to show what our mischievous little three-year-old was up to. However, The moment she told me what she was doing I broke down. She was practicing for a lockdown drill at her preschool and what you should do if you are stuck in a bathroom. At that moment all innocense of what I thought my three-year-old possessed was gone.
Society puts a lot of pressure on growing boys — we know this. They're labeled as "tough guys" and "macho" even before they've learned to tie their shoes. They're praised for aggression and told to shake it off when the tears flow.
As it turns out, our boys, with the weight of the testosterone-driven world on their shoulders, start out at a deficit. In his most recent article, Dr. Allan Schore, a clinical psychologist at UCLA explains how baby boys come into the world less capable to deal with stressors.
Have wonderful fun with these frozen dinosaur eggs for sensory play and scientific discovery! So easy to make and play with as part of imaginative, small world play scene and great for dinosaur loving kids.
A dad in Indiana is cracking up a lot of parents online after he sent his baby daughter to daycare in a very interesting outfit -- yes, you saw it right.
If you think your toddler is too young to understand what you’re saying, think again. Find out what he actually picks up from your words and actions.
It’s June Holidays! While it’s a great time to kick back and relax, it’s also an excellent period to explore your kid’s interest and take advantage of the multitude of holiday programmes and activities. We’ve shortlisted 13 must-check-out-programs for you!
"Why can't a superhero, builder or dino explorer also be a nurturer?"
Parenting is a learning journey and although we try our best, we are always going to make mistakes. The important thing, is that we learn from them, and from those of others. From speaking to many parents who are raising bilingual or multilingual children, we have compiled a list of the most common mistakes:
Frustrating, isn’t it? But take heart, because there are simple ways to get your children to listen to you. I’ve worked with thousands of children and teens, so I’ll share with you the 20 best tips I know. - See more at: https://www.familiesforlife.sg/discover-an-article/Pages/20-Simple-Ways-To-Get-Your-Children-To-Listen-To-You.aspx#sthash.yF9zXCZ1.dpuf
We all love BBQ pork ribs, but we don’t always have the time to cook it in the smoker and depending on the season (or if you live in a place where you can’t use a BBQ) your slow cooker will be an ideal alternative that will only take you few minutes to prepare!
There are many events that can cause your child’s sleep habits to get off track. If you don’t have a plan for navigating illness, travel, developmental milestones and teething you can end up in a sleep slump. You may be seeing bedtime battles, night waking, early rising and negative associations around sleep. If you feel like your child’s sleep needs a makeover, try these tips for revamping how sleep looks in your home.
There is a common belief that Asians are naturally gifted at maths.
Asian countries like Singapore and Japan lead the ranks in first and second position on maths performance in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) tables – an international survey that ranks education systems worldwide – while Australia sits around 12th.
These 5 experiments are the perfect at home science experiments to try with your kids!
We know there are many habits and routines that we don’t want our children to pick up but yet we are not setting good life model or example to them. You may be thinking and saying that you do not want your child to smoke, to munch on titbits, to curse and swear because you know it totally uncool, yet our actions tell the opposite. What you did not know is that, these children learn from watching what their parents do. So always remember, your kids are always watching you.
My husband and I thought we were done having kids after we had our first two. Then when our youngest was 3 and we had just celebrated chucking the diapers—surprise!—pregnant! We rolled with it, and now I can’t imagine life without our three kids.
Looking for kite making instructions? This tutorial is easy enough for kids, but fun enough for adults too! Let’s go and make some paper kites, shall we?
risha Prabhu, a 15-year-old who gave a TEDxTeen talk about cyberbullying, created an app called ReThink that’s designed to get your kid to do the one thing you might have a spotty track record with: think before they do something stupid. Specifically, before they send a text or post a message to social media that might make another kid feel like crap.
Here are eight vital life skills that children aren’t taught in school:
1. Independence: Teaching children, a little at a time, to be independent, can show them that they can make decisions on their own. Letting them make their own mistakes can teach them valuable lessons they’ll carry with them.
2. Compassion: Compassion is needed to work well with others, to care for other people and to find happiness through making other people happy.
3. Individuality: They need to be taught that we come in all sizes, shapes and colors, and it is perfectly OK to be unique.
4. Welcoming Change: Teaching children that change isn’t something to be afraid of – just something to prepare for – can help them in so many aspects throughout their life.
5. Happiness: Many parents coddle their children in an attempt to keep them happy and safe, but it can make children rely on their parents for their happiness. Teaching a child from an early age that they can be happy on their own, by things like playing, reading and imagining, is a valuable life lesson.
6. Finding Passion: Many people struggle with finding their passion. Helping a child find what he or she is passionate about by allowing them to try a bunch of different things can help them find a source of lifelong internal happiness and motivation. Encourage the adventure, but let children decide on their own, where they find passion.
7. Asking questions: Teaching children that asking questions is a good thing, can encourage their curiosity and help them continue to seek knowledge in different aspects of life.
8. Solving problems: Constantly solving a child’s problems for them won’t help them as they grow. They need to know that they can solve problems on their own. New skills, a new environment, a new job – they’re all just problems to be solved. Modeling problem solving and allowing children to come up with their solution ideas can help them develop confidence and let them know that whatever comes their way, they are capable of handling it.
Synchronize your watches, grab your walkie talkies and put on your thinking caps!
Room sharing tips can be so helpful to second-time mothers. When I was pregnant with my second son I worried about how sibling room sharing would go. I looked all over the internet for reassurance that my baby and my preschooler would be fine sharing a room. We live in a very small home and while baby would be staying in our room at first, the two boys would have to bunk together eventually.
Stuck for ideas this summer? Music is a natural part of everyday life for toddlers. I watch my little ones dance around to any and everything around them each and every day. Even if we don’t have any music playing. They’ll make up their own songs. They’ll sing to their toys.
Ever since I took on the job of SAHM, I’ve tried my best to save our family money while also continuing to cook healthy(-ish) meals at home. I’ve always enjoyed cooking and coming up with new meals for Mr. Oyster and me to eat – but my excitement for it has changed a bit since having to juggle 1 or 2 children while cooking and also cooking things that they won’t eat. I know it’s a common parenting challenge, but it’s one that’s definitely taken away some of my enjoyment of cooking.
The only way we are going to change the world is to change it one man and one boy at a time.
We all know that besides looking after you, stealing the last bar of chocolate from the fridge and sending you jokes only they find funny, it’s a dad’s main purpose in life to relentlessly mock the hell out of you.
In the course of his research, leadership expert and author of best-selling psychology books Dr. Tim Elmore has discovered several major mistakes which parents often make when raising their children, which can reduce their self-confidence from an early age and limit their chances of becoming successful in their careers and personal lives.
To help you avoid making the committing the same errors, we’ve reproduced them below. Take a look.
Homemade Root Veggie Chips are a great way to add color and introduce your kids to new vegetables. It’s also a great way to use up extra root vegetables in the fridge. We make these homemade chips as a special treat to eat with sandwiches or hotdogs. They’re so pretty!
Biles, a 19-year-old gymnast for Team U.S.A., is already the most decorated gold medalist in world championship gymnastics history. In Rio, she is on the fast track to becoming the best in the world, again, being an odds-on favorite to bring home as many as five gold medals.
The first few years of a child’s life are crucial for their cognitive development, also known as the formative years, whereby neural connections are being made and the brain is “wired”. The first 3 years of life have been identified by neuroscientists and developmental psychologists as important for domains such as early language and joint attention. The brain has many functions and interestingly, studies have shown that “attention control” and “working memory” are two faculties that largely develop after birth. The ability to choose the right information to focus on, and thereafter retain it, is important for learning.
Playing with items on a lightbox is so simple, and yet it can be so intriguing to children of all ages. Familiar items become new again when you add light. Make that experience portable with your own easy DIY lightbox.
Stow some travel-friendly items inside and you’ve got an activity that’s perfect for evening car trips. Set up in the kitchen and use your lightbox for some messier sensory play or creating artwork.
According to the EWG’s report, these are the 7 worst sunscreens for kids:
1. Banana Boat Kids Max Protect & Play Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 100
2. Coppertone Water Babies Sunscreen Stick, Wacky Foam and Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 55
3. CVS Baby Sunstick Sunscreen and Spray, SPF 55
4. Equate Kids Sunscreen Stick, SPF 55
5. Neutrogena Wet Skin Kids Sunscreen Spray and Stick products, SPF 70
6. Up & Up Kids Sunscreen Stick, SPF 55
7. Hampton Sun Continuous Mist Sunscreen for Kids, SPF 70
Any good parent wants their kids to stay out of trouble, do well in school, and go on to do awesome things as adults. And while there isn't a set recipe for raising successful children, psychology research has pointed to a handful of factors that predict success.
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Unsurprisingly, much of it comes down to the parents. Here's what parents of successful kids have in common:
The June school holidays are here and, for some primary school pupils, that could mean schedules packed with academic revision, remedial lessons and tuition. But there is also value in giving children free time and space to initiate their own activities, which can complement their learning in school, say educators.
What can you do to have healthy eating habits without sacrificing a ton of time in the kitchen? Here are 13 ways to embrace healthy eating for a family with a tight schedule. Pick a few that could work for your family, and add more over time.
Suggested apps that are both engaging and educational
Praise has become something of a loaded subject with regard to kids, one tangled up in debates over self-esteem, academic pressure, and how to raise people who know how to work for what they want. There’s a Goldilocks effect at play: You don’t want to go overboard, but neither do you want to be too unenthused. And a study in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science showed how important it is for parents to get it just right.
More than seven in 10 Singaporeans believe that a person's ethnicity does not influence his or her success, according to a nationwide survey specially commissioned by Channel NewsAsia in partnership with the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS).
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.
Parenting young children (really children of any age) is an intensely emotional experience. There is the pure pleasure of cuddling, playing, laughing, exploring, and delighting in your baby’s daily growth and discoveries. And then there are the challenges—the moments of stress, anger, frustration, and resentment—at not knowing what a baby’s cry means and how to calm her, at the totally irrational demands of a toddler, or at the aggressive behavior of an older child toward a new baby...
The longest recorded case of hiccups lasted for 68 years … and was caused by a falling hog. While that level of severity is extremely uncommon, most of us are no stranger to an occasional case of the hiccups. But what causes these ‘hics’ in the first place? John Cameron takes us into the diaphragm to find out.