What Kids Need: Hope

What Kids Need: Hope You may be thinking, but no one gave me hope; I just seemed to have it already.  Today, less than 70% of kids report having a positive view of their future and feeling optimistic about their lives.  As an educator of many years, both teacher and...

What Kids Need: Self Esteem

What Kids Need: Self Esteem Less than half of today’s youth report that they feel good about themselves.  Does that shock you?  As an educator of many years, I must admit that it still surprises me when I hear that number.  So how do we, as parents, work on...

What Kids Need: Planning Skills

Kids and Planning Skills We often do this for our kids, but do you teach your young person how to plan?  In a national survey, nearly half of all the kids surveyed said they need help planning.  One approach that has been quite successful is that of a family meeting. ...

Setting Boundaries and Limits

Setting Boundaries and Limits One of the most challenging assignments of being a parent is helping our kids learn to set boundaries and limits to help them guide themselves in a variety of circumstances.  It is the one part that neither the child nor the parent enjoys...

What Kids Need: A Family with Love

What Kids Need: A Family with Love Number one with kids is a family that expresses love for each other.  That makes for a comfortable and cozy place to be themselves that is peaceful.  There is nothing like it and nothing that will replace such a protective cocoon for...

What Kids Need: Parental Boundaries

What Kids Need: Parental Boundaries It doesn’t take very long for kids to learn that they can break the rules without consequences.  Parents help kids learn self-discipline and self-control when they set boundaries in the home and enforce them.  As a high school...