Disclosure: This post is in partnership with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, but opinions are mine. Cigarette smoking is vilified in this country. It’s stinky, it’s cancer-causing, it yellows your teeth, and, among other things, it causes a lot of trash. But did you know there is a new cigarette in town? It’s one that kids think is cool. In Colorado, … [Read more...]
How to Support Introverted Children at Home and School
Do you have a child with an introverted temperament? Introverted children, that's about one-third to one-half of the population, recharge their energy from time spent alone. (As opposed to time spent with other people.) You can take an assessment if you're not sure if your kids are introverts. Or read this article about the difference between shy and introverted. I have two introverts. And … [Read more...]
Learn Spanish At Home With PandaTree Language Learning For Kids
Disclosure: We worked in partnership with Panda Tree to bring you this information. All opinions are our own. written by Christa Jimenez, of Pura Vida Moms One of the most common questions that I receive as a bilingual parent and former bilingual teacher is: how do I teach my children to become bilingual? There are so many answers to that question-- and it really depends on the culture of … [Read more...]
If You Have a Neurodiverse Child, Differently Wired Is a Must-Read
In a world full of parenting books for "typical" kids and books about understanding specific disorders, there aren't many books that guide us on how to embrace and parent an atypical, neurodiverse child. Differently Wired: Raising an Exceptional Child in a Conventional World is a judgment-free breath of fresh air; it shows parents like me how to see, parent, and celebrate the kids we've been … [Read more...]
4 New Emotional Intelligence Picture Books
If you're like me, you're searching for great ways to build your child's emotional intelligence. Of course, we're our children's first role models but picture books can also be helpful as you intentionally build your kids' EQ. The conversations that occur before, during, and after reading these books will be rich. 4 New Emotional Intelligence Picture Books The Rabbit Listened by Cory … [Read more...]
Have You Forgotten the Most Important Safety Rules?
What are your safety rules? Wear helmets, don’t stick your finger in an outlet, buckle up, look both ways before crossing the street, . . . things like that? How about body safety rules? Do you have rules for that? If you only read one parenting book this month, read Off Limits, A Parents Guide to Keeping Kids Safe from Sexual Abuse by Sandy K. Wurtele, Ph.D. and Feather Berkower, M.S.W. . You … [Read more...]
What I’m Doing About My Teenager’s Screen Time Addiction
My 16-year-old daughter's therapist recently had yet another come-to-Jesus talk with my husband and me. Don't get me wrong, it was awesome. They are always awesome. But there's always some regret and a little shame that I feel getting told I need to make changes. Like, why didn't I do things differently in the first place? Why aren't I a better parent? Which is why I'm proud of my husband and me. … [Read more...]
I’m Getting Organized (& Increasing Productivity) with Paper Products
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Babbleboxx.com on behalf of the Paper + Packaging Board. Staying organized is a huge goal of mine because I've been flying by the seat of my pants for too long. (I am not going to show you a photo of my office desk or floor. I'm a piler!) That's why I was so interested when Paper & Packaging offered to help me stay organized and be more productive with … [Read more...]
Tips to Teach Kids How To Be Entrepreneurs
Recently my family played a board game invented by 10-year olds. It got me thinking about how to teach kids to be entrepreneurs. Then my daughter announced, "I want to be an entrepreneur," adding, "because you have a good schedule." So clearly being a role model is helpful -- my husband and I are entrepreneurs --with flexible work hours. :) But what else supports children in their efforts to learn … [Read more...]
3 Easy Strategies to Help Kids Adopt a Growth Mindset
Looking for strategies to help your kids adopt a growth mindset? Let's talk about specific strategies that can direct you and your children towards that end. The big point of growth mindset is that it can help kids persist, fail and try again, and reconsider what being successful means. Strategies to Help Kids Adopt a Growth Mindset Read Biographies About People with Growth Mindset Stories … [Read more...]
Wisdom from Fueled by Failure: Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls & Always #LikeAGirl
This post is made possible with support from Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls and Always. All opinions are my own. Failure isn't a setback. Failure is fuel. That's the message Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls and Always #LikeAGirl want tween and teen girls to know and live out. Recently, I had the chance to watch an incredible panel of women share advice and wisdom on failure and growing up for … [Read more...]
A Book to Help Your Kids Learn Strategies for Friendships
Friendships are so important to kids. As parents, we want to help our children make (and keep) good friends but, it's not always easy. We're not there with our kids. And our kids need to learn the strategies on their own anyway. That's why we need books like Growing Friendships: A Kids' Guide to Making and Keeping Friends by Dr. Eileen Kennedy-Moore and Christine McLaughlin. This book gives kids … [Read more...]