Parenting Tools

Games to Play to Pass the Travel Time Away

It's that time of year! Spring Break is right around the corner and most likely you'll be in the car or on a plane with your family and will need a few things to do to help the time go by. Once all the snacks are eaten, books are read and movies are watched why not start up an old fashioned family car game?

Here are a few of our favorite ways to pass the time behind the wheel or in the air:

What to do When a Child is Diagnosed with Special Needs

alt Parents often struggle with what to do when they learn their child has received a special needs diagnosis. To help parents improve the quality of life for their children with autism, dyslexia, ADHD and other learning disabilities, we've assembled these helpful tips!

1. Make an appointment with your child's teacher. A simple phone call, email, or even a note may work wonders.

Jot down a list of detailed questions to gather information about your child's academic weaknesses and ask about any social or emotional problems and the teacher's observations of any physical clues that there may be a problem. Ask the teacher if she feels your child could benefit from an independent education program or any special needs classes.

Discipline Your Child with Time IN

Sure you’ve heard of Time Out, but have you heard of Time In? It’s a positive disciplinary tool that started making its rounds throughout the parenting world less than a decade ago. Unlike the traditional Time Out method, Time In does not send the child away, off to some lonely, dusty corner of the room or some remote area of civilization! In fact, studies have shown that the old-style Time Out technique can leave a child feeling abandoned and rejected, and often confused. If you give this idea some thought, you might find it easy to draw this same conclusion. That’s why I was excited to learn about Time IN - a good alternative to Time Out. Here’s the gist:

5 Tips to Help Your Child Overcome His Fear of the Dark

Do you have a child who's afraid of the dark? Here's some advice for getting a peaceful night's sleep for the both of you:

1.Have the patience to deal with your kid's fear. After a long, busy day, it can be frustrating to try to coax a child to sleep so you can go to sleep yourself. Be mindful that your child needs your comfort and protection more than anything – and easing them through irrational fear is a step-by-step process. One night you’ll seem to have it all figured out. Days later you might be back to where you started (with your child clinging to you or standing at your door). Be patient.