As parents, we want our kids to be happy. We also want them to be kind, grateful, and helpful. Fortunately, happiness and caring go hand-in-hand—in fact, the more people help others the happier they become. That isn’t just fanciful idealism—scientists have discovered helping others activates the brain’s reward system. Our brains, in other words, are wired to help each other. With that in mind, it’s important to encourage acts of kindness for kids. Here are
Even young children love to hear their own names—it’s one reason I See Me’s customized board books are so popular. We wondered, however, why children seem to focus on their names so intently. What, exactly, happens in a child’s brain when she hears her name? The first thing we discovered is that, while it’s relatively easy to use magnetic resonance imaging to map an adult or older child’s brain, it’s more difficult with infants. The
Coloring books are enjoyed a surge of popularity right now. An activity once considered only for children has been embraced by adults looking for a calming, stress-reducing hobby. Oddly, the interest in coloring for grown-ups means we’ve begun to shed some light on how coloring books relieve stress & positively affect children. Once you learn to draw within the lines a coloring book is a gateway to relaxation. Researchers wanted to know why the seemingly
“I love you” may just be the most powerful expression in the world, especially to children. Kids, even the most confident ones, need to know their parents love them, and finding new and fun ways to say I love you can quickly become a family game. Here’s nine little ways to say I love you to help get you started—your family’s sure to some up with their own, special ways of expressing affection. Lunchbox Notes
Kids are hardwired to explore their environment and discover new things—it’s an important and exciting part of growing up. At a young age, everything’s new; to an adult a stuffed toy is just one among millions, but to a child it’s magically unique. As kids get older, of course, some things lose their newness, but that doesn’t mean they still don’t love getting unique, unusual, and imaginative gifts. Here’s five alternatives to yet another stuffed
Not so long ago fairy tales were frightening, disturbing stories filled with violence, death, and tortuous punishments. There was a reason for this—fairy tales were fables, designed to teach children that proper behavior and good works were rewarded, while evil acts, foolishness, and selfishness lead to horrible ends. Fairy tales for kids have changed with the times, fortunately. Today’s fairy tale heroes still triumph and the villains get their just desserts, but their punishments are
A girl’s first birthday should be celebrated as a milestone for both her and her family. So much has changed since she came into the world—she’s learning to walk, talk, and explore her environment. And now, for the first time, she’s having a birthday! Make the party memorable with our 1st birthday ideas for girls. Give her a gift she and her parents will treasure forever. Child’s bracelet Children are often fascinated with their parent’s
Choosing a first birthday gift can be challenging. You want something that will delight child and parents alike: a gift that’s fun, but also commemorative. Ideally, a first birthday gift will be treasured for a lifetime—and possibly even be passed onto the little one’s own children. To help you make this momentous decision (and we say that without exaggeration) we’ve come up with a list of seven 1st birthday ideas for boys that will be
Whether or not to give a child back to school gifts is a hot parenting topic. Some parents think back to school gifts encourage self-esteem and academic performance. Others feel gifts essentially bribe children into learning, when learning should just be expected from them. A third, and somewhat sneaky, option exists. Choose school supplies the child needs, but seem like gifts to the child. With that in mind, here are some of our favorite back
A number of factors have led to American children spending more and more time indoors. Passive entertainment such as television, computers, and video games can make it difficult to get the kids outside. Concerns with safety make many parents leery of unsupervised outdoor play, while busy adult schedules often interfere with supervised play. Still, it’s well worth the effort to encourage children and play and read outdoors. Healthy Living Childhood obesity rates are at an all-time high.
