Education & Creativity
Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining (and profoundly moving) case for creating an education system that nurtures creativity, rather than undermining it.
Think about this: "We don't grow into creativity, we grow out of it; actually, we get educated out of it."
Click ...
Hunger for Touch
Perhaps the most effective way to determine the value of an idea is to determine the negative effects that occur when that concept is missing.
Let’s examine the power of human touch regarding children and the accompanying effects that can result from insufficient physical contact.
Recent ...
Are You Spoiling Your Kid?
From the very first infant feeding to college tuition, parents are constantly giving to their children.
Some parents give more, and others less; yet we all wonder at some point, “Am I spoiling my daughter?” or, “Is buying this item for my son truly a ...
How To Make Bedtime Go Smoothly!
No other time of the day in our child’s life is as emotionally charged as bedtime!
Bedtime can be considered a significant ‘trunk’ of your child’s ‘tree’- from where many other ‘branches’ - or issues - emerge.
Well-rested children will perform better scholastically, be in a ...
We Are More Than Beautiful!
Blog Book Tour
We Are More Than Beautiful
46 Real Teens Speak Out about Beauty, Happiness, Love and Life
by Woody Winfree
The new book, We Are More Than Beautiful for teen girls ...
Preventing Sexual Abuse
Last week I was privileged to attend a lecture on the subject of preventing sexual abuse among children by Dr. D. Pelcovitz, professor of education and psychology at Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education in New York.
There is a theory ...
Values Versus Pop Culture
No matter where you live and how sheltered you keep your family, Western values are infiltrating our households.
How do you prevent American values (i.e. that beauty, wealth, and power are the keys to happiness and success) from taking hold in your children's mind?
What is ...
Getting Kids Organized: Tips that Work!
Teaching Children to Organize Their Possessions: Five Tips for Parents
If you’d look under the children’s beds or in the playrooms of most houses, you might think there is no way to get your kids organized. ...
Yell at Your Kids in the Afteroon… but Not in the Mornings!
Yell at your kids in the afternoon, but…
… NOT in the mornings!
This week, we are going to incorporate a new habit into our lives. The purpose of this particular habit is to make our children’s living more pleasant and to give them the ...
Driving Without Fuel
Here’s a question for you:
Would you attempt a cross-country drive without a single gallon of gas in your car’s tank?
At the risk of stating the obvious, nobody in their right mind would try to take a trip in a vehicle that ...
Don’t Worry!
It was one of those dull, gray Monday mornings earlier this week when I was sitting in my doctor’s office being administered a medication via IV for several hours. Unfortunately, I had neglected to find a good book to accompany me on this ...
Parents - 12 Holiday Tips For Balance, Harmony, and Joy
This time of year, we look forward to the excitement and fun of the holiday season: Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and the New Year are all occasions to rejoice and celebrate with family and friends. With the holidays, though, comes more than the ...
Reframing
The Art of Reframing
It’s not just for artists and professional framers.
Reframing is a psychological tool that can simply transform your life. I know, it sounds pretty cliché, however- it’s the truth.
The other day I was parked in our ...
Progress, not Perfection
Progress, not Perfection
Yesterday I noticed a bumper sticker in my dentist’s parking lot which read, “Progress, not perfection.”
Hundreds of examples of how to apply that motto to childrearing rushed through my head as I made my way past that shiny sedan....
Pursuit of Comfort
One of the greatest fallacies of our time is the mistaken social rule that “happiness means being comfortable”.
When was the last time that you saw modern-day movie where the hero or heroine was happy to be in an impoverished and uncomfortable state?...
You Can’t Teach It If You Don’t Know It!
If you were asked to deliver a lecture about marine biology in thirty minutes, would you be able to give a terrific speech?
Probably not. And neither would I.
How about if the subject was antique marble collecting? Or ancient Chinese ...
Mom Song
Go ahead... you deserve a laugh!
“Who wants to be an emotional millionaire?”
Happy. Sad.
Most youngsters can recognize these feelings from a very early age.
However, what about the myriad of other feelings that pop up within ...
Juggling!
Every busy parent knows that life is a continuous juggling act in the midst of a three-ring-circus. Trust me, I have three little boys, each of whom manages to demand, perform, and behave in excess of a Barnum and Bailey show!...
Protecting Our Children
Protecting our children
By Wade Meszaros, Mental Health Child & Youth Therapist
I have been involved in counselling families and children for the past 15 years.
One of the most devastating experiences a person can go through is ...
Responsibility!
{Order reprint rights for this article here - #1045}
There are so many powerful thoughts regarding raising small souls cruising through my mind today that I scarcely know where to begin! We just returned from a ...
Reclaiming the Lost Art of Listening
{Order reprint rights for this article here - #1044}
My good friend Sarah recently repeated this conversation to us, and we laughed until we could laugh no longer.
"Hi, how are you?" the ...
“Ouch!” Change is Uncomfortable!
Take the time to take a good hard look at where you are today, and where you want to be in the future.
You are here, yet you want to be there. Your children are here, and you’d ...
“How Do You Love Me?”
“I love you.”
They are the three sweetest words in our language; wonderful, special words. Yet, the interpretation of these words can be just as distinctive as our fingerprints.
Pronouncing the phrase “I love you” may be the equivalent of physical affection ...
I Want To Scream!
Dear Ellen,
Sometimes I get so mad at my kids! Yesterday, we were getting ready for a family reunion that our family will be hosting next week. My thirteen-year-old daughter suggested that we create place cards and matching centerpieces for the ...
Put Yourself in His Shoes!
A wise educator once compared a child's distress over a lost toy to the anguish that an entrepreneur feels regarding a failed investment.
He specified that taking away a block of wood that a child is floating in the bathtub as a ...
Modeling as a Way of Life
“Do as I say and not as I do.”
That hypocritical concept is unquestionably one of the most ineffective methods of education.
Children see, and children do.
Children instinctively model the behavior of those around them, thereby developing physical, emotional, and mental skills.
On occasion, it can be ...
Planting Small Souls
Raising children is arguably one of the most complex and profound challenges that we face. From the innocent days of infancy through the complicated chaos of the teenage years, childrearing is fraught with questions and uncertainty.
Like a freshly ...
Five Tips to Kick Start Your Child’s Self Esteem
If there is one attribute that can change the outcome of a child’s life, I would have to define that as self-esteem.
Low self-esteem can take a youngster to unsavory relationships and ...
Touch Hunger
Perhaps the most effective way to determine the value of an idea is to determine the negative effects that occur when that concept is missing.
Let's examine the power of human touch regarding children and ...
My Buddy and Me
Perhaps it all began in the latter half of the 20th century when a new trend in parenting spread amongst those who were fairly new in their “careers” as parents. Establishing one’s role as a parental figure in the early stages of ...
Smoother Transitions
Pretend for a moment that it is midnight. Or is it?
Suddenly, all of the clocks in your home have become dysfunctional. Every timepiece has broken; even your computer and cell phone are displaying error messages instead of the correct time.
Minutes and hours are marching ...
Expectations- Are They Realistic?
Fast-forward 2, 5, or even 20 years.
Graduation caps are flying through the air as celebratory sounds of "Congratulations!" fill the air.
Your beloved child has just graduated from college, a shining moment in your parenting journey.
“Wow, the past 2 decades ...
Everything Versus Something
It happens at the most surprising moments. A flash of inspiration bolts into our heart, and like Nike, the energy shouts, "Just do it!"
Perhaps it was a sidelong glance at well-mannered children in another family, or even one of the articles on this ...
6 Steps to Problem Solving
It could be early in the morning, late evening, or anytime in between when a problem crops up. The only consistency is that the challenging issue always rears its head at the wrong time- no matter what the clock is reading!
From a lost ...
NDL- Nonverbal Learning Disorder
NLD: Nonverbal Learning Disorder
You know him. He’s the one that sits at his desk during recess, reading rather than going outside to play ball with his classmates.
She’s ...
I’m Bored!
You have just settled yourself in front of the computer to read an interesting article (perhaps one of mine!) and then you hear the two words which grate on your nerves: "I'm bored!"
It ...
Should Parents Snoop on Their Kids?
Should Parents Snoop on Their Kids?
By: Mona R. Spiegel, Ph.D.
The Question
Our primary job as parents is to keep our children safe. Are we permitted to ...
Activities for Children
Thank you for downloading the free Paper Doll and Dot-to-Dot ebooks!
I hope you and your child enjoyed them:)
Additionally, please let me know what kind of activities you would like to see from RaisingSmallSouls in the future!
...
Family Celebrations
A Personal Story
By: Mona R. Spiegel, Ph.D.
My birthday is November 28th. This date has influenced my view of family celebrations. As you may realize, November 28th occurs in close proximity to ...
Choices
Choices!
If I had to summarize the moral of RaisingSmallSouls.com’s popular ‘Animal School’ movie, I would borrow the words of King Solomon: "Educate a lad according to his way; even in old age he will not depart ...
Eating With Children
EATING WITH CHILDREN
by: Mona R. Spiegel, Ph.D.
"My Family Coach"
Helping Women and Their Families
http://www.myfamilycoach.com
Introduction: What’s for Supper?...
Is Your Child a Mini-Adult?
Are children mini-adults? Can we simply soften our manner of adult dialogue and converse successfully with our children?
In order to have effective communication between with our children, we must understand the ...
Recommended Reading…
In case you haven't heard from me in a while, no, I wasn't ignoring you! However, I had emergency surgery and was in the hospital for several days last week, and now I'm starting to get back to myself. (Nothing life-threatening, thankfully, ...
Self-Esteem, the Industrial Revolution, & TV
Self-Esteem, the Industrial Revolution, and TV
If you were asked “What are the three top characteristic you hope to imbue in your child?” there’s a good chance that self-esteem would be one of your answers.
A healthy level of personal esteem will allow ...
Too Many Emails!
There was an old lady who lived in a shoe...
She had so many emails she didn't know what to do...
As the RaisingSmallSouls family grows, my inbox is growing.
And growing. And GROWING. AND GWOWING SOME MORE!
I don't want to ignore anyone. I wish ...
Gratitude
How can we teach our children to feel gratitude?
The simplest things, the ones we take for granted, ought to be appreciated. For example, having hands that can function effectively is a great starting point.
...
Avoiding Confrontations!
"How many times have I told you to do such-and-such?"
It's the familiar prelude to a power struggle between parent and child.
One of the most common complaints heard from parents is that their children don't listen to ...
Fish
Due to the feedback that you have given me, I would like to revise the fish slide in the Animal School movie so that no hard feelings are generated.
The slide currently reads as follows at the beginning of the movie:
The fish quit school ...
Giving Your Child Effective Attention!
As an Early Childhood educator, I have learned that ATTENTION is a survival need- not a manipulation of adults.
After World War II, orphans living in a clean, hygienic and basically attentive facility did not thrive. In fact, almost ...
Bedtime!
No other time of the day in our child's life is as emotionally charged as bedtime!
Bedtime can be considered a significant 'trunk' of your child's 'tree'- from where many other 'branches' - or issues - emerge....
Reflecting Versus Reacting
Imagine with me for a moment that you have just arrived home from a party.
"Honey, I'm so hungry, do we have anything good to eat?" you ask your spouse.
"Hungry!" Spouse exclaims, "How could you possibly ...
Getting Through the Tough Times
So, you've spent an enjoyable afternoon on a pleasant trip with your son or daughter who is going through a challenging period. (See www.raisingsmallsouls.com/tough-times for more information about creating a pleasant outing during a stressful time.)
What else can ...
7 Good Reasons to Get Your Child Involved in Sports
My friend Stacie runs a website about children and sports, and she was sweet enough to allow me to share this thought-provoking article with you. Enjoy!
~Ellen
7 Good Reasons to Get Your Child Involved in Sport...
Advice for the Tough Times
Lately I've been getting more requests for advice geared towards teenagers.
This article is most applicable to teens, yet can be tailored to any age child.
What do you do when really tough challenges arise with your ...
There Ought To Be a Law!
Once upon a time in the future, when I form a utopian community
that benefits all types of children, I will enact the following law:
The fabulous book by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish entitled "How
To Talk So Kids Will Listen, And Listen ...
Low-Frustration-Tolerance & Stress-Relief
If you're anything at all like me, you often read about parenting techniques... you even take the time and energy to think about exactly how you'd like to implement them with your family... and then- boom!- something sets you off and ...
Mommy-Guilt!
There's Daddy-Guilt as well, however since the majority of my subscribers are women, for the sake of simplicity I'll stick to the feminine gender in this article:)
How often does Mommy-Guilt hit upon you? For some of us, it's only a few times a month, ...
Resources for Special-Needs Children
There have been a lot of comments and questions from parents of special needs children recently.
Honestly, as RaisingSmallSouls is a personal website that I have developed about a subject I am passionate about- raising emotionally healthy ...
How To Engrave ‘Say-No-To-Drugs’ on Your Child’s Mind- Starting when They’re Young!
Let’s face it; drugs and alcohol have the ability to rob you of your children. Access to illegal substances is absurdly simple for teenagers. Clearly, young lives are being ruined by the thousands as a result of these harmful addictions....
How To End Temper Tantrums
I will never forget the man whom I met at my in-law's home last year. Standing at six-feet tall, with broad shoulders, and a hardened military expression of seriousness on his face, he appeared intimidating- even to me. Then I heard that he ...
Fathers and Babies
In recent years, we have seen the trend towards more fathers having greater involvement in their baby's lives.
Two or three generations ago, the idea of a Dad preparing formula for his infant would have been a bit unusual. Now, dads worlwide are involved ...
Bedtime Rules for Parents!
The other day I met a wonderful family staying nearby here in Florida; six well-mannered children from age five to twenty, and two truly dedicated parents.
"I don't go to sleep until my children are in bed," Mr. B. remarked.
"Your kids are teenagers!" I exclaimed. ...
Parenting FAQ’s
I enjoy getting to know RaisingSmallSouls' visitors and subscribers better, and I'd like to know what I can do to help your family!
Feel free to tell us about your child or children, and ask your most pressing parenting questions over here.
I will do my ...
How To Treat Your Different Children Fairly
“It’s not fair!” is one of the most common outcries of children in every age bracket.
Children will invoke the perceived power of the ‘fairness doctrine...
How To Eliminate Sibling Rivalry
"A sorrow shared is a sorrow halved." an ancient quote proclaims.
Parents can derive much comfort from the universality of sibling rivalry. At the very beginning of time, the first two siblings, Cain and Abel, did not get along with each other, and ...
Teaching Children About Money
How did you learn about the value of money? Did you learn from a lecture of your parents or teachers, from reading about it, or, from personal experience handling your own finances?
Your children are constantly absorbing various messages regarding money; the messages you radiate ...
How to Motivate Your Child
Children, just like adults, often perform better when there is a proverbial carrot dangling just ahead. A bit of motivation can work wonders to guide your child towards better behavior or improved schoolwork.
The old fashioned chart is the generally the simplest method for you ...
Truthful Chilren
Living in a society in which our highest government officials and largest corporations are routinely found to be dishonest, how can we teach our children to be truthful? A recent Reader's Digest article exposed that over 60% of high school students admitted to ...
Dear Mommy & Daddy,
My five-year-old son brought home a picture of a fruit tree he had decorated in school, with the following poem that I feel compelled to share with you:
Dear Mommy and Daddy,
When a farmer plants a tree,
He toils and toils endlessly.
He works all day and ...
Playing… and Learning!
Some of the deepest and most inspirational lessons that we have learned were a result of observation, rather than lectures. It's simple psychological math that actions always speak louder than words.
Weaving lessons into everyday life, especially fun activities like a game that your child ...
Quality Time with Your Child
What is "quality time" and why has it reached paramount importance in parenting magazines?
Quality time is when you spend time focused on your child. It is not the time that you pay the bills, clean the house, or run errands. It ...
Discovering the Root of the Problem
What is every parent's automatic reaction to becoming aware of a problematic issue with their child?
Yes, they try to fix it. Immediately!
Sometimes it is a good idea to stop and wait. Get to know your child better, and perhaps let several hours ...
Parenting in the Fast Lane
Today my nearly-seven-year-old son showed me his first loose tooth. For one short second tears came unwillingly to my eyes as I recalled the time a spoon clinked against his first tooth when he was a baby. That was just yesterday, wasn't ...
A Child’s Emotional Bank Account
At a parenting seminar I recently attended, someone asked a room full of parents, "What is the most difficult aspect of raising successful children?"
The most memorable response drew a lot of laughs; "The first twenty-five years."
Indeed, there are numerous challenges we parents face from ...
Do You Have a Parenting Mission Statement? Why Not?
Imagine that you are looking for a ride to Los Angeles. You meet someone who says that they have room in their car to give you a lift to California. "Exactly where in California are you going?" you ask.
"Oh, we're not sure. ...
Less is More!
When communicating with children of any age bracket, less is more. Strive for simplicity in your instructions and teachings.
Kids do not have the acquired ability to "cut to the chase" of an idea; they have not yet gained the maturity to ...
Praise What They Did, Not Who They Are!
How to harness the power of praise to build your children's self-esteem
Raising kids with a healthy dose of self-esteem is one of the main goals parents have. In addition to a favorable attitude toward spending time with your child, which is the key ...
The Golden Rule of Punishing Kids
There are modern parenting advisors who believe that punishing children is off-limits. They say that proper behaviors can be instilled in children without any punishments. However, punishment need not be defined as corporal punishment.
Banning corporal punishment and hitting is a reasonable position. ...
How to Handle Other People’s Children
An oft-heard subject of controversy is disciplining other peoples' kids.
What do you do when your children have playmates at your home who are misbehaving?
I don't think there is an easy answer to this difficulty.
I have heard some parents advising that, "Whatever happens ...
A typical day… is pretty sad
I once read an account of the typical conversations that occur between parent and child in the course of an average day.
If a recording were to be made of the interaction between a parent and their child, it would look something like this:
"Take your ...
A Scream-Free Zone
Night has fallen, and a quiet and relaxing evening is approaching. At least, that's what we had imagined.
The reality is that sounds of, "I need to go to the bathroom," and "my blanket fell down," and "We forgot to brush my teeth," are ...
Kids with healthy self-esteem: The ingredient that cannot be left out of the recipe!
The other day, I was at an interesting parenting seminar.
The psychologist giving the lecture opened the session by asking us what the single most important aspect of parenting is, regarding raising children with a healthy self-esteem.
Assorted answers rang through the crowd.
"Give 'em lots of ...
“You hate me!” my child said.
All normal and healthy parents naturally love their children. Loving our children is an instinctive parental response. We brought the child into the world, and do so much for the kid, obviously we love them. Well, most of the time, that ...
Positive Disciplining
Recently, I was at the home of a dear friend, and I heard her say to her son, “Sweetheart, if you don’t sit straight I am not going to give you any soda.”
Since it was not in my own home, it was very simple ...
The Only Parenting Failure
"The only failure is not trying."
As long as you have not given up, you are still in the game. Continuing to try, no matter what the results of your attempts, makes you a success!
The very fact that you are on reading RaisingSmallSouls.com means ...
Of Parenting and Piloting
Have you ever flown on a commercial airplane? Are you aware that the majority of the time the airplane does not travel on its specific flight course?!
How do planes reach their destination, when factors such as air currents and whether constantly move it ...
 |
 |
 |
 |
Navigation: