By Peter Gray Ph.D. When I give talks to parents’ groups about the benefits of outdoor free play for their kids, the first question asked is often something like this: My child doesn’t want to play outdoors because there’s nobody out there to play with. What can I do about […]
Asking your child to wash their hands before they eat isn’t useful unless they know why it’s important. from www.shutterstock.com Learning about illness is unlike learning about other things: it requires children to reason about objects like “germs” that they can’t see or touch. Although children have some difficulty of […]
By Mary Sauer As parents, our daily responsibilities are seemingly endless. Raising children is a rewarding yet challenging experience. Many of the small, everyday responsibilities that come with raising children can be summed up in one phrase: It is our job to prepare them to be adults. Whether you are […]
A similar situation may exist in other countries (Editor) Tying funding to disability categories is putting pressure on schools and parents. www.shutterstock.com In Australia, children with disabilities only receive additional government funding if they fall into a recognised disability category. As a result, schools and parents often come under pressure […]
It’s not always a bad thing to lie to your kids. from www.shutterstock.com It’s that time of the year again when parents deliberate over whether to lie – or continue the lie – to their kids about Santa Claus. Many parents don’t feel comfortable “lying” to their child just to […]
It’s time to pick up that favourite book and get reading. from shutterstock.com The books we remember strongly as adults are often the ones we read as children. Not only do we remember particular books, but the emotions we experienced. Children’s books are reread and remembered over a lifetime, and […]
Credit: pio3 | Shutterstock.com Scientists, it’s time to lend your ears (and your knowledge) to this year’s big science competition: Explaining the science of sound to 11-year-olds. The winning answer will help not only children across the world understand sound, but also the contest’s founder, actor Alan Alda. Alda is […]
Parents can help their children learn new words by reading their favourite books aloud. www.shutterstock.com As parents know all too well, children love to re-read their favourite books over and over again. While this may feel painfully repetitive to adults, there is something in the text that is bringing children […]
Young children enter care as a result of neglect or abuse, which has a big impact on their ability to engage in school. www.shutterstock.com A report out today has found that children in care are less likely to achieve the national minimum standards in literacy and numeracy, with the gap […]
Why Mother Nature motivates our children to play in emotionally exciting ways. In play, children practice many skills that are crucial for healthy development. They practice physical and manual skills, intellectual skills, and social skills. I have written about all of this in previous posts. They also practice emotional skills. In play, […]