Is Your Child a Born Giver?

  Does giving come naturally to your child? Headaches, anxiety and gray hair don’t count. Rather, consider whether or not your child is innately predisposed to be generous with his possessions without being prompted? As we countdown to Christmas, we’d all like our children to remember that it is better to give than receive.  However, a new study found that most kids tend to be selfish with material items, unless they know their generosity will be seen by others. The research, recently published in the journal PLoSOne, suggests that children as young as five years old strategize ways to advertise … Continue reading

More Teachable Moments

It started out simple enough. I wanted some DVDs from the library, preferably ones I could check out that I wouldn’t have to pay the $1 rental fee. As I scanned the shelves I found a 3-disc copy of Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?” I vaguely recall this show from years back (funny though, I could have sworn it was “where in the world…”) so I scooped it up for Tyler— all 6 hours. I also picked out a few more DVDs and as luck would have it Carmen was a freebie, along with some PBS educational videos. Imagine … Continue reading

Teachable Moments

One of the reasons I feel Tyler is so smart at such a young age is because he has a thirst for knowledge. When he was a baby he was alert, watching everything I did, taking notes and sucking everything in like a sponge. Although I’ve taught him myself most of his life, I’ve never spent much time with flashcards and Baby Einstein videos. Instead, I’ve used a lot of “teachable moments”. Teachable moments involves no lecturing, or boring monologues. They can happen at home, while driving in the car, while standing in line at the bank– anywhere, in fact. … Continue reading