I've been asked about this by parents of a four-year-old. I am not aware of this happening at the four-year-old level. I think building an individual's self-esteem is the foundation for anti-bullying. Part of that foundation is teaching children that they have the Right and Responsibility to Say What's Wtong and Make It Right when they are upset. If the child has a complaint about an interaction with another child, role-working about the spec...

Say What's Wrong and Make It Right by Karen Taylor-Bleiker

I was in my late thirties before I started to understand and believe the concept: "Feelings are not right or wrong, bad or good.  Feelings just are."

What an awakening this was for me.  It was the beginning of a great adventure.  The journey burst wide open when I returned to teaching kindergarten.  With my partner, Diana Carr, and our five-year olds, we created ...

I was thrilled to read the article, "Talking about race in ballet class" by Jessica F. Hinton, January 25, 2016, in The Washington Post.  Her beautifully written article is about helping her three and five year old black daughters understand and deal with racism.  Her wise insights and description of the actions she took to develop her girls' understanding and freedom to voice upsets are helpful to parents of any race on many issues.  She suggests continued conversations...

If you are looking for a Hanukkah or Christmas present that is a fun way to increse family communication and build closeness, the Ungame is the answer.  It will do that and so much more.  Through playing this game family members will:

• Improve listening skills.
• Feel safe to express feelings, needs, and ideas.
• Gain understanding of self and others.

You're Not the Boss of Me by Betsy Brown Braun (2010) Harper Collins Publishers is another delightful yet practical guide book for developing independence and responsibility in children.  It is filled with tips such as lists of age appropriate responsibilities for two-and-a-half-year-olds through eight-year-olds.  She gives and abundance of adult scripts for many of her tips.  For instance, I love her response to a child that complains about being bored.  " ...

Just reread Raising Self-Reliant Children in a Self-Indulgent World by H. Stephen Glenn and Jane Nelsen (2000) Three Rivers Press.  Chapter 4 "Developing Strong Perceptions of Personal Capabilities" is filled with detailed examples of ways to build a child's sense of being capable as well as the words we use that can discourage or inspire independence.  It was a good reminder for me to focus positively on the parts of a responsibility that the child accomplishes and...

Julie Lythcott-Haims, former Stanford University Dean of Students, in her book "How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success" (2015) Holt, Henry and Company, Inc., discusses her experiences with incoming freshmen over a ten year period in The Washington Post  (www.washingtonpost.com).  Each year the students who entered were less capable of taking responsibility than the students from the previous year.  Theses students wer...

I would love for you to check out my Q&A section this week.  A friend jokingly asked me a question about Say What's Wrong and Make It Right that inspired me to tell a fun story about how the process works for any age.  Enjoy!!

If you are a parent, grand-parent, educator, child, care-giver or writer, the 12th annual Children Book Festival is bound to have something of interest for you. Whether you have a family that enjoys reading, or want to encourage a love of reading in others, this is a great weekend destination. I definitely plan on checking it out! 

Time: 9:30 - 4:30

Location: Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa

There is something for everyone in the family. The little ones, pre-teens, te...