Social Skills

Raise your hand if your child thinks your phone is just another one of her toys. We all know the feeling! Smartphones can be a great source for educational entertainment for children, but let's face it — curious kids have the uncanny ability to...

Learning to Negotiate On a daily basis, your child will encounter situations in which her own wishes and needs clash with those of other people. Learning how to handle these situations is a critical life skill that children need to start practic...

Should cell phones be allowed in school? A 2010 Pew Research Center study found that 65 percent of cell-owning teens bring their phones to school despite any bans that may be in place. Most schools now allow students to have cell phones but requi...

Raising Girls: Unsafe Friends Countless proverbs warn of the strong influence your daughter's friends can have on her, such as "Show me your friends and I show you who you are." While you do not want to belittle your daughter's friends, you do ...

Raising Girls: Finding Positive Friends One of the best protective strategies for your daughter is to surround herself with numerous positive friends. You cannot be with her in school, after school, and during her practices and meetings. You can...

The "Mean Chicks" Phenomenon Since the early 1980s, our country has seen a sharp rise in violence among boys that has not abated. While the nation's attention has been focused more on them—especially since the Columbine tragedy—more girls ha...

Dealing with the Disabled Here are 10 practical tips that will help you avoid feeling socially disabled when dealing with the disabled: Mind Your P's and Q's Remember, everything is relative: Some disabled writers have referred to nondisabled p...

Raising Daughters: Talking It Over and Apologizing Essential Always practice what you teach. When you make a mistake-such as forgetting an appointment, burning dinner, or denting your car-explain why you did what you did to your spouse and your ...

Helping Your Child Make Friends Preschoolers make friends quickly and intensely. To your three-year-old, a "friend" is anyone who is willing to play with her the way she wants to play at the moment. It could be someone she sees every day in the ...

Make sure you keep in touch with your friends this summer, by recording their addresses on this printable sheet. ...

Dealing with Bad News Gracefully More often than we'd like to think, and often when we least expect it, people we know end up getting fired, going into bankruptcy, having accidents, getting indicted, and experiencing the death of a loved one....

Cell Phone Etiquette Cell phones have been compared to pacifiers for adults. They make people think they are connected to a vital source of informational nourishment. It seems to me that the most insecure and/or boastful people are the ones who...

Dealing with the Visually Impaired In general, guide dogs are working animals, not pets. So don't pet them. In fact, don't call their names or distract them in any way. Allow the dogs to accompany their owners into all stores and buildings. Thes...

Children and Gift Giving If a child wants to give a teacher a gift at Christmas or Hanukkah, on a birthday, or at the end of the school year, the gift should not be extravagant. In fact, encourage your child to get the class to offer a gift to...

Boys and Their Friends Boys, like girls, crave connection and belonging. Like all of us, boys need friends, suffer when they don't believe they have any, and agonize over the ups and downs of relationships. Many adults believe that somehow boys ...

Delivering Criticism Smoothly The "Critical I" Julia is having lunch with her cousin Carla. Julia has the egg salad on whole wheat. Carla has the smoked salmon. Even with the iced tea and tip, Julia figures her bill will come in under $10. Carla...

Teaching Your Kids to Take Telephone Messages The telephone is there so that family members can communicate with the outside world. To do that, you need equipment for both incoming and outgoing calls. Incoming Calls How many times have you sp...

Resolving Family Conflicts There are always conflicts, and that's a good thing! When effectively resolved, conflicts between people can lead to improved understanding and increased closeness. Here are some general tips for resolving conflict (an...