Why we must nurture children’s hearts as well as minds: 7 ways to teach kids strong, ethical behavior and character in a decade of moral erosion This might as well go down in history as the “Decade of Moral Erosion.” Wall Street so-called “leaders,” politicians, celebrities, and even the clergy and their parade of unethical [...]

10 Secrets to Help Kids Share,Take Turns and Join the Human Race “It’s mine.” “But I had it first!” “I want a turn!” Sound familiar? All parents want their kids to “play nice” by sharing, taking turns, and cooperating with their friends. After all, it means their child is learning how to socialize and get [...]

Key findings about day care centers and the impact on our children’s development that I shared on TODAY that all parents and educators should know. And how to use those findings to help your choose the best day care for your child  Over 2.3 million American kids under five are cared for at day care [...]

Five steps to help kids learn the lost art of saying “I’m sorry.” The steps work for adults, too!  Have you noticed how apologizing has become almost a lost art these days? A great number of adults–not kids–seem to have forgotten how to say that glorious two-word simple phrase, “I’m sorry!” And if the offender [...]

I think I have the best job in the world: I get to help parents raise the next generation and I’ve worked with a lot of moms and dads.  I’ve spoken to over one million participants on five continents, appeared on over 100 TODAY show parenting segments and written 22 books on child development. I’m [...]

Parenting tips to turn negative beliefs around based on case files Children with poor self-beliefs often have bombarded themselves for so long with a steady stream of derogatory messages. Their potential for success is greatly limited, because they don’t believe in their capabilities. Self-talk is a critical part of how children acquire beliefs about themselves. [...]

Parenting advice for before, during, and after your teen’s move from home and off to college  After all the test-taking, application filling, essay editing, campus touring, and acceptance-waiting, the big event is almost here: dropping your teen off at college. You’d think that would be the easy part, but move-in day on college campuses is [...]

Parenting advice to help kids learn to self entertain and enjoy their own company! Do beware: a new trend shows our Micromanaged, Over-structured, “Plugged-In” Generation can’t stand boredom.   There is a concerning new trend with twenty-first century kids. Perhaps because they’re been programmed and scheduled and micromanaged and adult supervised, many seem to have a [...]

The proven benefits of teaching your baby sign language. Hint: It isn’t about boosting IQ, but enhancing Emotional IQ, bonding, communication, language, and reducing frustrations and how to communicate with your little one.  Last year I was asked by WE TV Channel to help with a “make-over” for two-year old sextuplets on their show Raising [...]

Parenting tips I offered as the  expert on the NBC Dateline special: “My Kid Would Never…” series “Stranger Safety Tips” Listen…can you hear it? It’s the familiar jingle of the ice cream truck coming down the street carrying every kid’s favorite candy and ice cream flavors. Now suppose your child is with his pals, that [...]

I’ll be the parenting expert to a special Dateline series that starts this Sunday. Coming up on Dateline is a parenting series that I urge you to watch. The first of the series airs this Sunday night, April 15 at 7p/6 c on “Stranger Safety” reported by NBC’s Natalie Morales. I’m the parenting expert for [...]

REALITY CHECK: Empathy is the moral virtue that helps children “identify with and feel other people’s concerns.” When they do, they are more likely to reach out and respond in more caring, compassionate ways to others. Unlike genetics or appearance or most temperaments, empathy can be cultivated, and research shows that our infants are already [...]

Picky Eaters. Tantrums. Sleepless. Time out! Whining. Top questions moms asked me last week on  Dr. Drew Lifechanger’s and my answers If you didn’t get the memo here is it is: There is no perfect parent. This I promise. We’re all in this extraordinary role of trying to raise good kids together and we all [...]

REALITY CHECK: “In data from 37,000 college students, narcissistic personality traits rose just as fast as obesity from the 1980s to the present. The rise is accelerating, with scores rising faster in the 2000s than in previous decades.” – Jean Twenge, Ph.D., San Diego State University and author of The Narcissism Epidemicand Generation Me. Trudy Ludwig’s fabulous book: [...]

Kid (and adult) vulgarity is on the rise with breakdown of respect and civility as consequences. Here are solutions at home and school to stop profanity and bring back civility! We generally equate childhood with innocence, so it can come as quite a shock when a foul word escapes from the mouth of our sweet [...]

Parenting tips to help you understand what depression looks like age by age REALITY CHECK: Here is what’s not true about your child and depression: “She’s too young to be depressed.” “Don’t worry. It’s only a phase.” “Real depression is something only teens or adults get.” “He’ll outgrow it.” Beware that depression is now diagnosed [...]

Overlooked dangers of raising Couch Potatoes. Parenting tips to help kids find healthier alternatives and discover “life beyond the remote” that I shared on the TODAY show Parenting Alert: The Overlooked Dangers of Raising a Generation of Couch Potatoes The statistics are dismal: • Kids ages six months to six years spend three times as [...]

Parenting tips to help kids feel more confident away from home sweet home — whether it be a camp, sleepover, or playdate — based on the latest research Mooommm… I want to come home! But can’t you pleassse pick me up? I hate it here! I don’t care how much you paid. Come get me [...]

Parenting strategies that help kids act right when we’re not around and nurture moral intelligence Every parent’s first concern is the same: “Is my baby healthy?” This question is one that doctors usually can answer. Another big question is far more difficult: “Will my child become a good and decent human being?” Most doctors would [...]

Teach your children to hang in there when the going gets tough, but know when to let them throw in the towel. Parenting advice I shared with Al Roker on the TODAY show Perseverance often makes the critical distinction between whether kids succeed or fail. Will they have the inner strength to keep on or [...]

11 proven and surprising benefits of child-directed (aka unscheduled and spontaneous) play for our stressed-out, over-supervised kids. Okay folks, I’m concerned. Over the last few weeks I’ve been reviewing studies involving children and play. “Shocked” and “disturbed” are the two words that describe how I feel when reading those reports. Every study reaches one sad conclusion: [...]

What research says on how onlies turn out and parenting advice for raising the fastest growing kid breed. Tips I shared on NBC TODAY Your Trivia Pursuit question of the day: “What do these famous folks all have in common?” Cary Grant. Elton John. Chelsea Clinton. Alan Greenspan. Gerald Ford. John the Baptist. Laura Bush. [...]

Parenting advice to help tune up your child’s listening skills, listen the first time, boost your communication style, and your relationship REALITY CHECK: Many experts say learning to listen is one of the most crucial habits our children need for handling life. Parenting for this change lays the foundation that fosters respectful communication as well [...]

REALITY CHECK TIME: Bullying, depression, eating disorders, ADHD, stress, early puberty onset, plastic surgery and Botox are all on increase and in younger kids. Here is my pick of the top troubling child and teen trends, the research that shows why we better keep a closer eye on our kids, and what parents, educators and child-advocators [...]

Parenting advice that helps you see the dangers of raising a spoiled kid and a four-word review to assess whether your child just may be even a tad bit spoiled. “Spoiled! Not my kid!” Right??? Or would you admit that your child is just a tad bit spoiled? All the polls say that most Americans [...]

NBC is featuring a week-long focus on education. This morning on the TODAY show parents had the opportunity to call, email or skype in parenting questions about their children’s education. I appeared as the TODAY parenting contributor along with a fabulous high school chemistry teacher from Los Angeles and an incredible principal from the Baltimore [...]

Research finds quality childcare tied to academic gains and risk-taking 15 years later…10 questions to help you find quality caregivers for your child. Over 2.3 million American kids under years five of age are cared for at day care centers. If you’re like most parents, I’m sure you’ve pondered the age-old question: “What impact does [...]

All the job losses and foreclosures that mark the recession are contributing to a new parenting trend: 1 in 10 Grandparents now raise their children’s kids. The TODAY Weekend Edition asked me on to report on the Pew Research findings, the impact those findings may have on children, and tips for grandparents.  Here are portions of [...]

The truth behind those words of wisdom from Dear Old Mom based on what the new science says about child development and parenting advice Remember the sage motherly advice that was the soundtrack to your childhood? If you’re not sure how much of her philosophy to keep and how much to take with a grain [...]

Let’s play “Back to the Future” and pretend it’s twenty-five years from now. Your kids are grown and they’re healthy and happy. They’ve now come back for a family reunion. Here’s the key question: What character traits do you hope to see most in your grown child? Here’s a hint and critical parenting point: Character [...]

Though most teachers admit that there are some students they never forget, the same is true about parents. I vividly remember a mother of one of my students all because of the way she conveyed respect to her child. She did so beautifully in how she listened. I watched her several times throughout the year [...]

Parenting advice to help us raise strong, caring, unspoiled kids and reduce that “Big Brat Factor” element that seems to be a growing problem with kids these days.   Our most important role is raising our kids to become capable, well-adjusted human beings. And in this consumer-driven, plugged-in, hyper-competitive me first, materialistic-pushing world, it’s not [...]

It was an “interesting” week when it came to parenting stories. Findings from a Ohio State University study revealed how club membership may help reduce risky youth behavior. A new book out offers clues as to the crisis in youth empathy. A disturbing teen anti-semitic game in my own community is spurring outrage in the [...]

REALITY CHECK: What the research really says about those “stuck in the middle kids” and using the results to raise them. Have more than two kids?  Then chances are you’ve heard one of these comments lately…. “It’s like I’m stuck in the middle.” “But I don’t want to do things like my sister.” “I want [...]

Parenting advice based on research-based tips to help us raise the kind-hearted kid every parent (oh how I hope!) wants Most parents instinctively want their children to develop a strong moral character and to care about others. In fact, according to a recent survey I conducted with Parents Magazine of over 2400 mothers, “Caring” comes [...]

Every parent’s first concern is the same: “Is my baby healthy?” This question is one that doctors usually can answer. Another big question is far more difficult: “Will my child become a good and decent human being?” Most doctors would have to admit that they just don’t know, and parents are often left wondering if [...]

Let me start with full disclosure: I adore Ellen Galinsky’s work. I’ve read all her books, follow her on twitter, love her website, Mindinthemaking.org, and have been an avid fan of the Families and Work Institute (of which she is President and Co-founder) for over a decade. Her commitment and research that focuses on early learning [...]

One thing has never changed: kids will be kids and that means that do sometimes misbehave. Though there are no quick-fix behavior cures or sure-proof ways to raise well-behaved kids, research shows certain strategies do increase our odds.  In fact there are a few basic psychological principles that are proven to change behavior not only [...]