T h e    Y o u n g e r    G e n e r a t i o n   ~  After Two

It's that time of year again when many of us put out money to buy clothing for our children. No matter where or when you buy them, there are some basic rules to follow to get the most for your money.

Many of the money saving tips regarding buying clothing for children are the same as for adults. Stick to the classics on the big pieces and the items worn on the lower half of the body. Keep them in neutrals, and you can mix and match all of the other items. Read More . . .

Parents, when you help your children learn to read, you help them open the door to a big, exciting world. As a parent, you can begin an endless learning chain like this: You read to your children, they develop a love of stories and poems, they want to read on their own, they practice reading, and finally, they read for their own information or pleasure. When children become readers, their world is forever wider and richer.

Studies have shown that children that are read to on a consistent basis begin to develop both communication and thinking skills at a much younger age than children that aren’t read to on a consistent basis. Read More . . .

We recently asked some introverts about their childhood, elementary and high school experiences so we could give you a good idea of the dynamics of introversion from real people rather than the opinion of experts. Their answers may surprise you.

If you're raising an introverted child, you may learn from the real lives of introverts what it is they liked and didn't like about "growing up."

Introverts make up about 25% of the population. If parents don't understand and advocate for their introverted children, they can get lost in a world designed by and for others. Read More . . .

Your own sense of security as a child and how you think can have enormous effects on your child's sense of security with you. One interesting exercise is to ask, "What type of baby were you?" As documented in numerous research studies, we know there is a great similarity between the type of baby we raise and the type of baby we were (unless some major changes occurred within us during our adulthood to change our view of relationships). Parents who were raised in an openly communicative and sensitive manner in their own families are more likely to have secure babies. Read More . . .

Do you ever get tired of picking up your children's homework from all over the house?

Even when my daughter's schoolwork has made it to her room, it usually ends up in the corner, under her bed, in her bed, in her closet—wherever she can find a place to stash it. One time I let it go for so long that when we finally went through it, we had literally filled a kitchen garbage bag full of discarded school papers. Read More . . .

Every morning, six-year-old Josh and his mom clash at breakfast just as Mom is ready to walk out the door. A daydreamer by nature, Josh moves through life at a slower pace than his task-oriented mom who values organization. Their distinct ways of relating to the world reveal their obviously different personal styles.

A "personal style" is a natural predisposition toward time, stress, people, tasks, and situations. Understanding a child's style enables parents, caregivers, and teachers to interact more effectively and get results. Read More . . .