Back-to-school is always a time when parents and teachers revisit what is important for children and how to best support their positive development. This popular list of back-to-school articles, started in 2012, has been updated for the 2023-24 school year. Some articles focus on the challenges of schooling during the […]
Compass-Inspired
Skeptics has been given a bad rap in modern society. Why? Because skepticism is often confused with cynicism. Let’s explore the distinctions and why it’s important to teach children the art of becoming a skeptic. A cynic distrusts most information they see or hear, particularly when it challenges their own […]
Curiosity
I’ve been an advocate for family engagement in education for many years. But throughout those years, one of the most challenging tasks has been to define this two-way partnership. What is it that parents and teachers need to understand about working together? And why is this partnering so important to […]
Compass-Inspired
When I was a teenager, we didn’t have a term for service-learning. There were opportunities to volunteer in our communities but not many people thought about the lifelong value of such experiences. As I reflect on my early volunteer experiences, I know for certain that my life was changed as […]
Empathy
Parents and families play key roles in developing character traits for kids. Parents who create positive home learning environments also understand that fostering character traits for kids is as important as academics and homework. They know that family values get passed from one generation to the next. But how to instill values […]
Self-Awareness
In today’s culture of high stakes testing and tough competition for college admissions, perfectionism in children can be viewed as a desirable trait. But recent research shows that perfectionism can interfere with a child’s ability to achieve goals and shape their futures–the core of what it means to be resourceful. […]
Resourcefulness
Good grades are positive, right? The answer is not as straightforward as you might imagine. Of course, good grades can be terrific. That is, unless the stress of getting them causes children to feel unworthy or fail to develop abilities that matter much more than grades. Even for children who […]
Compass-Inspired
The term positive parenting has become more widespread as the practice of parenting becomes influenced by research in the new scientific field of positive psychology. What is positive parenting? Positive parenting focuses on parenting practices that nurture the development of children’s core internal strengths. Rather than focusing on kids’ weaknesses […]
Compass-Inspired
Finding exceptional parenting educators can be challenging in the Information Age, even when every conceivable parenting topic can be instantly found via a search engine. Parents can share their experiences with “Mommy or Daddy Bloggers” and get feedback from almost anyone willing to respond to questions. But in the end, […]
Compass-Inspired
Youth programs abound today, claiming numerous positive outcomes for adolescents. What tweens and teens learn in youth programs can help them develop better social skills, become leaders, gain greater knowledge of themselves, and foster lifelong relationships. But programs vary widely in quality. What makes youth programs effective? How do you […]
Sociability
“Honestly, I sometimes truly wish that ‘tools’ such as the iPhone (or any smartphone), laptops, iPads, tablets, etc. hadn’t been invented. Sure, they’re great, incredibly useful, and fun time-killers. But the way teenagers abuse them, and turn them into mini social control rooms is frankly awful.” At first glance, you […]
Sociability
Communities make a positive difference for children and families when they connect around common values, form meaningful relationships with each other, and provide resources that help kids flourish in life. We know this to be true, not just from research, but because we know deep in our bones that the […]
Compass-Inspired
