Learning Through Failure: How You Can Help Your Child
When children are very young, parents and caregivers are responsible for their every need. During those early years, you likely developed a routine in which you could anticipate what your child wanted and when they wanted it, and you were usually able to meet their needs. However, as children grow and begin to explore the …
How to Help an Adolescent who is a Picky Eater
Everyone has preferences on what foods they enjoy and what foods they don’t like. Children are no different! The American Academy of Pediatrics (2018) suggests that parents should offer a variety of foods to their children when they start introducing solids. (Information on introducing solids can be found here!) But, parents of adolescents, who are …
Coordinating and Managing Coparenting Expectations and Goals
Some coparents share the same parenting style while other coparents may use different parenting styles. Some coparents have similar ideas regarding how to reach the goals they have for their themselves, their children, and their family, while other coparents may have very different ideas on how to reach those goals. These differences can create conflicts …
Fact or Fiction: Cold Weather Makes You Sick
As cold weather arrives each year, many parents worry that their children may be at a higher risk for becoming ill. Worries are compounded as parents of toddlers and preschoolers struggle to convince children to keep hats, mittens, and jackets on their bodies while they’re outside. In addition, parents of school-age children and teens may …
Advocating for Your Child
As a parent, there may be times when you may need to advocate on behalf of your child. Advocating for your child means that you work with other adults in your child’s life to ensure that they are getting the support they need. Cultivating strong and healthy attachments with your child helps you learn about …
Five Resources for Military Families
Currently, in the United States, there are 2,129,777 military personnel and 2,582,001 family members, including spouses, children, and adult dependents (Department of Defense Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy, 2020). Military family life is unique and is often accompanied by a variety of challenges that may include …
Coming Soon! Parental Absence: Parenting through Family Separation
Parental Absence: Parenting through Family Separation is a supplemental parent-education module that was created as part of the Thrive Initiative. This module, like all of the Thrive supplemental modules, has been designed to be an additional and complementary learning opportunity for parents and caregivers who have completed one of the Thrive universal parent-education programs – …
Play is Purposeful!
Play is generally defined as activity engaged in for enjoyment, pleasure, or recreation, but, for an infant or toddler, play is an integral part of promoting healthy development! Children learn through play, and play provides sensory, physical, cognitive, and emotional experiences that help build connections in their brains. Play Promotes Skill Development Your child is …
