Self-confidence is one of those character traits that ensures a child will develop into an emotionally healthy, assertive adult. However, because your children attend school with their peers, they’re exposed to numerous incidents of peer pressure every day, which can challenge their self-confidence. So, what’s a parent to do?

Although some of these incidents at school have positive effects on your child’s psyche, the child who gets a healthy boost of self-confidence at home will fare far better when it comes to handling the influences of peers.

These strategies can help you cultivate self-confidence in your child:

1. Allow children to do tasks and duties themselves. Even though you might prefer to follow along behind your child as he makes his bed, straightening the off-center pillows and fixing the bedspread that’s draping on the floor on one side, it’s important for your child to feel he performed well in a task you assigned.

* Stifle your internal urges to correct everything. Your child stands to benefit when you allow him to do his very best at an assigned job.

2. Give praise at every possible moment it’s earned. One of the most empowering things you’ll ever do as a parent is using your voice to let your child know when he’s doing a good job. Nothing will build his pride and confidence better than hearing from a parent that he’s performing up to par. Make it a point to notice your child’s good deeds.

3. Be interested. Although this one sounds easy, it’s amazing to see how many parents find themselves so busy taking care of work and home that they don’t have any energy left for the kids.

* Each day, take time to show an interest in what each of your kids are involved in. Whether they’re reading a series of books or playing tee-ball down at the local park, show sincere regard in what your kids are doing.

* When you do, your kids feel important and as if they matter to the world. You’ll bolster self-confidence simply by taking an interest in your child.

4. Help kids identify feelings. Encourage children to verbally label and express their own feelings, like happiness, fear and even anger. Then, accept those feelings with unconditional positivity.

* Your kids have a right to their feelings. How you respond and react when they show feelings demonstrates to them whether they are entitled to their feelings.

* When kids feel their feelings are valid and important, they learn to listen to their gut and have confidence to go against the tide of peer pressure.

5. Ignore minor, annoying behaviors. This suggestion is a tough one to follow. After all, isn’t it your job to correct your children’s behaviors?

* If your goal is to suppress or extinguish less-than-desirable actions and build confidence at the same time, it’s best to pay no attention to those actions.

* When kids’ actions are worthy of your attention, provide a positive response. Otherwise, do nothing. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how quickly an annoying behavior fizzles out. And your child’s confidence will be unaffected by your (lack of a) response.

* After all, a child would much rather receive confidence-building attention, even if it requires good behavior.

6. Refrain from criticizing your child. As a loving parent, make the decision that there’s simply no room for criticism in your home. This way, everyone in the house will thrive. Children are works in progress (as are we all). Thus, mistakes will be made.

* Allow kids to learn from their errors and re-adjust behaviors for the future. Letting children learn from their own mistakes and then decide to “do better” on their own is an incredibly effective confidence-builder for your kids.

7. Use eye contact and proper voice tones. When talking to your child, show him he’s worth your time and effort. Stop what you’re doing and look him in the eye. Use non-threatening voice tones. When you speak to your children with attention and respect, their confidence soars.

Practice these methods of building self-confidence in your child. If you do, he’ll grow into a mature, assertive adult that you’ll be proud of.

If you want your children to be more successful, give them more time for unstructured play. That’s the conclusion reached by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and many other experts.

AAP recommends that kids get at least an hour a day to play outside, along with regular breaks throughout the day.

Team sports and piano lessons have their place, but the activities that your children invent for themselves have a dramatic and unique impact on their social, emotional, and cognitive development.

Take a look at the benefits of free time and strategies any parent can use to encourage their kids to play more.

Benefits of Unstructured Play

1. Stimulate creativity. Put your child’s imagination to work. Innovative thinking will help your kids excel in their future careers and develop enriching hobbies. Creating story lines for tea parties could help them break into advertising.

2. Teach conflict resolution. A game of cops and robbers can show kids how to take turns and negotiate. They ponder ethical decisions and explore how to treat people fairly.

3. Play by the rules. Games also demonstrate the way rules and guidelines create order. Children will be better prepared for school and the workplace as they come to understand the consequences of their actions and rewards for good behavior.

4. Manage stress. Intensive study camps and nonstop playdates can be too much of a good thing. Kids need a break from external pressures, just like adult do.

5. Strengthen motor skills. It may be difficult to explain fine motor skills to a toddler. On the other hand, they’ll love sorting pebbles and shaping cookie dough.

6. Fight obesity. Sedentary lifestyles can start young. Shooting hoops or roller skating after school burns calories. Best of all, those healthy exercise habits will stick with your children as they get older.

7. Develop self-awareness. Childhood is a time to create a sense of identity and figure out what we like and dislike. Taking charge of their free time helps kids to appreciate themselves and become more resilient.

8. Enhance problem solving. Building a fort from scratch can bring out the engineer in your child.

Strategies to Provide Your Kids with More Unstructured Playtime

1. Head outdoors. Spending time outside creates more opportunities to move. Visit your local park. Hang a tire swing in your backyard. Keep a trunk full of Frisbees, jump ropes, and hula hoops on your porch.

2. Redecorate your child’s room. Design your child’s bedroom to incorporate multiple play areas. You might want to arrange a table and chairs for crafts and reading. Set up an easel for sketching. Paint a hopscotch diagram on the floor.

3. Choose simple toys. Cardboard boxes and wooden blocks require your children to rely on their own resources rather than following the directions that come with a kit. Put the money you save into their college account.

4. Check school programs. Many schools have cut back on recess. Talk with your child’s teacher about policies at your school.

5. Encourage experimentation. Expose your children to a wide variety of activities. They’ll be in a better position to discover their true passions if they try out ice skating, dancing, and art rather than specializing too soon.

6. Set limits on screen time. Pediatricians recommend two hours or less a day of TV and computer time. Set a curfew on electronics and monitor your child’s activities online.

7. Seek balance. Academics, youth clubs, and free play are all valuable. Consider your child’s unique needs and comfort level.

Help your kids to reach their full potential and enjoy life more. Carve out plenty of time for free play.

Life is hectic and, without making a concentrated effort, it can seem almost impossible to enjoy quality time with your family. To solve this dilemma, schedule a weekly Family Night.

Family Nights can be an incredibly uplifting way to bring your family closer together.

What is Family Night?

Family Night is an evening designated by parents (usually) when everyone in the immediate family suspends their busy social calendars to spend time with each other. Some experts suggest that Family Night occur every week, for example, every Thursday night. Parents make it clear that all family members must be present.

One of the jobs parents have is to keep family interaction as positive, illuminating, and fun for the kids as possible. Spending time regularly with family members provides opportunities to re-connect and instills the value of family in children. Regular Family Nights enable you to accomplish these goals.

What Can You Do For Family Night?

The great thing about Family Night is that your family can do whatever you like to do together.

These ideas show you some of the ways your family can re-connect and have fun:

1. Cook dinner together. For example, your teenage son can make the salad, your daughter sets up the table, Mom cooks the entrée, and Dad has the side dishes under control.


2. Watch a movie. Have dessert, popcorn, or other snacks after dinner while relaxing and watching the movie. 


* Let the kids take turns picking the movie. 

* Or you might select a film you believe covers educational or interesting topics to discuss with the kids after viewing.

* Of course, you can also go out to a movie theater to watch a film on Family Night.


3. Go out to dinner. Let each member of the family take turns selecting where you’ll go to dine. 


* Make it fascinating, fun and educational by introducing the kids to a cuisine of a different culture each week.


4. Take part in a fun activity together, like walking, biking, or playing baseball. Incorporating healthy physical activities into your weekly Family Night is smart because kids learn to enjoy regular exercise and focus on physical health as a family. 


5. Occasionally, do a family project together. Family Night might also be spent with the family working together to complete a project around the house. 


* Painting the driveway, pulling weeds and trimming plants outdoors, or even washing the car are examples of projects that families can do together on Family Night. 


* When a family works together, children can learn all kinds of important lessons about teamwork, perseverance, correcting errors, and feeling pride about a job well done.


* It’s best not to do a work project every week.


6. Vary your Family Night activities. Try something different each week. 


* You could post a short list of things to do and let the kids take turns picking the weekly activity.

Having regular Family Nights are important to the development of a well-functioning, happy family. With these ideas and your own adventurous spirit, you and your family can enjoy many wonderful experiences. Discover the joys of scheduling regular Family Nights together.

As the parent of a quiet child, you may be concerned about how they’re treated in the classroom. You know that your child is gifted and curious, but their teacher may be lowering their grades because they don’t understand your child’s personality. They think your child’s silence is a sign they’re disengaged when they’re actually deep in thought.

The good news is that some education experts are beginning to see the light. They’re focusing more on learning and less on talking.

Take advantage of these trends so you can nurture your child’s strengths while preparing them to succeed in any environment. Consider these suggestions for steps you can take at home and with your child’s teacher.

Steps to Take with Your Child

Studies show that introverts can be just as happy and productive as extroverts. Raise your child to thrive as their authentic self.

1. Validate their experiences. Introverts may have to work harder to achieve recognition. Boost your child’s resilience by listening attentively to what they have to say, and expressing compassion.

2. Find their passions. It’s natural for any student to open up when they feel enthusiastic about the subject. Help your child to explore their interests.

3. Offer positive feedback. Praise your sons and daughters for making an effort. Guide them by pointing out specific signs of progress.

4. Model assertiveness. Quiet students may need help sticking up for themselves. Demonstrate how to resolve conflicts and ask for what you need.

5. Proceed gradually. Introverts typically prefer to spend more time thinking before acting. Be patient and allow your child to proceed at their own pace. Their deliberate process probably produces superior results even if it takes a little longer.

Steps to Take with Your Child’s School

There’s a tendency for teachers to feel more comfortable with talkative children. If you suspect that your child is being placed at a disadvantage, encourage reforms that create a more inclusive classroom.

1. Explain the science. Your child’s teacher may be more receptive if you describe the biological evidence of differences between extroverts and introverts. Ideally, children can learn on their own terms instead of conforming to one standard.

2. Break into groups. Discussion groups and project teams help students to develop closer relationships and deepen learning. Kids can practice solving problems, and there’s less chance that a few students will dominate the conversation.

3. Try peer teaching. Students teaching each other is an especially powerful technique. Children master the subject matter while developing presentation skills.

4. Schedule pauses. By requiring a brief silence before answering, teachers can encourage thoughtful responses. It also gives more kids a chance to weigh in.

5. Move around. Experiment with formats that encourage socializing and natural conversation. Walking around the athletic track instead of sitting at a desk may stimulate a livelier discussion of calculus proofs or classic novels. Looking at a colorful poster may lead to comments and questions.

6. Create quiet spaces. While introverts have a greater need for solitude, any student can benefit from a place to rest and reflect. Campaign for expanding library hours or installing more benches and fountains around the campus.

7. Use social media. Facebook and Twitter offer this generation of quiet students new ways to participate at school. Kids can polish up an insightful comment instead of feeling pressured to talk fast and loud.

Every child deserves a quality education based on teaching methods that adapt to a wide range of personalities. Prepare your child for a bright future by building up their confidence and advocating for schools that serve the needs of all children.

It’s natural for children to feel restless, and the pace of modern life can make it even more difficult for them to concentrate. Video games and the internet provide constant stimulation, and immediate gratification. Kids may struggle when it comes time to listen to their teacher or perform any task that requires focusing on one thing and resisting distractions.

In fact, 87% of teachers said that modern technologies were creating a generation with short attention spans, according to a recent survey by The Pew Research Center.

As a concerned parent, you may wonder what you can do to help your child extend their attention span so that they can grow up to be productive and peaceful. Consider these suggestions.

Providing a Supportive Environment

1. Serve nutritious foods. Fuel your child’s brain and stabilize their blood sugar with a balanced diet. They’ll want to eat their vegetables if you cut them into fun shapes and dip them in colorful sauces. Keep soda, chips, and candy to a minimum.

2. Exercise daily. Physical activity keeps our minds sharp at any age. Gather together for a walk after dinner. Buy a gym membership for the whole family.

3. Limit screen time. Pediatricians recommend two hours a day or less of TV and internet browsing. Decide which shows you want to watch and turn the set off in between.

4. Rest and relax. Stick to consistent bedtimes even on weekends and summer vacations.

5. Make learning fun. Maybe your son squirms after 10 minutes of doing homework, but you have to drag him away from his favorite video games. Turn schoolwork and chores into a contest that he’ll enjoy.

6. Adjust your schedule. Children usually have at least one time of day when they’re at peak performance. Arrange for piano lessons before school or after lunch so the timing matches their personality.

7. Provide a positive role model. Your child will appreciate the importance of concentrating if they see how it enhances your home life. Listen to them attentively when they describe their day at school. Team up to bake cupcakes or weed the garden.

Encouraging Constructive Habits

1. Communicate face to face. It’s convenient to stay in touch by calling and texting, but kids need practice with in-person conversations. Plan for family dinners and weekend outings.

2. Practice self-talk. Anxiety can cause a lack of focus. Guide your child on how to give themselves a pep talk when they face a challenging situation.

3. Head outdoors. Nature has a powerful effect on our minds. A hike through the woods or an afternoon tending plants in a greenhouse will help your child to slow down and become more observant.

4. Breathe deeply. Our breathing also influences our thoughts and feelings. Bring your child to a yoga class where they can receive instructions on fun breathing exercises. Buy them a harmonica or blow soap bubbles.

5. Work on crafts. Children love to immerse themselves in hand-on activities like arts and crafts. Visit your local library and browse online for project ideas. You can turn a milk bottle into a bird feeder or decoupage an old picture frame.

6. Read books. Story time is an ideal opportunity to train your child to focus while you deepen your relationship and prepare for bed. Let your child pick books that interest them, and take turns reading to each other.

7. Make believe. For playtime, rely on toys and activities that stretch your child’s imagination. Build a stove out of a cardboard box. Act out a scene from a comic book.

Help your child to succeed in school and in the workplace. The power of concentration will help them to live mindfully, harness their energies, and achieve more with less effort.

When you think of someone who is burned out, you might picture an overworked business executive or an athlete training too hard for the Olympics. The truth is that anyone can become overwhelmed at any age. Kids experience burnout too.

Sure, they don’t usually have mortgages and jobs. However, they do have internal and external pressures of their own. School, friendships, and other challenges of growing up can be a lot to deal with.

As a parent, you can help. Try these tips for raising children who will thrive.

How to Restore Energy

Emotional fatigue is a major sign of burnout in children and adults. Show your son or daughter how to recharge when they’re feeling drained.

Try these methods:

1. Cut back. Doing less could be part of the solution. Many children are overscheduled today with academic and extracurricular activities. Focus on the clubs and sports that your child enjoys most and allow plenty of free time in between.

2. Prioritize sleep. Lack of sufficient sleep at a young age can affect body weight, mental health, behavior, and cognitive performance, according to the Sleep Foundation. Nine to twelve hours of sleep each day is recommended for school-age children, with those numbers decreasing as they grow older.

3. Eat healthy. Kids can be picky eaters, but you can help them make nutritious choices. Complex carbohydrates, nuts, and foods rich in calcium may be especially beneficial for fighting stress.

4. Work out. Physical activity is another constructive way to deal with pressure. Exercise together with family fitness classes at your local gym or neighborhood park. Ride bikes or take a walk after dinner.

5. Practice self-care. Introduce your child to self-care and relaxation methods.

How to Build and Maintain Connections

Prevent burnout by teaching your child how to create community and stay engaged. They’ll be more resilient when they know how to motivate themselves and seek support from others.

Keep these ideas in mind:

1. Offer choices. Burnout often involves a sense of losing control. Let your child make decisions about which homework assignment to tackle first or what they want for a snack.

2. Play around. Is your child eager to please or concerned about how they measure up to others? They may lighten up if you suggest games without any rules or final scores.

3. Make art. Encourage your child’s creativity. Crafts are a practical way to take their mind off their troubles and build their self-esteem.

4. Monitor media consumption. Your family may need a break from politics and pandemics if you keep CNN playing in the background for much of the day. Pay attention to what your children are seeing and hearing in stores and other public places too.

5. Prepare for life events. Your child may be more vulnerable than usual if your family moved recently or is going through a divorce. Maintaining routines can help them feel secure.

6. Provide a role model. The way you handle stress will influence your children. Try to maintain a positive attitude and healthy lifestyle even when you’re recovering from remote working and hybrid learning.

7. Talk about emotions. Let your child know that it’s okay to feel angry or sad. If you spend quality time together on a regular basis, you’ll make it easier to have sensitive conversations.

Be alert for signs of burnout in your child. That may include insomnia, irritability, and withdrawing from activities they used to enjoy. With your support and professional counseling as needed, you can guide them back to a happier and more balanced life.

Establishing a good nighttime routine can be difficult for families with children of all ages. If you start introducing a routine early in life, your kids may be more likely to stick to a routine later in life.

Establishing a routine that keeps your household running smoothly can be a challenge at first, but doing so will result in that peace you desire and deserve.

Bedtime

We all need sleep in order to function well. An important part of your nighttime routine is establishing a consistent bedtime. Enough sleep is vital for your success and the success of your children. Set yourself up to experience life’s victories by planning for enough rest.

Seek to start your nighttime routine at the same time every day, and allow enough time for sleep. For instance, if your bedtime routine takes approximately 1 hour and you want your kids in bed by 8 o’clock, you’ll want to start your nighttime routine around 7 PM.

Nighttime Activities

Set up a sequence of activities that you do in order right before bedtime each night. That way, your kids know what to expect and when it’s time to wind down for bed.

Start your nighttime routine with hygiene. Start with bath time, and allow a little extra time for your kids to play. Make the bedtime routine as fun as possible for your children. After bath time, have your children brush their teeth.

Next, build bonding time into your routine. Younger children might enjoy an evening walk in the stroller. It might help to relax them and help them become drowsy.

Read to your children right before bedtime. Choose a shorter book if your kids are younger. Your children will soon look forward to story time and recognize this as a signal that the day is coming to an end.

Finally, ensure your children use the bathroom as close to lying in bed for the night as possible. This eliminates an excuse to get up and provides another signal that bedtime is approaching.

Sing a lullaby or say goodnight to your children in your own special way. Your children will remember the evening routine for a lifetime. In addition to providing structure and a way to lower the stress level in your home, your evening routine will show your kids that you love and appreciate them.

Multiple Nighttime Routines

If you have multiple children of different ages, it’s still important to establish a routine. While your children will be going to bed at different times, you can still use those times to bond with each other and wind down for the evening. Plan your routine to accommodate multiple bedtimes if necessary.

Older children can also help with some of the younger ones. The important thing is that everything gets done in an orderly manner and that your family takes time to be together and enjoy each other.

Bless your family by establishing a nighttime routine. Stick to it in the beginning, and you’ll soon notice that the routine is second nature. Automatically, you’ll be bonding every night and getting everything done with a minimum amount of stress. Begin experiencing the order and peace that you deserve by starting a nighttime routine today.

Children develop emotional health – and a sense of who they are as a person – during their early childhood years. If this foundation is not well laid, it can have long-term impacts on cognitive and physical development and their sense of well-being.

Three main factors play an essential role in how well kids can manage their emotions, gain perspective, and develop resilience.

These factors include having close relationships with their parents, receiving appropriate parenting, and having strong social and emotional skills.

Parents can do a lot to help children develop emotional well-being. Parents can teach kids to identify and manage their emotions. They can also ensure that they give their kids enough attention from a secure base.

When parents are a source of warmth and unconditional love, kids usually develop a positive attitude toward life.

How can you strengthen your child’s emotional health? These tips can help:

1. Make time for your children. A busy schedule can sometimes make it hard for parents to spend quality time with their children. However, making time for open conversation and fun activities will help your children connect with you.

● Spending time with your children and having honest discussions about their feelings will help them understand their emotions. They will also feel like an essential part of the family unit.

● Of course, making time doesn’t mean it should be a dull experience. Make it fun! Play a game, cook together, or do something you enjoy.

2. Train your children to be “fluent at feelings.” Being good at feelings means your child will know how to recognize what emotions they are feeling and handle them appropriately.

● When your child begins to notice their own emotions, they are more likely to share their feelings and ask for help. That promotes a more positive relationship between you and your child.

● Many children don’t know how to process feelings properly. They shut down when angry because they assume happy feelings are good and sad feelings are wrong. With help, your child can learn that emotions are normal and healthy.

3. Avoid labeling your children when you discipline them. Labeling your child means you are telling them they are only capable of feeling certain types of emotions.

● When you label your child, they will feel like they belong in a box and can’t escape it. Words like “lazy” and “stupid” make your child feel inadequate, and he doesn’t want to belong in that “stupid” box.

● Rather than label them when you administer discipline, let them know that it’s the behavior that is the problem and not them as individuals.

4. Train them to entertain positive thoughts. Children who watch too much television are more likely to develop problems with aggression and feelings of insignificance.

● Encourage your child to spend time outdoors to build self-confidence and self-esteem while promoting positive feelings.

● Teaching them to be optimistic and value positive experiences rather than negative ones will help them handle life’s challenges healthily. Also, this training will come in handy later in life when they face setbacks and disappointments.

5. Let them know it’s okay for life to be hard sometimes. Kids need to know that life isn’t always easy. They know life can be full of stress, sadness, and grief.

● But when they accept these emotions rather than run from them or suppress them, they learn to take responsibility for their feelings and reactions.

● Many children find it difficult to cope with stress, anxiety, depression, or grief because they don’t find out how to deal with challenges until they’re already grown up.

● Reminding your child that it’s okay to feel sad or scared will help them form positive coping abilities.

It’s essential to do everything you can to help your kids feel better. Learn what your child’s feelings are, how they should handle them, and think about ways you can strengthen your relationship with them.

Your child’s emotional health can be a continual source of strength, optimism, and growth. The more you invest in helping them grow emotionally, the easier they will manage life’s struggles as they get older.

Spring cleaning is an annual task that almost everyone dreads. Fortunately, spring cleaning can be the perfect time to help your kids develop a good work ethic and enlist extra hands for the job.

Try these ideas to get your kids involved in your spring cleaning efforts and teach them the importance of hard work:

1. Play an Easter Game. It would be rather cruel to enlist the help of your kids on Easter Sunday. However, you can use the day prior to Easter or the day after Easter to entice them into spring cleaning by playing an Easter themed game.

• Hide a few chocolate Easter eggs under piles of clothes and shoe boxes in their closets and tell them that if they can neatly pass folded clothes to you to put into the storage bins, they’ll find several Easter chocolates to munch on.

• To your kids, it will be an Easter egg hunt. To you, it’ll simply be a way to start a new spring cleaning tradition while creating a mutually beneficial situation for both you and your children. Ensure that all the candy is accounted for, lest you have a surprise during next year’s cleaning.

2. Be honest. Older children, especially teens, won’t be tempted by a few pieces of chocolate. Rather than dressing the day up as an Easter egg hunt, be honest. Tell the older kids that you need help getting some spring cleaning done and offer a fun ending to your busy day of cleaning.

• Offer to end the day by getting their choice of takeout and renting a movie of their choosing. Not only will this give your family time to bond, but you’ll also get some spring cleaning done. In all aspects, this is a winning situation!

• Refrain from approaching your teens the day of your spring cleaning. They may already have plans. Approach them a few days in advance and set up a day that is convenient for everyone involved.

• Older children can handle bigger tasks. It’s best to let them choose a task (from a list that you’ve created) and tackle it on their own. By doing so, they’ll feel as if they had a say in the task at hand.

3. Rewards. Kids of all ages respond well to rewards. As mentioned above, a piece of chocolate or a slice of pizza will help entice your kids into spring cleaning. However, a larger reward will have your kids jumping for joy on the day of your spring cleaning adventure.

• Offer to purchase your child a game for their gaming system if they help you spring clean the house and keep their room clean for a month thereafter.

• Sweeten the deal for yourself by offering them a subscription to GameFly, a game delivery service which operates much like Netflix. Offer the subscription in exchange for spring cleaning, and offer to keep the subscription active as long as their room is kept tidy and their chores are done.

• A subscription to GameFly can cost as little as $5.95 per month. Younger kids may enjoy a subscription to Pogo.com (also $5.95 per month) or even a personal subscription to Netflix ($7.99 per month).

Remember, there’s a difference between bribing and incentivizing. Incentivizing consists of providing a reward as motivation for completing a safe and beneficial task.

Kids respond tremendously well to all types of rewards and only you can judge what rewards will properly motivate yours. Treat your kid to a reward and earn yourself an extra set of hands for spring cleaning.

When you help your kids to love reading, you provide a gift that will enrich their personal and professional lives for years to come. Even though teachers play an important role, parents are a child’s first teachers. To nurture the love of books, parents should begin reading to their children as soon as possible.

Consider the following tips to help build literacy skills in your child at every stage of development.

How to Help Younger Children Love Reading

1. Start by reading to your baby. It’s never too soon to get started. Read to your baby for a few minutes at a time until their attention span grows. Point to the pictures. Use rhymes and songs to teach language skills.

2. Continue reading books aloud as your child grows older. Reading to your child is one of the most valuable ways to spend your time together. Make story time a regular routine before bed or anytime that works with your daily schedule.

3. Make reading fun and interactive. Train yourself to read in an animated fashion. Encourage your child to read some passages aloud to you or to their brothers and sisters. Share questions about what you read together or make up your own variations on the story.

4. Enlist your child’s teacher as an ally. Develop regular communications with your child’s teacher. Be open to feedback provided. Teachers may spot any areas of weakness in reading skills that you can work to correct before they become serious issues. They can also help recommend titles that your child might enjoy.

5. Visit your local library and bookstores. Take your child along to the library and to children’s events at local bookstores. Get them a library card of their own as soon as they’re old enough to do so.

6. Encourage your child to write. Giving your child opportunities to write will help reinforce their literacy skills. Leave each other notes on the refrigerator. Write emails and greeting cards together.

How to Help Older Children Love to Read

1. Set an example of reading for pleasure. You may need to set an example in your own home to counteract trends that show a general decline in the reading of books. Let your preteens see you reading. Help them develop their critical thinking skills by discussing books as part of everyday conversations.

2. Help your teen find time to read. The average teen spends a lot of time on social activities and electronic media. You can set reasonable limits, such as a nighttime curfew on using cell phones and watching TV. 


3. Build a home library. Keep reading material available around the house. Create a comfortable and inviting space for family members to read. If you don’t have an extra room, you can still set aside a corner of the living room or den.

4. Look for books that reflect your teen’s interests. Let your teen pick their own books as long as the titles are age appropriate. Stay up to date on zombies, werewolves, and other popular trends.

5. Integrate reading into fun family activities. If your teen is reading Hamlet in their English class, offer to take them to a live performance. If they enjoy a movie based on a Jane Austen novel, buy them the paperback. Take the opportunity to re-read it yourself so you can discuss it.

6. Be realistic. The teen years can be a busy and difficult time. Celebrate any progress you make without exerting so much pressure that your good intentions backfire.

Reading for pleasure broadens the mind and enriches our shared cultural and civic life. You can help your children get off to a good start by learning to love reading. It will help build basic comprehension skills and change their lives for the better.