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Research shows that it’s important for children to dream about all they can become and everything they want to accomplish in the future—even if these dreams never come true. Dreaming increases cognitive flexibility, encourages creativity and supports healthy risk-taking. Dreaming is particularly important for young girls because it empowers them to begin thinking about themselves as a nurturer (playing with dolls and playing ‘house’), thinking about the ways they might contribute to the world in other ways, and also imagining financial security (pretending to be a teacher, business owner or doctor). A recent survey by VTech confirms that parents recognize and value the importance of supporting their child’s dreams—even when these dreams seem like a fantasy (like being a famous actor or world-class athlete). Read all ►

Does your daughter love to play ‘school’, pretend she’s a veterinarian, super hero or her favorite pop star? You may not realize it, but she’s doing a lot more than just playing. In fact, this type of imaginative, creative role-play helps her to develop cognitively, socially and emotionally. Read all ►

School vacations give families a nice break from their hectic routine. But, like any time off from learning, winter break allows time for school-aged children to lose some of their recently-acquired knowledge. Parents can help your children stay intellectually engaged by planning fun, but mentally stimulating activities during the winter break. Here are a few suggestions that are not only good for your child’s mind but are great bonding activities for the whole family: Read all ►

Now that the temperatures are dropping, it’s a great time to grab a hot chocolate and curl up with a good book. Reading with your child introduces important literacy concepts and helps build children’s understanding of story. Specifically, regular reading experiences expose children to important concepts of print such as reading from left to right, from top to the bottom of a page and from the front to the back of a book. In addition, reading great children’s literature supports print awareness helping children attend to letters, beginning sounds, words and learn that the printed word carries meaning. Read all ►

The holiday season is upon us and everyone is all smiles until your child behaves in a way that embarrasses, frustrates or angers you at a holiday event. Sleep deprivation, hunger or just bad manners may all contribute to a child having public meltdowns or other less than appropriate behavior. However, you don’t have to accept this as the norm. In fact, you might not realize it, but, this is an excellent time of year to teach your child important lessons that will be of value for years to come. Here are four important steps that will help your child develop better behavior through the holidays and leave you much less stressed. Read all ►