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Friendship is one of the cornerstones of a happy and fulfilled childhood. Learning how to become a good friend is an important part of every child’s preschool and early elementary years. But, don’t assume that your child naturally knows how to be a friend—most kids don’t. There are four skills your child must learn in order to have friendship success: empathy, listening, taking turns and sharing. Without these, her attempts at friendship will be thwarted—now and in later years. You will, therefore want to take every opportunity to support your child in developing all four skills. Read all ►

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Does your daughter love math, play soccer with the boys, and hope to be an airplane pilot? Does she also enjoy reading, ballet and want to be a mom when she grows up? If so, then good for her! In a world still plagued by stereotypes impacting girls and women, it’s important to support girls in seeing themselves as multi-faceted, to appreciate all aspects of themselves. It’s important to embrace things that might be less expected or traditional (like loving math), but also including the more traditional roles (like being a mom). When we help girls see that they are capable in a wide range of areas, it promotes positive self-esteem, gives them a sense of control in their lives and teaches them that girls do not have more limitations than boys. There are three important steps adults can take to support this emotional growth in young girls. Read all ►

“Play is the work of the child.” This is the mantra of every child development expert from Montessori to Froebels, the inventor of kindergarten. Through play, children explore their physical and social world, try out new skills, discover their passions and exercise their brains while enjoying a fun activity of their own choosing and on their own terms. Read all ►

Each year, on Valentine’s Day, the expression of love becomes ‘official’ for twenty-four hours. We might not embrace this commercialized view of love, but in reality, it’s important to spend not just one day, but, the entire year teaching your child healthy ways to express love, as well as how to receive it from others. Love and its relatives, respect, empathy and sympathy, are the cornerstone emotions that support your child in becoming an emotionally healthy adult. Children are born with the capacity to feel and express love, but having healthy role models is critical to helping them realize their true potential. Since parents are a child’s most meaningful role model, it’s of great value to consider the messages you convey to your child about love. Here are four questions to ask yourself—each will help you understand whether you are successfully role modeling healthy love to your child. Read all ►