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How to Raise a Helpful Child

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Helpful Child - Main“Bam!”  The door has just, yet again, shut in my face.

This is not a metaphor. The door literally just shut in my face.

I was out with my children. And, as kids usually do, my son ran ahead, eager to lead the way. But, just as quickly as he barged through a door ahead of us, he hardly glanced back as he let the door shut in my face.

We’ve all been through it.

We bristle and wonder how we’re managing to raise our children to be so thoughtless and rude. To become the very type of person we don’t want them to be.

We want our children to demonstrate empathy for others. We want our kids to be the light of helpfulness in a world that sometimes feels dark with selfishness. But how do we do that?

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100+ Popular Gifts for Infants and Toddlers (Ages 0 – 3 Years Old)

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Buying gifts for my kids, nieces, nephews and my kids’ friends is something I both love absolutely and dread fiercely…

My problem is, I get sucked into hopping from one popular toy to another and looking at the reviews forever.

If you don’t want to go down that path this holiday season, we’ve done the work for you!

Here are the most popular gifts for your little ones, their friends, nieces, nephews, grandkids and more.

And the best part?

They are all from Amazon, they all have a 4+ rating from tons of reviews and most are available through prime shipping, so even if you are shopping at the very last minute, you might still be able to get them in time!

Many of these I gave to my own children. A lot of them I specifically picked because we use them in the toddler room at my Montessori Preschool (the ones for ages 3+ are used with supervision). Some of these are “classic” enough that you may have played with them when you were a toddler!
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100+ Popular Gifts for Pre-Schoolers (Ages 3 – 5 Years Old)

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I don’t know about you, but it seems like lately I spend half my time searching Amazon for the perfect gift for my kids, or nieces and nephews, or my kids’ friends. It is enjoyable, but I have one major problem.

My problem is, I get sucked into hopping from one popular toy to another and looking at the reviews forever.

Suddenly two hours are gone from my day and I still don’t know what to buy.

So we at AFineParent.com decided to do the work for you!

Here is a list of the most popular gifts for your little ones, their friends, nieces, nephews, grandkids and more.

And the best part?

They are all from Amazon, they all have a 4+ rating from tons of reviews and most are available through prime shipping, so even if you are shopping at the very last minute, you might still be able to get them in time!

Many of these I gave to my own children. A lot of them I specifically picked because we use them in the primary class of my Montessori preschool. Some of these are “classic” enough that you may have played with them when you were little!

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100+ Popular Gifts for Elementary School Kids (Ages 6 – 11 Years Old)

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There are so many toys out there.

So. Many.

So just how do you know that this toy is the right toy for your beloved little son, daughter, niece, nephew, cousin, godchild, or grandchild?

Because we’ve done the work for you!

And the best part?

All these toys are from Amazon, they all have a 4+ rating from tons of reviews and most are available through prime shipping, so even if you are shopping at the very last minute, you might still be able to get them in time!

Many of these I gave to my own children. Some of these are “classic” enough that you may have played with them when you were a kid!

[Read More…]

100+ Popular Gifts for Middle School Kids (Ages 11 – 14 Years Old)

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gifts_for_middle_school_kids_mainIt was so easy to buy my kids toys when they were younger, but when they became middle schoolers I had no idea what they wanted!

Well, I did know they wanted tech, but wasn’t there other kinds of toys and gifts that middle schoolers would love?

So we did a ton of research.

I found gifts to encourage creativity, learning, self-discovery, reading, healthy eating, parent-child connection, and outdoor play.

And the best part?

All these are from Amazon, they all have a 4+ rating from tons of reviews and most are available through free 2-day prime shipping, so even if you are shopping at the very last minute, you might still be able to get them in time!
[Read More…]