A Fine Parent

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

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(This article is part of the Gift Guides series. Get free article updates here.)

gift guide elementary schoolersThere 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!

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

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(This article is part of the Gift Guides series. Get free article updates here.)

gift guide middle schoolersIt 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!
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How To Answer The Hard Questions Kids Ask At The Most Inopportune Times

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(This article is part of the Positive Parenting FAQ series. Get free article updates here.)

questions_kids_ask_main_92926509“How come Betsy has two Moms?”

We were at my son’s therapy surrounded by Moms and other children when my three-year-old daughter popped that particular question. One of those Moms happened to be in the clinic at that moment.

I know I’m not alone.

On Facebook recently I saw a post from a mother asking how to deal with the hard questions.

You know, the extremely embarrassing questions our kids ask out of the blue.

Questions that leave you in shock that they’ve been brought up at all at this age.

Questions that they ask when it is the most inappropriate time to hold a discussion about the answer.

The ones that you might not have answers to yourself.

So when my child asked “Why does my friend have two Moms?” My reply was the classic, “Um, ah, let’s talk about it later when we get home.”

I needed a minute to think about how I wanted to respond to the question because I was not expecting this question from my 3 year-old. (Of course it would be my youngest who would ask this because she is extremely observant of social nuances around her.)

How many of you have had your child ask you one of these gems?

“Where did Grandpa go when he died?”

“What is sex?”

“Where do babies come from?”

“Why is that boy’s skin so dark?”

“Why is that girl missing a leg?”

Or the immortal question, “Is Santa Claus real?”

These questions take us by surprise. We don’t expect that question to come out of our child’s mouth right then. “Deer in the headlights” is probably one of the best descriptive phrases of this situation.

I’ll never forget when one of my children asked the question if Santa Claus was real. We were in the drive thru at Walgreens and had been waiting forever to pick up our medication.

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Understanding and Strengthening the School Counselor-Parent Relationship

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(This article is part of the Wisdom From the Trenches series. Get free article updates here.)

Parent and school counselorWhen you think of a school, you likely consider many different types of relationships there. The students are a priority, from their academic performance to their social development. For kids to be at their best, there must be healthy, strong relationships between student-teacher and school counselor-parent, along with many others. Let’s focus on the school counselor-parent connection, focusing on providing the environment that the child deserves, now and in the future. For those who wonder how to become a school counselor and parents and others in the educational system, this discussion is an important one.

Why Including Parents is Important for Counselors to Do

When school counselors include the parents in their bond with a student, they have the potential to make the relationship an amazing one. Supporting the entire family and providing clear communication to all can benefit the child immensely moving forward. For that reason, there are discussions about family involvement in the classroom when learning how to become a school counselor

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How to Get Kids to Listen Without Nagging Them to Death

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(This article is part of the Positive Parenting FAQ series. Get free article updates here.)

get_kids_to_listen_without_nagging_main_162353084Me: Do you want chicken soup or a baked potato for dinner?

Kids: —

Me (slightly louder): Do you want chicken soup or a baked potato for dinner?

Kids: What?

Me (definitely louder): Do you want chicken soup or a baked potato for dinner?

Kids: What?

Me (dialed up to 11): I said do you want . . .

Does this conversation sound familiar to you? Do you find your voice rising, your tone getting harsher, and still no response? You are not alone. For a while almost every conversation I was having with my children sounded just like that!

Believe me, I never wanted to become that parent. None of us do. So why is it so easy to fall into the habit of nagging?

Mostly it’s a question of acting on instinct. We get distracted. Whether it’s our job, our phone, our worries, our to-do list, something is consuming our thoughts and we start acting on auto-pilot.

Another reason parents nag is because they are trying to assert their authority.

We make the mistake of equating parental authority with bossiness instead of leadership. According to Dr. Robert Myers, PhD, nagging says, in effect, “I will stop punishing you with this annoying nagging when you do what I want you to.”

While it’s good to teach your children to respect authority, nagging doesn’t actually accomplish that goal. A good parent doesn’t demand respect. We earn respect by showing respect. And we teach respect by showing respect.

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