by Cecilia Hilkey | communication, parenting
When I was a kid occasionally my dad would lose his temper. I’m sure he had a decent reason for feeling upset, a long day of work plus maybe I was roller skating through the house, making a lot of noise, or fighting with my brother or sister. I remember seeing his...read more 
by Cecilia Hilkey | communication
Growing up, my parents were pretty progressive. (This is Cecilia.) My mom worked in the medical profession, so she always made sure that we knew the proper anatomical names for our body parts. Rather than use slang terms, my mom would describe body functions with...read more 
by Cecilia Hilkey | collaboration, communication, confidence, empathy, research
If your fairy godmother came to grant you one wish for your kids, what one thing in life would you want to give them? Health? Happiness? Intelligence? Creativity? Resilience? Compassion? Success? Meaningful relationships? Hard to choose, isn’t it? Even if you don’t...read more 
by Cecilia Hilkey | communication, conflict, tools
Have you ever been in a situation where your child has done something you wish they hadn’t? Maybe they grabbed a toy from another child at the park? Maybe they wanted a play date, but as soon as their friend shows up they don’t want to play with him? And they don’t...read more 
by Cecilia Hilkey | communication, conflict
Lots of times children will spontaneously apologize–without being asked to. They know that they hurt someone, and saying, “I’m sorry” is the polite thing to do, so they say it. Happy ending! But what if a child doesn’t say, “I’m sorry” when you think he should?...read more 
by Cecilia Hilkey | communication, empathy
Last Thursday, I returned from the Philippines where I’d been teaching a parenting workshop (our first in-person international class, Woo-hoo!). The class was a huge success… But it was almost a full-blown, fall-on-my-face, disaster. What happened? The class was saved...read more