by Cecilia Hilkey | conflict, parenting, siblings
Recently a parent told us… My son is always belittling my daughter, shouting at her and dismissing everything she says. Whenever I try to give him advice on how he should behave or protect her, it escalates things, and he always complains that it's because “she has...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | parenting
When we taught preschool, we had school pets. One of the reasons pets are useful in a classroom–besides just being loveable and cute–is they gave us a natural opportunity to talk about death and grief when the pets passed away. When a school rat or hamster died, we...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | collaboration, confidence, parenting, research, resilience, teens
Have you been spending more days than you would like just trying to survive until bedtime? Modern parenting can feel like running a marathon without a water station in sight. We're expected to be the teacher, chef, therapist, entertainer, chauffeur, and coach …usually...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | communication, confidence, conflict, Friendships, parenting
A mom recently wrote to us and shared something that might sound familiar… “My 7-year-old daughter is easily influenced by her peers. If her friends are doing well, that’s great. She follows directions and cooperates. But if her friends do something bad, she follows...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | parenting, screen time, tools
I heard a mom say, “When I go into my 9-year-old daughter’s room in the afternoon and I see her in bed under the covers on her tablet, I feel worried and I don’t want her to miss out on playing with her friends.” We’ve read the news headlines. We know that screens...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | conflict, parenting, siblings
Three Steps to Resolve Sibling Conflict: How to Help Your Kids Get Along With One Another If you have two kids or more, you’re probably already thinking about how to help them build a strong relationship. Part of building a strong relationship, especially for...read more
