Emotional toolbox

Parenting challenges

Building character

Video

How to handle sibling rivalry

Here’s why it’s worth listening when your kids fight.

Feature

Sibling rivalry — lifelong relationships, lifelong effects

The rivalry between brothers and sisters can be a positive training ground for life — or a negative relationship that escalates to abuse.

Advice

How to help siblings grow up to like each other

Dream of your children being close — even best friends — as adults? Here's how to nurture that bond.

Advice

Cá tiềnWhen sibling rivalry becomes sibling abuse

Cá tiền6 things to look for that suggest the relationship is off the rails.

Cá tiềnPersonal essay

Josh’s story: getting bullied at school

As parents, we wrestled with what to say and do when our son started coming home wounded by bullies.

Video

What to tell your daughter about mean girls

If your daughter feels like her friends aren't treating her well, here's what Robin Stern says you should do.

Feature

Cá tiền12 bullying myths

What do parents really need to know about bullying? It's not necessarily what you think.

More about bullying ...

Video

Cá tiềnHow a parent used the Meta-Moment

Instead of blowing up when they get her order wrong, a mom uses the meta-moment tool from Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.

Cá tiềnPersonal essay

Cá tiềnAngry daddy can’t get no respect

Being a father today means I get no respect. None. Is it because I'm the only male in the house? Raised by a military dad? From a bygone era?

Video

Cá tiềnEver feel like you’re going to lose your cool with your kid?

Cá tiềnParenting expert and a TV supernanny, Deborah Tillman says it happens to every parent. It's a matter of knowing how to turn off the switch and stop yourself before things turn ugly.

Cá tiềnPersonal essay

Angry daddy can’t get no respect

Cá tiềnBeing a father today means I get no respect. None. Is it because I'm the only male in the house? Raised by a military dad? From a bygone era?

Advice

6 myths about respect

Adopting a new view of respect could help you rid your kids of rudeness

Video

Teach your children respect

Cá tiềnIt's up to parents to teach children to treat others with courtesy, says Harvard psychologist Richard Weissbourd.

Feature

When parenting styles clash

Whether you're right or wrong, call a cease-fire and find a way to build a united front for the kids’ sake.

Personal essay

Why I yell at my kids

Parenting expert Christine Carter admits she knows better ... but still she cops to yelling at her kids — and getting caught.

Feature

Cá tiềnSpanking: discipline or abuse?

Cá tiềnIt's common, it's cultural, it's legal in all states in the nation. But does spanking work?

Cá tiềnPersonal essay

Is it me? Life lessons from failed parenting

My son’s out-of-control, unpredictable behavior caused my husband and me to re-examine how we dish out discipline.

More about discipline ...

Feature

Navigating the rocky road of girls’ friendships

Parents feel anguish, too, as their daughters negotiate the social minefield of popular girls and other cliques.

Video

Girl friendships | Through a child’s eyes

Cá tiềnFriendships are a huge part of children’s lives and one of the hardest things for parents to manage. How can you help your child navigate this murky terrain?

Advice

Debunking the myth of the BFF

Tips about friendship to ground girls in reality and encourage self-confidence.

Personal essay

Unpopular … in elementary school?

Cá tiền'Unpopular' wasn't a word I expected to hear, so young, and from my own son. I felt less equipped to handle the struggle over popularity than any parental challenge so far.

More about making friends ...

Personal essay

Bet you it’s good to be competitive

Cá tiềnCan you make a child’s natural inclination work to his (or her) advantage?

Advice

Cá tiềnHelp the competitive child win more than the game

5 tips for positive and healthy outcomes that don’t squash their competitive nature

Video

Teaching kids when to be competitive

Studies of kids around the world show a remarkable pattern in how girls and boys respond to competition in school. Where girls succeed, boys often don't. Here's how parents can help their boys.

Video

Cá tiềnHomework battles | Through a child’s eyes

Does your child ever struggle with homework? Many do. And there’s actually a lot you can do to help. Start by watching this video with your child.

Feature

Does homework really work?

After decades spent trying to assess the value of homework, researchers still argue over the simplest findings.

Advice

When parents feel frustrated by homework

Cá tiềnDread dealing with homework? Try using this expert's tip.

More about homework ...

Feature

Cá tiềnHow can I tear my tween away from that screen?

Cá tiềnWhen your child's life revolves around screen time, how do you raise an emotionally intelligent , yet tech-savvy, kid?

Feature

Is there a TV in your child’s room?

Research shows having a boob tube in your kiddo's bedroom can be far more damaging than we ever knew.

Cá tiềnFeature-video

Can kids game their way into emotional smarts?

Scientists, education professionals, and others see the potential for video games to teach good behaviors — instead of bad.

Feature

Your child’s brain on technology: video games

Cá tiềnOur kids are awash in technology 24/7 — should we worry about the effects on their developing brains?

Feature

Your child’s brain on technology: social media

Social media isn't going anywhere, so parents must consider how it affects kids' development and determine its role in their lives.

More on screen timeCá tiền

Advice

How to beat the morning rush

Are crazed mornings stressing out your family? Here are a few strategies to help start the day off happier, calmer - and on time.

Video

How to help a disorganized child

Parenting expert John Duffy reveals how you can help transform even the most scattered child into a master of organization.

Video

Cá tiềnGet your child to do their chores — without the nagging

Parenting coach Christine Carter says her secret for getting kids to take more responsibility

Advice

The instant guide to time management for kids

Cá tiềnTeaching children organizational skills is key to helping them succeed in school and life.

Advice

5 tips to teach kids to keep track of their time

Kids who manage their own time do better in school.

Feature

Life after wartime

Resilience is a life skill all kids need — and military kids tend to have in spades. Why are military kids so resilient?

Expert interview

Is your child resilient?

Cá tiềnResilience is a skill that serves kids throughout their lives. Robin Stern of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence explains how parents can foster this quality in their child.

Video

Cá tiềnTo teach resilience, hold the automatic reassurance

If you're too quick to jump in and comfort your children when they don't do well, you may miss the chance to teach an important life lesson.

Feature

Cá tiềnWe don’t appreciate the value of gratitude

Gratitude works wonders — and deserves a Renaissance in the U.S.

Advice

Gratitude: the cure for entitlement and materialism

10 tips from experts on promoting gratitude in our kids

Feature

The grateful child

Cá tiềnAre children who learn how to count their blessings healthier and happier?

Personal essay

Is that love or fear?

Parenting choices were once respected as private. Now, judgment from other parents, nosy neighbors, and a bogeyman-fearing society often influences — and overrules — parents' decisions.

Advice

Cá tiềnKill the motor, dude. Find out what your kids can do on their own

Curious how you can raise independent kids without putting them at risk? See what the experts have to say.

Video

Cá tiềnGet your child to do their chores, without the nagging

Cá tiền'It sounds really mean and tough,' admits parenting coach Christine Carter... but it works. Here's her secret for getting kids to do their chores and take more responsibility.

Feature

Cá tiềnRaise confident kids by speaking their love language

Cá tiềnKnowing how your child interprets love — and that it may be different than how you do — can make a world of difference in parenting.

Advice

Self-confidence: does your child suffer from not enough or too much?

This 4-step formula can help adults instill healthy self-assurance in kids.

Video

Do boys and girls react to criticism differently?

Cá tiềnAbsolutely! Stanford psychologist and 'Mindset' author Carol Dweck says it’s night and day – and linked to the self-esteem gender gap.

Cá tiềnPersonal essay

Cracking the code on curiosity

One father dives into curiosity research to help spark his daughter’s passion for distant sciences — and finds a link to intelligence development.

Video

Help your child find his passion

Cá tiềnKids who seem bored and disengaged may just need help identifying their strengths and skills, says psychologist Madeline Levine.

Feature

It’s all about the teacher

When it comes to the quality of a child's education, it's all about having the teacher to boost your kid's curiosity.

Article

Cá tiềnWhy social skills are key to learning

Before they can learn academics, kids need to know how to behave in a group.

Article

Optimism and motivation: keys to your child’s success

Two psychologists describe the inborn optimism and motivation that drive children to learn and develop — and how you can nurture those traits.

Feature

Empathy's poster child

Touched by an image of child slaves, a little girl pledges to do something about it — and turns her family upside down.

Video

Vivienne Harr: teaching empathy by example

Cá tiềnVivienne's only 11, but she's trying to end child slavery. It's not always easy to keep going. Here's how she stays positive.

Advice

Cá tiền7 do’s and don’ts to help your family build empathy skills

Help your child develop empathy by fostering an emotionally intelligent environment.

Video

Cá tiềnA crafty way to teach little ones empathy

Making friendship treasure boxes is a fun (and easy) way for the preschool set to practice listening and learn empathy — skills they'll need in kindergarten.

Video

What would your child do? | Hidden Camera | Caught being kind

Kids are learning emotional intelligence skills at school. But how will they act when no adults are around? It's not always easy to do the kind thing.

Video

Cá tiềnWould your child help? | Hidden Camera | Caught being kind

Cá tiềnSchools are teaching kids emotional intelligence skills. But do lessons about kindness stick even when no adults are around? Watch how these kids react to a fellow student in need.

Advice

Cá tiềnHow to not raise a jerk

Cá tiềnWith little eyes watching and learning from your every move, what behaviors should parents reconsider to set a better example?

Video

Do you feel me? (pinwheels)

Cá tiềnIn our guessing game, a generous girl shares a story of spontaneous kindness.

Feature

The troubling education trend that doesn’t include honesty

Honesty has possibly become road kill on the path to academic and lifelong success.

Feature

Cá tiềnIs your preschooler’s lying and stealing normal?

A little one who lies and steals may seem destined for a life of crime, but both behaviors are far less alarming when viewed through a child development lens.

Cá tiềnPersonal essay

The best lie I’ve ever told my kids…according to the experts

Cá tiềnWe teach our kids not to lie, but is a little yuletide deception something to feel guilty about?

Emotional toolbox

Sibling rivalry

Bullying

Keeping cool

Respect

Discipline

Making friends

Competition

Homework

Screen time

Time management

Resilience

Gratitude

Independence

Confidence

Curiosity

Empathy

Kindness

Honesty

Emotional toolbox

Sibling rivalry

Bullying

Keeping cool

Respect

Emotional smarts

Discipline

Making friends

Competition

Homework

Screen time

Time management

Resilience

Gratitude

Independence

Confidence

Emotional smarts

Curiosity

Empathy

Kindness

Honesty