"There are many people in the world who want to make children into performing seals. And as long as children can perform well, those adults will applaud. But I would much rather help a child be able to say who he or she is."—Fred Rogers, in Maxwell King's The Good NeighborIn answer to the question, "What do you want from li... Read More

Our lives are made up of stories. Consider for a moment how your mind recalls almost every experience with a story. As parents, we have a treasure trove of stories within us to share with our children and use to help them mature and learn history, manners, morals, family lore, and appropriate behavior.As technology becomes ... Read More

The holidays are almost here and many of us are wondering how we will find our way through the maze of our strange new world. Despite many losses, our children often remind us that we can find joy every day. With some creative thought and planning, we can feel the season's spirit and create some special memories filled with... Read More

"Every child is gifted. They just unwrap their packages at different times."—AnonymousLooking at a shelf of parenting books in the bookstore recently made me wonder how parents today decide how to raise their children. One could become The Confident Parent or listen to The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer while trying to remem... Read More

"It's precisely because children don't understand what death is about that they need help from loving adults in talking about it."—Mr. Rogers, www.fredrogers.orgIn one of his 1970s children's television episodes, Mr. Rogers gives a beautiful example of how to talk with young children about death. He looks into the fish tank... Read More

"Solicitous care for living things affords satisfaction to one of the most lively instincts of the child's mind. Nothing is better calculated than this to awaken an attitude of foresight."—Maria Montessori, The Montessori MethodChildren can plant a seed now and nurture the seedling for next year.Planting an Arbor Day tree t... Read More

"You don't have to go far or plan a big, expensive vacation to see great stuff. In fact, some of the greatest places may be right around the corner."—Joanne O'Sullivan, 101 Places You Gotta See Before You're 12!Parents often have mixed feelings with the approach of vacation time. It's nice to have a more relaxed routine and... Read More

It's summer at last - time to relax and take it easy. What does that mean for you and your family? It's not easy to slow down when there are so many demands on your time.How can you re-create for your children the feeling of the uninhibited play you might recall from your own childhood summers? Times have changed and demand... Read More

"It is just as degrading to the young child as to an adult to have someone constantly doing everything for him."—Elizabeth Hainstock, Teaching Montessori in the HomeIf you want to have strong, confident, and independent children, let them help! Recently we've heard from a variety of sources about the importance of teaching ... Read More

When my children were young, a neighborhood mom told me, "The best advice I ever got from an experienced book seller was to choose books for my children that I liked, because I would be reading them over and over and over."How do we choose books for our children? Often before children are born, they have been given such cla... Read More