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So far Heather has created 49 blog entries.

Anxiety & Anxiety Disorders in Children: Information for Parents

2020-04-11T17:42:43-05:00February 1st, 2020|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , , |

By Thomas J. Huberty, PhD, NCSP Indiana University Anxiety is one of the most common experiences of children and adults. It is a normal, adaptive reaction, as it creates a level of arousal and alertness to danger. The primary characteristic of anxiety is worry, which is fear that future events will have negative outcomes. Anxious children are much more likely than their peers to see minor events as potentially threatening. For example, giving a brief oral report might be slightly anxiety-producing for most children, but [...]

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How to Help Kids Learn to Love Giving

2019-12-05T15:50:00-06:00December 5th, 2019|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , , |

by Jason Marsh During the holidays, opportunities abound to help kids understand why and how to help people in need, with food drives proliferating and countless organizations making pitches for end-of-year donations. And there’s scientific evidence that kids should be receptive to those messages: Research suggests that they have a deeply rooted instinct to share and to help others, from the time they’re very young—one study even found that toddlers enjoy giving to others more than they like getting treats for themselves. Kids, it seems, have a strong, natural drive [...]

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How the Outdoors Makes Your Kids Smarter

2019-12-05T16:42:05-06:00December 5th, 2019|Categories: Parenting, Raintree|Tags: , |

The freedom to move and play outside inspires creativity and improves brain function By Katie Arnold When I was eight years old, I spent an hour every autumn day after school shooting baskets in our driveway in New Jersey. I was small for my age, had little talent for the sport, and didn’t love it all that much; what I loved were the stories I made up in my head as I practiced my layups alone. I loved how my mind was free to wander [...]

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One of the 20th Century’s Greatest Educators

2019-12-05T15:56:22-06:00November 5th, 2019|Categories: Montessori|Tags: , |

By Richard Gunderman, MD, PhD The story of one of the most remarkable students of human learning in the 20th century is not widely known.  This is a pity, partly because the story itself is so rich.  She became one of the first women in her nation to graduate from medical school, began her educational career working with disabled students, refused to bow to the will of a dictator who originally supported her (Benito Mussolini), and became one of the most influential educators of the 20th century.  [...]

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If At First You Don’t Succeed…GREAT!!

2019-12-05T16:20:14-06:00October 5th, 2019|Categories: Montessori, Parenting|Tags: , , |

By Pilar Bewley Mistakes, we make them every day. Regardless of their magnitude, they all share one common characteristic: they teach. “We learn from failure, not from success,” wrote Bram Stoker in Dracula. Mistakes are essential to our growth and development and yet in our society they are taboo. At some point in our lives most of us have passed the buck instead of taking responsibility for our errors; in our culture messing up something you readily acknowledge. Since we have such a negative view [...]

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Three Important Points for Toddler and Primary Parents

2019-12-05T16:41:10-06:00September 5th, 2019|Categories: Montessori, Parenting, Raintree|Tags: , |

1.  Quiet and Peacefulness Essential Montessori called the classroom a “children’s house,” a warm and inviting place scaled to the child’s size.  Our job is to protect and nurture this special place.  Please help us by…. Being quiet when you enter Raintree. Noise in the hallway distracts children who are working and awakens children who are sleeping in the afternoon.  Please help us follow the same guidelines the children follow during the day by being quiet in the hall. Giving your full attention to your [...]

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Seven Harmful Traits

2019-12-05T16:30:07-06:00September 5th, 2019|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , , , , |

by Maren Stark Schmidt Ever notice how a word, a phrase, a quote or a book title keeps popping up? Over the past couple of years the following Gandhi quotes keeps showing up in my studies. Every time I read these seven statements I am astounded at the wisdom conveyed in so few words. Gandhi is attributed with saying that these seven characteristics, the most spiritually perilous traits to humanity: Wealth without work Pleasure without conscience Knowledge without character Commerce without morality Science without humanity [...]

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Interruption Disruption: Why You Should Never Interrupt a Child at Work

2019-12-05T16:42:17-06:00August 4th, 2019|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , , |

By Catherine McTamaney Imagine it: you’re at your work, fully absorbed in the task in front of you. Your attention is focused on your project. You’ve finally hit a pace and you’re getting it done. And the phone rings. What happens to your work? For most adults, getting interrupted from our work means broken momentum. The rhythm of our work is disrupted. It’s hard to get back on track. If we’re concentrating deeply, absorbed in our work, the impact is even more significant. We may [...]

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Empathy? In Denmark they’re learning it in school

2019-12-05T16:42:23-06:00July 4th, 2019|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , |

Denmark is one of the happiest countries in the world. This is according to the UN’s World Happiness Report, an important survey that since 2012 classifies the happiness of 155 countries in the world, and that for seven years has placed Denmark among the top three happiest countries on a global level. The fact that teaching empathy has been mandatory since 1993 in schools in Denmark is a factor that contributes to the happiness of the country. Empathy helps build relationships, prevent bullying and succeed [...]

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Why Simplifying May Protect Our Children’s Mental Health

2019-08-04T22:47:16-05:00June 4th, 2019|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , |

By Tracy Gillett When my Dad was growing up he had one sweater each winter. One. Total. He remembers how vigilantly he cared for his sweater. If the elbows got holes in them my Grandma patched them back together. If he lost his sweater he’d recount his steps to find it again. He guarded it like the precious gift it was. He had everything he needed and not a lot more. The only rule was to be home by dinner time. My Grandma rarely knew [...]

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