Family reading children's book

In Children’s Books, How Much Reality is Too Much?

While children will undoubtedly counter myriad difficulties as they navigate life--and it does them a disservice to pretend otherwise--exposure is a double edged sword.
Hurricane Katrina drawing

Helping Kids After Harvey

Right now, there’s an outpouring of support for families displaced by Harvey, but what happens after the waters recede in Texas?
Mother and daughter using smartphone

6 Ways to be a Digital Mentor to Your Kids

What’s involved in being a digital mentor? People have been asking me various version of this question in ...
Atomic Bomb and Mushroom Cloud over Rural Landscape

How Do We Teach Children About Existential Threats?

In 1986, in the midst of the Cold War, psychologists set out to find answers about how to talk to kids about nuclear war.
Little girl reading a book at park

Is Your Kids’ Summer Reading Actually Helping Them?

Some studies have found that simply getting kids to pick up a book during the summer may not actually help that much. What actually works?
Comic illustration of a mother ignoring her child in favor of a smart phone

Yes, Smartphones Are Destroying a Generation, But Not of Kids

Why parents need to embrace our role as digital mentors: offering kids and teens ongoing support and guidance in how to use the internet appropriately.
kids with medals

Are We Spoiling Our Kids with Too Much Praise?

Is the “gold medal for all” approach fueling a generation of narcissists?
scared kid

How Scary is Too Scary?

Halloween poses questions for parents, like how scary is too scary for their kids? The answer depends on when we ask the question.
Jack Whinery, homesteader, with his wife and the youngest of his five children, Pie Town, New Mexico (LOC) Lee, Russell,, 1903-1986,, photographer.

Child’s Play

Play is an important part of child development; Paul Tough tells us about strategies to encourage healthy child development.
Picture of Gunnery Camp, the first organized American summer camp, 1861

Summer Camp Has Always Been About Escaping Modern Life

The first summer camps presented themselves as an natural alternative to encroaching industrial society.