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Previous Tips of the Day

Tip of the Day May 20

Teach your child to take all aspects of school seriously. That includes learning in the classroom and taking tests.

Tip of the Day May 19

Have fun while you learn something new together this summer! Sign up for a family activity through your parks and recreation department, community education program, or nature center.

Tip of the Day May 18

Never punish your child by cutting out activities in order for them to do better academically. Kids need to work hard at school, and they also need high-quality activities to grow up well.

Tip of the Day May 17

Realize that in order to learn from mistakes, children have to make mistakes. Don’t blow up when they make a poor choice, but also don’t rescue them from natural consequences.

Tip of the Day May 16

When setting boundaries, focus on what you expect rather than what you don’t want. It’s a simple switch from saying that you don’t want homework left until the last minute, to explaining that you expect it to be completed before your kids move on to other activities.

Tip of the Day May 15

Start a “thought sharing” tradition. At a meal, bedtime, or another time when there are few distractions, get in the habit of sharing one thing about your day, something interesting you each thought of, a hope or a dream, or another open-ended topic.

Tip of the Day May 14

When helping your children learn new skills, use corrective directions rather than telling them what they are doing wrong. There is a big difference between, “No, not like that,” and “Okay, now let’s try it this way,” followed by a demonstration.

Tip of the Day May 13

Try to create a family atmosphere that’s open and honest. This starts with you, as the parent, setting an example of honesty for your kids.

Tip of the Day May 12

This Mother’s Day, take time to write and reflect, separately or together, on the past year or the year to come. Share your letters now or put them away to read next year.

Tip of the Day May 11

Be clear about your family expectations. Examples could include working hard even at tasks you don’t like, returning a lost object to its rightful owner, being friendly to others, and doing family chores.