6 Ways to Give Kids a Stress Advantage

Stress has a story shaped by science, news and popular culture. Here’s the narrative in a nutshell: stress is bad, very bad; we should do everything in our power to live stress-free lives. Unfortunately, the underlying story of stress is skewed. In fact, there is another body of research revealing that stress can actually enhance … Read more

Stop Saying, ‘You’re So Smart!’ 3 Better Ways to Praise Kids

“You’re so smart!” “You’re so creative!” “You’re so… [insert convenient, but possibly damaging description here]” The other day during a frantic scramble to get my 1-year-old to music class, I watched her perform her latest trick — slipping into her little gym shoes and tightening the Velcro straps all by herself. She then stared at … Read more

“Cool” is in the Eye of the Beholder

Marisa wiped the sweat off her brow and jogged over to join the rest of her teammates in a group huddle. Their team captain, Allison, was speaking in a loud whisper, calling out different plays and trying to motivate her crew. The Fliderdale Hyenas were down 3-0 at the first soccer game of the season, … Read more

Getting Over Embarrassment, A True Story

A true story contributed by Caitlyn Robbins: Throughout middle school, I was best friends with a very ambitious, very talented girl. As her ever present side-kick, I followed her many places. One spring, I even followed her on stage for our school talent show. I voiced my doubts, but she said that she could absolutely … Read more