Be GLAD! Research shows that practicing gratitude can improve moods and make us happier. Helping children practice gratitude can help improve their emotional state and foster less entitled attitudes. Try practicing gratitude with your child daily by asking these questions (GLAD):

Gratitude. What is one person/place/thing/or event you are grateful for today?

Learning. What is one thing you have or are learning today (or recently)?

Accomplishment. What is one thing you accomplished today?

Delight. What is one person/place/thing/ or event that delighted you today?

In the age of COVID, many of us may be concerned about our children's health. Schools and airlines may require evidence of vaccination or a negative test. This means children often have to go through necessary but uncomfortable medical procedures.

How can we as parents and caregivers help. Here are seven ideas to try:

1) Make it fun! Make the trip to the doctor's office as enjoyable as possible for your child. Give her your undivided attention. Bring a book along to read together, sing a song, or do silly stretches or dance moves. Get your child laughing.

2) Explain! Explain! Explain! Make sure your child knows what to expect and why it is happening. It doesn't need to be complicated. Simply state the facts. "A shot will help you from getting really sick."

3) Set realistic expectations. If your child is going to get a COVID test instead of saying: "It's going to be okay" say something like " it is going to feel funny and might be a little uncomfortable. The doctor will go as quickly as possible."

4) Comfort. Hold your child's hand or give a tight squeeze. Close contact with a loved one releases oxytocin which may reduce pain.

5) Praise. Give your child feedback on how she is doing that is positive and specific. "I really like how still you are sitting for the doctor."

6) Rewards. If possible, give your child something to look forward to. It may be a sticker or an ice cream or going to the park. Something pleasant you can do afterwards.

7) Re-tell the narrative. Help the child process the memory. This will make it easier next time you need to go to the doctor's. Help your child recount what happened and ask questions if needed. "...then the doctor stuck a Q-tip up your nose. It was uncomfortable. You were so brave. Mommy was proud of how you sat on her lap and let the doctor swab your nose. Then you got a sticker of a blue fish! Blue your favorite color."

In the age of COVID, many of us may be concerned about our children's health. Schools and airlines may require evidence of vaccination or a negative test. This means children often have to go through necessary but uncomfortable medical procedures.

How can we as parents and caregivers help. Here are seven ideas to try:

1) Make it fun! Make the trip to the doctor's office as enjoyable as possible for your child. Give her your undivided attention. Bring a book along to read together, sing a song, or do silly stretches or dance moves. Get your child laughing.

2) Explain! Explain! Explain! Make sure your child knows what to expect and why it is happening. It doesn't need to be complicated. Simply state the facts. "A shot will help you from getting really sick."

3) Set realistic expectations. If your child is going to get a COVID test instead of saying: "It's going to be okay" say something like " it is going to feel funny and might be a little uncomfortable. The doctor will go as quickly as possible."

4) Comfort. Hold your child's hand or give a tight squeeze. Close contact with a loved one releases oxytocin which may reduce pain.

5) Praise. Give your child feedback on how she is doing that is positive and specific. "I really like how still you are sitting for the doctor."

6) Rewards. If possible, give your child something to look forward to. It may be a sticker or an ice cream or going to the park. Something pleasant you can do afterwards.

7) Re-tell the narrative. Help the child process the memory. This will make it easier next time you need to go to the doctor's. Help your child recount what happened and ask questions if needed. "...then the doctor stuck a Q-tip up your nose. It was uncomfortable. You were so brave. Mommy was proud of how you sat on her lap and let the doctor swab your nose. Then you got a sticker of a blue fish! Blue your favorite color."

Praising kids can be fun and a great way to boost their self-esteem if done in the right way.

Positive: Start by being interested and enthusiastic (e.g., Wow! Wonderful! That’s great!)

Detailed: Next say exactly what you are praising them for (e.g., I like all the colors you used! It’s great that you shared your blocks with your brother!)

Questions: Help them think about what they did by asking questions (Can you tell me about your drawing? How do you think it made your brother feel when you shared with him?)

Gratitude: Thank your child for sharing with you or doing something (e.g., Thanks for showing me your picture! Thank you for sharing your blocks with your brother!)

Liking: End by stating that you like what your child did (e.g., I really like your picture! I really like it when you share your toys!)

Most of us have stories about the chores we used to do as kids. However, while many parents report having done chores as a child, fewer parents are having their children do chores. Doing chores or helping out around the house as a child is associated with positive outcomes such as workplace productivity and being liked by co-workers and colleagues. Chores are also related to more feelings of responsibility and belonging. Here are some ways to have young children help around the house:

Cleaning up: It’s often easier to just pick up after your child, but having children start cleaning up after themselves is a great foundation to lay. Start out simple. Ask your child to pick up two or three toys. Make it a game. See who can pick up the toys the fastest. Ask your child to throw away their wrapper or bring their plate to the kitchen. Give them a big high-five when they do.

Baking together: Kids are curious about what you are doing and often want to be involved. While it can be a little messy, let your child assist you next time you are baking. Measure out the ingredients and let them pour them in. Let them help mix. (NOTE: Children should be fully supervised in the kitchen and adults need to use their best judgement and caution for children when around anything sharp or hot). It’s okay to tell kids which parts they can help with and which parts are for grown-ups only.

Plant a Garden: Another great way to have kids help out is to plant a garden together. Not only is this a wonderful science lesson, kids love digging holes, watering plants, and observing the world around them. Plus, at the end of the season you and your kids get to eat what you grew!

Kids have big emotions and need to learn how to process their emotions and regulate their behaviors. Many young children have tantrums or meltdowns as a response to strong emotions. It is our job as parents and caregivers to help our kids find healthy ways to process their emotions and to find self-regulation techniques that work for them.

When a child is experiencing big emotions:

- Avoid saying you’re okay. They are not okay in that moment. Instead validate their emotion by labeling it “It looks like you are mad. It’s okay to feel mad. Sometimes I feel mad.”

- Offer self-regulation techniques such as, “When I am mad it helps me to take three deep breaths” “…go on a walk”, “…listen to music”, “…scream into a pillow” etc “Do you want to try ____________ (self-regulation technique)”? Offer your child a few choices to help regulate and encourage them to give it a try.

- Change the scene. If you are inside suggest going out for a walk or a drive in the car. If outside, suggest going in and doing something relaxing like watching a favorite show on TV or reading a book together. Sometimes getting out of the situation helps.

Is your little one having a hard time falling asleep? Here are some tricks and tips to try:

- Have a bedtime routine. Doing the same thing each night sends signals to the brain that it is time to get ready for sleep.

- Skip naps. If your child is having trouble falling asleep at night, try cutting out a nap during the day.

- Avoid TV and light from screens (cellphones/tablets). While there is a myth that TV helps kids get sleepy, research suggest that light from the TV screen (or other electronic devices) disrupts melatonin and makes it harder for kids to fall asleep.

- Go for an early morning walk. Begin your child’s day with a walk outside. Science shows that getting out in natural light within the first hour of waking helps to set the circadian rhythm that allows us to feel awake in the morning and sleepy in the evening.

We want our children to learn, but recently with COVID-19 and the closure of schools, learning can feel more like a burden to parents than an opportunity. Parents must fits teaching their children into busy days already full of work and childcare responsibilities. Many schools are trying to adapt to the new reality of online and distance learning. As an educator at the university level, I had to abruptly transform my face-to-face classroom into a digital one with all the pedagogical and technological hurtles that entailed. While transforming college classes to online may work for some college students the challenge is much more real for the youngest learners. Study after study show that kids are hands-on learners. According to Piaget, a developmental theorist, young children learn best through experiences that are concrete. Distance learning, which often involves worksheet upon worksheet, is anything but experiential in nature and may be less engaging. Engaging children in learning is essential to learning that lasts. Children are most engaged in learning when the activities and materials are relevant to their own lives, they feel competent in the activity, the activity is enjoyable, and there is a good relationship between the teacher (in this case the parent) and the child (Skinner et al., 2008). What better fulfils these requirements than play! Making learning into a game that is fun is what is needed during this stressful time when children’s routines have been turned upside down and their relationships with friends, peers, and teachers have been cut off. Try taking a 15 minute break from work! It can be refreshing and de-stressing and have a lasting effect on your child’s learning. Below are descriptions of three simple 15-30 minute activities for children 3-10 years old.

Camouflage

Materials: colored toothpicks or paperclips (red, blue, yellow, green) for older children; for younger children small balls, clothespins, or squares of papers (red, blue, yellow, green). Have an equal number of each color.

Activity: Scatter the colored objects outside in the backyard grass or open grassy area. Show one of each color to your child and have her predict what color she thinks she will find the most (for older children have them make a prediction for each color and write it down). Then set a timer for one minute and ask your child to go find as many objects as possible. After a minute, have your child count how many of each color she found (For younger children, help them sort each color into a pile and then point to each item and count; for older children, have them chart the number of each color they found).

Objective: Likely your child will find more bright colors like red and yellow and fewer colors like blue and green. Ask your child why. Help your child explain her findings using the word camouflage, that is coloring or clothing that help animals or people blend in with their surroundings. Ask your child “if you were a bug and a bird flew overhead, what color bug would you want to be?”

Extensions: Inside look at a book of animals and talk about the color of the animals’ fur or skin and the environment the animal lives in. Have children take photos of bugs outside and sort them into categories of those that are well camouflaged and those that are not camouflaged. Use your child’s questions and interest to guide the activity. For instance, if your child ask why are some bugs not camouflaged, sit down with a book or in front of a computer and find out. Look at books such as Snowshoe Hare by Dee Phillips or Where in the Wild? by David M. Schwartz & Yael Schy. For preschool children there is a great Daniel Tiger episode entitled “Daniel Learns about Lizards”. Talk about camouflage all week. Ask your child what color shirt they are wearing and in what environment she would need to live in to be camouflaged.

Baking

Materials: a muffin, cake, or cookie mix and the needed ingredients.

Activity: Choose a treat to make and ask your child to help.

Objective: Have your child read the baking instructions (for younger children point out words and letters, explain that the words help you know have to bake). Define words like ingredients, any foods that when combined with other foods make a dish. Help your child measure the ingredients and talk about fractions or parts and wholes. Ask your child why eggs are an important ingredient in baking and let them make a prediction (then ask Google or Siri).

Extension: While the treat is baking pick up a book such as Mr. Cookie Baker by Monica Wellington or Awesome Kitchen Science Experiments for Kids by Dr. Megan Olivia Hall and read together. Have your child pick three baked goods and do a survey of family members and friend. Call grandparents, aunts and uncles, and friends and ask them. Have your child count and chart the results of the survey.

Float/Sink

Materials: marble, ping-pong ball, soft ball, nail or screw, toothpick, Ivory soap, rock (or similar items)

Activity: Fill up a tub or water table in the backyard or bathroom. Ask your child to predict which items will float and which items will sink. For younger children, define the words float, that is stay above the water, and sink, that is goes under the water to the bottom. Have younger children name each item and say whether it will float or sink. For older children, have them write down their predictions and give a brief explanation as to why they think an item will float or sink. Test each item. Say or write down the result.

Objective: For younger children have them talk about heavy and light materials or items. What pattern do they see (that is, light items float and heavy items sink)? For older children, talk about materials and whether the item contains air. Use the word “density” or how tightly molecules in an item are packed. The denser, or tightly packed the molecules are, the more likely the item is to sink. The more lightly packed or spread out the molecules are the more likely the item is to float.

Extension: As you walk through your house or outside, ask your child what items or objects would float and which ones would sink. Collect a few items and test them out. Read a book together, such as, Floating and Sinking by Amy Hansen. Next time you are in a pool ask your younger child what would help her float. Ask older children what positions help them float on the water (such as laying on their backs) and what positions help them sink (such as curling up in a ball). How does this relate to density?

Through these activities you are teaching your child reading, math, and science skills as well as critical thinking. But above all you are teaching them that learning is enjoyable and meaningful. Be playful and have fun with your child. Make this a special time instead of a struggle.