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May 08, 2020
The Gift We Can Give Our Kids
My favorite Christmas growing up was the year my dad lost his job. My mom told my brother and me that we did not have money to spend, and that she knew things felt scary. But, she said, “You can make it better. You can help us find a way to...
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April 03, 2020
Helping Our Children Cope with Disappointment in the Time of Covid-19
Let’s admit it. We are all on tenterhooks as we struggle to navigate our new reality.
Indefinite sheltering-at-home and social distancing leave us feeling choked off and unsettled. We miss the intimacy of gathering in one another’s homes...
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March 24, 2020
All Together Alone: Parents, Don’t Worry! You’ve Got This
After several days of staying at home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, I optimistically ventured out in search of that prized commodity—toilet paper. When I scored one 6-pack of Charmin, I felt ridiculously happy. It was yet another...
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November 11, 2019
What They’ll Remember: A Message for the Holidays from Highlights
Childhood is “a short, sweet season,” worthy of the thoughtful attention of loving adults. That’s one of our core beliefs at Highlights.
In this early, brief window of life (Yes, brief. As the saying goes, the days are long but the years...
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September 04, 2019
A Surprising Benefit of Reading to Toddlers
My flight was delayed, and then delayed again. The gate was engulfed in a cloud of heavy sighs and grumbles. But my heart went out to the grandfather near me who was traveling alone with a preschooler. Grandpa had brought with him a bag of tricks...
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July 29, 2019
To Foster a Love of Reading, Talk About Books
One long-ago day, my fourth-grade teacher assigned our class oral book reports. We were to talk 3 to 5 minutes about a book of our own choosing. I chose the classic Old Yeller.
Old Yeller, as it turned out, struck a chord with me (as it...
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November 29, 2018
Why We Are Fighting for Change
Historically, children have not been a part of the conversation. In the Junior Newtown Action Alliance (Jr. NAA), we fight to change this, because why would children not have an equally weighted viewpoint, especially regarding an issue like gun...
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November 15, 2018
Three Ways to Connect with Your Child’s Teacher
Kids today still turn to their parents when they have something important to say, but increasingly, kids are looking to teachers to be role models and to provide guidance, according to Highlights State of the Kid™survey . Of the 2,000 kids...
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November 01, 2018
4 Ways to Talk with Your Kids About Today’s Celebrity Influencers—YouTubers, E-Gamers, Reality-TV stars and Athletes
“Adam just caught the most gigantic bass, Mom,” my son exclaims as if Adam is a neighbor, a school friend, or at the very least, someone I know. But I quickly realize my eleven-year-old son is referring to one of his favorite “YouTubers.” Adam...
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