"In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony." -- Eva Burrows
Top 10 Cubs Newsletters For 2015
As another year comes to an end and we begin planting seeds for the year ahead, it’s a natural time to reflect on what inspired our journey this past year. In that spirit, the Cubs Editors’ Team offers you the “Top 10 Cubs Newsletters of 2015” and we wish you love and togetherness on your parenting journey in 2016.
Loving Unconditionally: "We all know that children require unconditional love to thrive. But how many of us feel capable of giving it? [...] Research shows that we can always grow inside, to become more loving to ourselves and others. In fact, the fastest path to stretching our hearts is parenting, because our love for our child motivates us to grow. It takes work, but the good news is that as our hearts get bigger, we’re not just better parents. We’re happier people.”
Mom’s Advice in a Lunch Box: "If you've ever snuck a handwritten note — "have a good day!" or "eat your veggies!" or "you'll ace that math quiz!" — in your kid's lunch box, this story of a mom who wrote more than 100 letters to her sixth-grade daughter will hit close to home.”
The True Power of a Family Kindness Practice: "Kindness has been in the news a lot lately. Who doesn't love the "be kind" message? It feels good to do good. But we need to go beyond sharing kindness in our news feeds or packing our birthdays with 30-something acts of kindness. We need to make kindness an unavoidable part of family life. As indispensable as brushing teeth. In short, we need to practice."
Encouraging Children to Interact with the Elderly: "What would happen if you paired the very young with the very old? It's being done at a preschool in Seattle, where child care takes place throughout a campus which is also home to more than 400 older adults. [...] Five days a week, the children and residents come together in a variety of planned activities such as music, dancing, art, lunch, storytelling or just visiting."
Becoming a Peaceful Parent, To Raise Happy Kids: "What is a Peaceful Parent? A parent who commits to regulating her own emotions, instead of taking them out on her child. A parent who commits to not using violence or shame to control her child, and instead uses connection and coaching to motivate him. Why Peaceful Parenting? Because it works, from toddlers to teens.”
Zen and the Art of Bedtime: "It is bedtime. I am tucking my children into bed. There is a pleasing calm in the air, as they lie there, snuggled up quietly in anticipation. Bedtimes used to be a frantic battle ground, marked by tantrums, sobbing and endless trips to the loo. Thankfully, all that changed the day I started slipping meditation into our bedtime routine.”
How to Explain Homelessness to Your Child: Talking to children about important social issues like homelessness and poverty can leave even the most experienced parents stumped. This simple guide, compiled by a therapist from a nonprofit, offers practical guidance on how to turn these big questions into teachable moments for your child, and it is even broken down by age to ensure your response is most relevant for your child.
Developing Empathy as a Family: "Empathy is at the heart of a great family culture. It’s noticing how another person is feeling, and for a moment standing in their shoes. It opens the door to understanding others, appreciating differences, noticing and caring. It is the antithesis of self-serving, whiny, and narcissistic behaviors.” In this article, a former teacher, school administrator for more than 30 years and author, shares practical tips on how we can develop an empathetic family culture in our homes.
The Family Stories That Bind Us In Life: “What is the secret sauce that holds a family together? What are the ingredients that make some families effective, resilient, happy? It turns out to be an astonishingly good time to ask that question. The last few years have seen stunning breakthroughs in knowledge about how to make families, along with other groups, work more effectively. [...] The single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative."
How to Help Kids Make Friends: “Decades of research suggests that parents play a big role in teaching children how to make friends. The most popular kids are prosocial -- i.e., caring, sharing, and helpful. [...] So it seems that making friends depends on skills that kids can develop with practice." This article explores how we, as parents, can support our children in making healthy new friendships with their classmates and other children by inviting them to develop empathy and compassion.
Loving Unconditionally: "We all know that children require unconditional love to thrive. But how many of us feel capable of giving it? [...] Research shows that we can always grow inside, to become more loving to ourselves and others. In fact, the fastest path to stretching our hearts is parenting, because our love for our child motivates us to grow. It takes work, but the good news is that as our hearts get bigger, we’re not just better parents. We’re happier people.”
Mom’s Advice in a Lunch Box: "If you've ever snuck a handwritten note — "have a good day!" or "eat your veggies!" or "you'll ace that math quiz!" — in your kid's lunch box, this story of a mom who wrote more than 100 letters to her sixth-grade daughter will hit close to home.”
The True Power of a Family Kindness Practice: "Kindness has been in the news a lot lately. Who doesn't love the "be kind" message? It feels good to do good. But we need to go beyond sharing kindness in our news feeds or packing our birthdays with 30-something acts of kindness. We need to make kindness an unavoidable part of family life. As indispensable as brushing teeth. In short, we need to practice."
Encouraging Children to Interact with the Elderly: "What would happen if you paired the very young with the very old? It's being done at a preschool in Seattle, where child care takes place throughout a campus which is also home to more than 400 older adults. [...] Five days a week, the children and residents come together in a variety of planned activities such as music, dancing, art, lunch, storytelling or just visiting."
Becoming a Peaceful Parent, To Raise Happy Kids: "What is a Peaceful Parent? A parent who commits to regulating her own emotions, instead of taking them out on her child. A parent who commits to not using violence or shame to control her child, and instead uses connection and coaching to motivate him. Why Peaceful Parenting? Because it works, from toddlers to teens.”
Zen and the Art of Bedtime: "It is bedtime. I am tucking my children into bed. There is a pleasing calm in the air, as they lie there, snuggled up quietly in anticipation. Bedtimes used to be a frantic battle ground, marked by tantrums, sobbing and endless trips to the loo. Thankfully, all that changed the day I started slipping meditation into our bedtime routine.”
How to Explain Homelessness to Your Child: Talking to children about important social issues like homelessness and poverty can leave even the most experienced parents stumped. This simple guide, compiled by a therapist from a nonprofit, offers practical guidance on how to turn these big questions into teachable moments for your child, and it is even broken down by age to ensure your response is most relevant for your child.
Developing Empathy as a Family: "Empathy is at the heart of a great family culture. It’s noticing how another person is feeling, and for a moment standing in their shoes. It opens the door to understanding others, appreciating differences, noticing and caring. It is the antithesis of self-serving, whiny, and narcissistic behaviors.” In this article, a former teacher, school administrator for more than 30 years and author, shares practical tips on how we can develop an empathetic family culture in our homes.
The Family Stories That Bind Us In Life: “What is the secret sauce that holds a family together? What are the ingredients that make some families effective, resilient, happy? It turns out to be an astonishingly good time to ask that question. The last few years have seen stunning breakthroughs in knowledge about how to make families, along with other groups, work more effectively. [...] The single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative."
How to Help Kids Make Friends: “Decades of research suggests that parents play a big role in teaching children how to make friends. The most popular kids are prosocial -- i.e., caring, sharing, and helpful. [...] So it seems that making friends depends on skills that kids can develop with practice." This article explores how we, as parents, can support our children in making healthy new friendships with their classmates and other children by inviting them to develop empathy and compassion.
Reading Corner
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Recommended by The Cubs Editors
Be the Change
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