Parenting
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
Change bad habits that make life harder for your children.
Doing whatever is necessary for their well-being is a priority.
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Do not be too hard on your daughter.
She is doing her best.
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Do not force children to eat specific foods or finish their meals, as this can lead to compulsive eating habits.
Forcing plate-cleaning led to a compulsion to finish everything and being overweight in one account.
- Some may believe children will starve if they don't finish, but they won't.
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Learn new skills yourself to expose your children to possibilities they might not otherwise try.
A friend's child became a good skateboarder only after the parent took it up later in life.
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Have children explain what they know first before correcting them.
Many kids already know the answer but lack confidence; small fixes to their explanations reinforce learning.
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Create multiple environments for speaking different languages, such as using one language at school and another at home.
One bilingual person found this the most important factor for them.
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Teach children that 'hard' does not mean 'impossible'.
This solves the issue of discouragement without needing to change vocabulary.
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Praise effort rather than intelligence, especially in children.
Studies support this approach.
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