When you’re a parent who understands the importance of serving your family real food, having a picky eater can be both scary and frustrating. “How will he get enough nutrition if he only eats bananas and grilled cheese?” is a worry that has plagued plenty of parents. But perhaps the more pervasive fear is, “Am…
Preschooler
Guided Meditation Script: Happy Heart
Helping your child cultivate happiness and gratitude is one of the greatest gifts you can give. Not only does it set him or her up for a more content life, it can physically be a good thing for the heart! In this guided relaxation, we’ll replace worries and sadness with a gentle light, centered in…
Mindful Parenting: What if my child isn’t extraordinary? Advice from The Awakened Family Author
We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Shefali Tsabary to Green Child, as she shares her perspective on mindful parenting and releasing the expectations we have on our children. To learn more about parenting from a place of peace, presence, and connectedness, check out her book, The Awakened Family. Mindful parenting is the purposeful act of being…
Healthy Boundaries: Your Child Doesn’t Owe Anyone a Hug
“Let me squeeze those cheeks!” An adult squeezed my cheeks so hard it left a red mark. This happened a lot during the holidays when I was a child. When visiting friends and family members as a shy child, I was often left feeling awkward from many of these encounters. Part of me wanted to…
Positive Parenting: Roughhousing & Developmental Play
Roughhousing is an important part of developmental play for kids. It can stress you out as a parent, but it’s completely natural and even beneficial in many ways. A kitten makes a sideways run to pounce on her unsuspecting sibling. Two puppies growl and nip each other, all the while thumping their tails with glee….
Our Holiday Green Gift Guide: Green Gifts for Kids
When it comes to green gifts for little kids, most preschoolers and young children are pretty easy to please. They haven’t been as influenced by friends and the media as older kids, so pretty much any form of building blocks, dolls, art supplies, or games will be a big hit. Trying to find non-toxic or…
Fewer Toys, More Fun: Why Kids Benefit from Having Fewer Toys
As grown ups, we’re often overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices we have to make in a day. Life is really no different for our children, on their own scale. Kids benefit from having fewer toys, and you can benefit from creating intentional (and minimal) play options for your child. Is it crazy that…
How NOT to Crush Your Child’s Creativity
As a parent who wants to nurture your child’s creativity and ability to think outside the box, you’ll want to be aware of ways parents and teachers can unknowingly crush a child’s creativity. A child is born with innate talents and creativity. But often by the time they get halfway through elementary school, much…
I Don’t Want to Be the Mom Who Yells
Editor’s note: We’re delighted to welcome Carolina King as a new contributor to Green Child. As a mother of two, she’ll be sharing her advice on gentle parenting and positive discipline. Enjoy her first article on how to discipline without yelling. It was early in the morning. My kids were getting ready for school, moving…
Brain-Based Learning: What it is and how to apply it
Brain-based learning is a philosophy that uses neuroscience, psychology, and education to holistically support the learning process. You’ll find out how to use it to enhance your child’s learning at school or home. Being in education for more than 15 years, I have long learned to appreciate the idea of brain-based learning. It is simply a…
Positive Parenting: How to Stop Negative Self-Talk With This Three-Letter Word
It can be hard to watch our children struggle, especially when they resort to negative self-talk. By supporting them through it – but not solving their problems for them, we can help build their confidence and resilience. Here’s a strategy that involves a simple, three-letter word to help. “I can’t do this.” “This is so…
How Affection Boosts Brain Power in Kids
Feeling loved and secure is key to childhood development, but did you also know that physical and emotional affection play a part? Here’s more on how affection boosts brain power. “A hug a day keeps the doctor away!” That’s what my mother would say before I bounced off to school in the morning. With her…
Green & Healthy Back to School Tips & Hacks
A green and healthy Back to School season is easier (and in many cases cheaper) than you might think. Here’s an essential roundup of our favorite healthy Back to School resources & articles from Green Child and around the web… For many parents, a new school year signifies the passing of time far more…
Avoid Meltdowns by Setting Expectations Children Can Understand
Imagine you wake up one morning excited to be spending the entire day with your friend. You get dressed, and she takes you out. You don’t know what you’re going to do or where you’re going to go, but you’re ready for a fun time. After a while, you realize… it’s not fun. She took…
Flexible, Student-Centered Homeschool Curriculum from Oak Meadow
If you’re looking for flexible, student-centered homeschool curriculum – or even a distance learning program to increase the accountability in your home education, you’ll love reading through the options in our Oak Meadow curriculum review. Less time for independent play and learning, outdoor activities and discovery, quiet reading time, and even extracurricular fun create a…
Healthy School Lunch Ideas: 21 Simple & Healthy Kid Lunches
One of our favorite annual features of Green Child’s digital magazine – the Back to School Lunch & Gear Guide always helps us get back into the swing of packing healthy lunches. Even after 8 years, we enjoy the challenge of coming up with new healthy school lunch ideas. It is important that kids eat well…
Kids Who Spend More Time in Nature Become Happier Adults, Study Confirms
You don’t really need a study to tell you this, but it’s worth noting the science behind our intuitive guess that kids who spend more time in nature become happier adults. A new study out of Denmark found that living near and spending time in nature is measurably better for your mental health, both short…
EMF Protection: How to help your child use devices safely
Is the issue of EMF protection new to you? You’re not alone. I never gave electromagnetic radiation much thought until I became pregnant with my daughter. Her father asked me to use my cell phone less, just as a precaution…. And I started to do some research. Honestly, I felt a bit like Alice falling…
Guided Meditation Script: Morning Meditation on Kindness & Helpfulness
In this guided meditation script for kids, we’ll use a gentle morning meditation on kindness and helpfulness to help start your child’s day positively. Read the script in a calm, relaxed voice and follow your child’s cues for the pace. Guided meditation scripts like the ones we share in each issue by Mellisa Dormoy of…
Gentle Discipline: How Positive Time-Outs Could Change Your Child’s Behavior
Making time-outs positive is one way to bring gentle discipline into your parenting routine. What is a Time-Out Within Positive Discipline? We’re rethinking what the discipline term “time-out” has come to mean in modern parenting. Time-outs have an important and effective role. A time-out is a chance for both children and parents to pause, regroup,…
Free Range Summer: Letting Kids Be Kids
“Free range” is a term we generally use when talking about healthier animal treatment… not when discussing our upcoming summer plans. But when the broad definition means “to roam freely instead of being contained,” I think the concept of free range summers fits rather beautifully. Have you ever watched a child walk through a forest?…
Simple Tips for Setting Effective Screen Time Limits
Wondering how to set effective screen time limits for your child? You’re not alone. As we become increasingly bombarded by and dependent upon technology, it’s hard to know when to limit screen time. Many schools have replaced textbooks with tablets, so your child may be spending 6+ hours on a screen without any of it…
Guided Meditation Script: Loving Your Body
Encourage a positive body image for your child with this guided meditation script. Babies are born loving their bodies. Unfortunately, our culture’s influence can make us think we’re never good enough. But you can help instill a lifelong body image relationship in your child by setting a good example at home and by giving them…
35 Activities to Treasure While Your Child Is Still Little
The first few years we have with our children can be so busy (and sometimes so overwhelming) that we might not find ourselves thinking about all the things we want to do before they start school. Sometimes we feel like we’re barely making it through the day. You know that bit of parenting wisdom, “The…
