Category Archives: Education

COVID School Stress Solutions

HELPING CHILDREN MANAGE THEIR MENTAL HEALTH Adults aren’t the only ones who need to protect their mental health. Many children experience elevated stress levels when it comes to school. Accelerated development causes stress for many young children. “This means pressure to grow up too fast, [including] less recreational time and play-based activities in school,” says […]

Little girl pouting at playground

How to Ensure Your Toddler Understands No Means No

Dear Bob: No Means No   My toddler seems to have a hard time expressing himself with words. What can I do to help him? Actually there’s a lot you can do to help increase your toddler’s wordage. Here are some tips:   How To Talk & Listen To Your Child Most parenting articles stress […]

Family at bake sale

Easy At-Home Math & Science Games

6 GAMES TO REINFORCE MATH AND SCIENCE SKILLS Lazy days at home give kids plenty of chances to unwind, but time out of school can cause kids to forget academics, and losses are greatest for kids who are already struggling. The good news? Fun, at-home math projects using inexpensive supplies can prevent learning loss, and […]

Balancing Act

HOW A LOCAL CHILDREN’S AUTHOR IS BALANCING WORK & AT-HOME SCHOOLING Virginia children’s book author Marc Boston moved to Charlottesville from Kansas City, in part, to immerse himself in this city’s strong writing community. A stay-at-home dad and lifelong book lover, Boston enjoyed bedtime stories as much as his three young daughters. But when they […]

Educators & Heroes

HOW CHARLOTTESVILLE TEACHERS ARE GOING ABOVE & BEYOND ​​If we could have a regular Halloween this year, I would want to see lines of kids marching up to my door dressed as teachers, grocery store clerks, doctors and nurses, because these are the superheroes of right now. When the pandemic first struck, we thought we’d […]

Kids Diversity Reading List

Books for Kids About Race & Diversity Books are one of the best tools to engage with children on important issues. Check out this list of reads broken down by age to help encourage conversations about race and diversity with your kids and family. Please note this post contains Amazon affiliate links. Ivy Life & Style […]

Feng Shui & The Teenager

LEARNING HOW TO FIND HARMONY AT HOME I’ve been reading about feng shui for the family — a Chinese system for bringing harmony into a building — and it has shed new light on the ups and downs of my 55-year-long life. (I’m 56 if you figure age in the Chinese way, by including a […]