Submitted by ​Laura Pearson

​Keeping your kids engaged and learning outside of the classroom is challenging at times, even for the most creative moms and dads. However, there are ways to raise the bar on informal education, and it doesn’t need to feel difficult or unwieldy for you or your children. In fact, with the following ideas incorporated into your strategies, you might find it feels quite natural—and even downright fun!

It is that time of year where we look for the perfect gift to give to our loved ones.
What if there were a gift that you could give that would not only be the BEST gift you can give but also the gift that allows you to receive more than you may have ever thought possible?

While your loved ones may not be formally asking for this gift, I know that in their hearts, it is what they would truly like, even love, to receive from you. And they may not thank you right away for this gift, but in the future, they will look back and be grateful that you chose to give them this gift. 

This gift requires more than a shopping trip, it will require a deep desire to truly want to deliver this gift all year long.

What could this gift possibly be, that would be so fulfilling and even life changing?

The holiday season is a cause for joy for many reasons. There's time with family and friends to enjoy, presents to give and receive, and festive food to indulge in. Kids, in particular, get excited about this time of year, especially about the presents. As a parent, however, meeting the expectations of your little ones can be daunting. Surveys suggest that many moms and dads worry about being able to fund their children's wishlists. If you find yourself stressing about this point, follow this guide to budget-friendly gifting for kids.

I had a parent ask me a few weeks ago, "How do I nurture a noncompetitive family?"
 
Have you had to deal with sibling rivalry or do your kids compete with their peers and it makes you wonder if it is good for them or not? 

The issue of competition, especially among siblings, is as old as dirt. And yet, I wonder if it isn't time to use these conflicts to teach our kids about a different possibility. 

This week's Be You Parenting radio show focused on competition. In dealing with this issue, the first place to look is at the parent's concept and experience of competition and how that may be contributing to the destructive competition the children are expressing. 

One thing to keep in mind, is that not all sibling spats are bad, or that you should try to eliminate them altogether. These experiences can be the teaching platform where you guide your children into more awareness, empathy, and empowerment to handle these situations differently. This will prepare them for the outside world where people are all different and don't always get along. 

Here are some tips for handling competition within your family:​

Most parents don't think of themselves as being magical or even being a wizard when it comes to parenting. But what if we allowed ourselves to step into the world of wonderment and awe and begin to expected wonderful unexpected surprises?

What we believe parenting has to be affects how we experience it. If you believe that parenting is hard and can't be full of fun and excitement, then what you will experience is difficulty and challenges that feel overly hard to you. I will be the first to admit that parenting presents challenges. It's all about how we handle those challenges.