Laurie Lafortune

Yelling does not show respect, affection

Is it OK to yell at children?

What makes a great grandparent?

When I had my children, both sets of grandparents were a big help to our family, and it seems that is usually the case.

Developing communication skills

School readiness is the term often used to describe a child’s ability to meet the tasks of the school setting. Several areas of development have an impact on how a child will do at school.

Encouraging readiness in children

All parents want their children to succeed in school, to enjoy learning and playing with others, to explore new opportunities, and to be able to take advantage of the many learning experiences offered.

Parents shouldn’t have unrealistic expectations of children

Emotional maturity in a five-year-old is quite different from that of an adult. Sound obvious?

Encouraging social competence

All parents want their children to succeed in school; to enjoy learning and playing with others, to explore new opportunities, and to be able to take advantage of the many learning experiences offered.

A child’s readiness for school

When your children enter school for the first time, be it preschool or kindergarten, that is often when a parent notices other children’s skills and abilities and can’t help but observe how their own child fits in.

You are your child’s role model

Children learn in many ways, one of which is imitating. What you do will be copied by your child.

Winter activities for your children

Most parents have had the experience of getting the kids all bundled up and appropriately dressed to play outside in the winter, only to find that the children have difficulty staying occupied and may want to come right back inside.

Teaching values to children

Parenting articles and books often contain suggestions for teaching values to children. However, before we can help our children to develop values, we need to be clear about what our own values are.

Parents play a crucial role in literacy

Family literacy is adults and children learning together. Providing learning activities at home helps children to acquire the reading

Blocks a great learning tool

Many parents think of blocks as Lego bricks and have a supply at home, which provide lots of exercise for parents picking up the hundreds of tiny pieces.

Reading teens’ behaviour

Parents often say that they feel unappreciated by their teens. But if parents are observant, they may notice the small things that are signals that can tell parents that they are appreciated.