The more you observe the world, the more you want your children to grow into strong, tolerant, and understanding people. You want to make sure your kids have the mental and emotional capacity to positively interact with people from diverse backgrounds.

But how do you help them develop that capacity?

First, you start early by exposing your children to other cultures and beliefs. And part of that exposure includes other languages, especially those languages that your kids might come across on a regular basis, like Spanish from Latin America or French from Canada.

As your kids learn these languages, the cultures and peoples associated with those tongues won’t seem so unapproachable to them. They’ll grow up with fewer cultural barriers. They’ll also reap the benefits listed below. (more…)

As a parent, you know that many of your child’s advantages and experiences come from the programs he or she participates in. You understand that organized sports offer structure and physical activity, while music lessons cultivate your child’s talents and hone his or her fine motor skills.

But what about preschool? You may have heard conflicting ideas about how a child benefits from programs before he or she enters kindergarten. In this blog, we list six of the studied benefits of high-quality preschool programs. (more…)

How well do your kids know your neighborhood and city? You may take them to the Minnesota Zoo or to Longfellow Gardens-but have they ever visited the Union Gospel Mission or taken a trip to a nearby animal shelter? The Twin Cities area offers plentiful opportunities to community volunteers. Whether…

You may have noticed that your child's Montessori education involves yoga, soccer and other physical activities. And when you noticed this, you probably wondered why the education system bothers with exercise. After all, when you think of school, you think of mental enrichment-not physical enrichment. However, physical exercise contributes to…

As you watch your child reach for the iPad or the television remote, you can't help but wonder the effect technology has on his or her growth and development. You've noticed he doesn't like to play outdoors, and she only quotes her favorite cartoons. According Mayo Clinic, some screen time…

Studies show that healthy foods help kids do better in school. In one study, children who ate more vegetables, fruit, protein and fiber did better on literacy tests than kids who ate foods high in salt and saturated fat. While you know healthy foods are the right choice for your…

It's the first day of school. You pull into the parking lot, park your car, unbuckle your preschooler, and slowly walk toward the school. You hear your child breathing deeply and look down to make sure he's okay. You catch sight of his eyes, now brimming with tears, and begin…

It's important to start your child's education off on the right foot. In order to give kids a one-up on their future, many parents send their children to preschool. There are a variety of quality educational institutions across the country who provide younger children an opportunity to learn and grow…

Sharing is a social skill that isn’t always easy for a young child to master. Toddlers and preschoolers are curious explorers. And with that in mind, they don’t always want the intrusion of a peer taking over their play. In other words, young children aren’t always natural sharers.

Does this mean that your child can’t, won’t, or shouldn’t share? The answer to this question is complex and doesn’t have one straightforward or all-encompassing response. There’s an ever-present ideology in early childhood (whether in the classroom or at home) that pushes children to share without a sense of awareness. (more…)