From the time babies are born, they begin to learn about the world around them. How your child speaks, plays, and acts can give you clues to how well he or she is learning. Not every baby develops the same skills at the same time. However, you can look for milestones around certain ages to ensure your baby is learning essential developmental skills.

Look for the following milestones in your infant to ensure he or she is developing properly. (more…)

Your child knows a lot about the outside world. Thanks to his or her education and your own family activities, your preschooler or elementary school-aged child spends time in nature and knows a lot about the city or state in which you live.

But while you want your child to love life in your area, you also want him or her to grow into a global citizen-and there’s no better time to help your child become a compassionate, helpful member of the global community than while he or she is young.

Fortunately, you don’t always have to pay for international travel to help your child grow. Parents and teachers alike can help young children foster an interest in the rest of the world from right here in Minnesota-just follow the tips in this blog to help your child learn more about the globe. (more…)

When children take tests or learn new skills, their confidence level often determines their success. Therefore, it’s important for parents to help their kids develop a can-do attitude that prepares them for challenges both in school and in life.

If you want to help your child develop confidence as he or she grows, try the confidence-building tips below. (more…)

Another year is upon us, which means one thing: it’s time to set New Year’s resolutions. Even if you haven’t had success with resolutions in the past, setting a few with your children can help them learn self-discipline, as well as the value of setting and achieving goals.

If you’re not sure how to help your kids set healthy, realistic resolutions, don’t fret. We want to see your kids succeed just as much as you do, so we put together the following guide with potential resolutions and ways to turn them into reality. (more…)

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…