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Your Child Disagrees with You… Now What?

If your children are anything like mine, you know that from time to time (and some days it definitely feels like ALL THE TIME), they are going to disagree with you. When that happens, how tolerant are you? Do you try to hear them out, or do you immediately shut them down? Can you engage in a give-and-take dialogue, or do you fall into the trap of a lose-lose shout fest? Moms and dads who adhere to a more authoritarian, my-way-or-the-highway parenting philosophy may have little patienc …
Jan 20th 2023 Bryan Smith, Boys Town Press Author and Elementary School Counselor

​Teaching the Vital Skill of Self-Advocacy

We all want our children to become successful and reach their fullest potential. Accomplishing this goal is going to require help from endless amounts of people along the way. A parent, coach, or neighbor are just a few of the people who may support your child. As much as I wish I could read my boys’ minds to help know what they need, that isn’t possible. This is why it is so important to teach the skill of being a self-advocate to children. As a father of two boys, there h …
Oct 6th 2021 Bryan Smith, Boys Town Press Author and Elementary School Counselor

Back to School Pressures: Five Ways We're Stressing Out Our Kids (Plus five ways to help kids manage stress as they return to school)

We all want our children to be happy. And let’s face it, shouldn’t they be? After all, children don’t have jobs or bills to pay. We adults often wish we could go back to being a kid and not have to deal with all the stress being an adult brings. Or at least that’s what we tell ourselves.But if you stop and think about it for a minute, isn’t it the same, on some level, for children? We all experience different levels of stress. No, they may not have a paying job, but they do have responsibilities …
Aug 29th 2019 Bryan Smith, Boys Town Press Author and Elementary School Counselor

Winning…If It Isn’t So Important, Why Does it Feel So Good?

This summer my family enjoyed watching the Women’s World Cup. As the games went on, more and more questions came from my son. One stood out. “Dad, what’s a yellow card?” I was able to explain to him that a player is given a yellow card when they do something that is not allowed (push someone, trip someone, etc.). I told him it’s kind of like cheating to help your team win. What a great opportunity to talk about sportsmanship, and how it’s more important than winning. Soon after that, …
Jul 8th 2019 Bryan Smith, Boys Town Press Author and Elementary School Counselor

What’s the Problem? Tips on How to Teach Kids to Solve Problems

“But, what’s the problem?” Does this sound familiar? I hear this question from my students A LOT! I find that my students struggle with understanding what a problem really is. Most assume that a problem is only a problem when it affects someone else, or when they see an immediate consequence for an action. In reality, of course, there are long-term and unintended consequences that they may not see for a while. And there’s also the ironic realization that problem solving isn’t JUST …
May 13th 2019 Bryan Smith, Boys Town Press Author and Elementary School Counselor

Time for School!

Summertime is exciting! Family vacations, big sleepovers, and days at the pool. But, if you’re anything like me, summertime flies by too fast. Before you know it, the first day of school is right around the corner. Will your family be ready?It can be hard to switch from your family’s fun summer schedule back to your school schedule. Follow these 5 tips to get your family back into their school routine.1. Backup bedtimes. During the summer, children get used to going to bed late and sl …
Aug 13th 2018 Bryan Smith, Boys Town Press Author and Elementary School Counselor

5 Signs A Child Might Be Dealing With Sadness

Teachers / Counselors, Have you ever asked a child how his or her day was and heard the standard response of “good,” but deep down it seems like something is just a little bit off? In my experience as a school counselor, I find that more and more children are dealing with sadness, but it I also find that children can be masters at hiding these feelings. They may feel embarrassed about the feelings, or may not even be aware of what the feelings are – they just might feel different. Her …
May 14th 2018 Bryan Smith, Boys Town Press Author and Elementary School Counselor