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When our son was toddler we owned a set of Sesame Street board books. Each one featured a letter of the alphabet, with several verses of a catchy poem highlighting words that began with the featured letter. They were quick, fun reads, and he wanted to read them together. ALL. THE. TIME.What we weren’t consciously aware of at the time, was just how much he was comprehending from the stories. That is until we were hanging out with some friends who had two children a bit older than our then-18 …

Our ability to socialize and work with others in a group to accomplish common goals and succeed together is one of the best abilities we have as a community. But at times, our social nature works against us, and we confuse the suggestions of others for things we need to do to fit in or feel accepted. Peer pressure seems to plague every generation. Why do kids try to influence each other to do things that might negatively impact them? Why do kids listen to their peers instead of th …

My husband has been working from home for the last few months. Like many families, we have had to adjust our routines to accommodate the change. For us, this means my husband retreats to his “office,” a tiny room near the entryway of our home, for conference calls. In turn, I try my best to keep the kids quiet. Most of the time this works out well. But our house is small, and some days we all get an earful. I normally tune out the monotony of his meetings, but one particular call piqued …

We’ve all been there. It’s summer vacation and just as you’re ready to start relaxing and enjoying the dreaded summer homework emerges. While summer is a time for fun, sun and family it’s also a time when many skills that kids have worked so hard on over the school year can see a dip.Social skills are just as at risk as academics. Without practice they can slip back to old patterns and habits. But is the battle to get them to do work really worth it?The answer is yes and the good news is …

Social Distancing and Social Skills seem like polar opposites. The former asks us to keep our space while the latter is about the ability to communicate and interact with others.But even as we distance ourselves we are still interacting, just in a different way. Classes were moved online but kids still need to know how to take turns and stay on topic and visits to loved ones may be from between a glass door which means we need a good handle on reading facial expressions. So how do we co …

H-E-L-P. Four simple letters, yet one of the most difficult words in the English language to say.  From a young age, children are told to “shake it off”, “let it go”, or “get over it”, when they experience minor physical or emotional pain. These messages can come from parents, teachers, coaches, siblings and friends. But what do these messages really teach our children? Do they model compassion? Do they make them feel valued? Do they help them feel supported, safe and protect …

When children are young, we teach by showing. We show them what money looks like when we count it. We take more abstract concepts, like addition and subtraction, and physically show them how it looks to add one apple to a group of three or subtract two blocks from a group of five. Basic counting eventually turns into algebra, trigonometry, or calculus. So, too, goes the teaching of social skills or positive character traits like being kind to others. We start simply by showing them, a …

Certain social situations can be tricky. Working collaboratively with people who don't share the same opinion as you, telling the truth in a kind way, calming down in the face of frustration, and meeting new people are all scenarios that can challenge even the most socially adept adults. For kids, experiencing social situations like these for the first time can range anywhere from intimidating to impossible.The Boys Town Press titles for Spring 2020 are designed to tackle a number of these stick …

When Father Edward Flanagan started Boys Town, his mission was to give boys a safe place to call home while giving them the skills needed to become productive citizens. A major part of accomplishing this goal was teaching and modeling the character traits the boys in his care would need to be accepted by society and become productive members of the work force.These same character traits supported by social skills, are still a central tenant of the Boys Town Model®. Like any academic knowled …

In our work with children, families and educators, we consistently hear comments like “They should know how to do that by now!” when describing a child's behavior. Our response is often that behavior change takes time and children, as well as adults, are not wired to be one time learners. It just doesn’t happen.Youth learn through the process of repetition and the application of contrast. Contrast is the experience that should result from a behavior, either a positive or negative consequence tha …