In this Thanksgiving-inspired episode, Sam Shapiro and Naikan expert Greg Kretsch explore how parents can cultivate a family culture of gratitude. Learn practical reflection techniques to counter negativity, strengthen relationships, and foster appreciation in daily life.
Learn about the transformative power of early intervention through occupational and speech therapy. Discover how these therapies can help young children build confidence, close developmental gaps, and thrive.
What’s clear to me now is that every environment shapes us—and the environments we create for our children can either amplify or fail to nurture their natural tendencies.
Discover actionable strategies to help foster curiosity, adaptability, and resilience in your child.
Discover actionable strategies to help foster curiosity, adaptability, and resilience in your child.
Discover effective strategies to prevent the summer slide and keep your child’s academic skills sharp while enjoying the summer break.
Join Sam Shapiro and Dr. Alex Curtis in a critical exploration of artificial intelligence in education.
Unstructured play in a curated, prepared environment gives children the opportunity to “develop what psychologists call an internal locus of control,” Gray explains, “which is an internal sense that I’m competent to take charge of my life. Something can happen to me, and it’s not a disaster. I can take care of it.”
We as parents can help pave the path our children will walk down, but we can’t control the way they maneuver that path. They may barrel down the road or cautiously avoid some of the stones we hoped they would fully embrace. They may decide to not even take our path at all, choosing instead to tromp out into the unknown with no clear destination. Either way, the path ahead offers them endless opportunities to display and reveal their colorful personalities to the world.
Ultimately, fostering independence is about more than just practical skills—it’s about cultivating a mindset. By setting up our homes to support autonomy, setting clear expectations, and thoughtfully guiding our children through challenges, we lay the groundwork for a lifetime of self-reliance and resilience.
