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How kids understand the concept of death: an age-by-age guide

Don’t wait for someone to die before you talk to your child

How to talk to your child about the death of a grandparent

Be ready for (and accept) a range of emotions

Let them see you grieve your loved one’s death

Include your child in the process of memorialising your loved one

Preserve as much of your child’s routine as possible

How to talk to your child about the death of a pet

Want to nail child discipline? The best go to strategies are covered in Family Man.

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Children process death differently at different ages. By the time they reach middle childhood (ages 8 to 12), most kids know death is permanent and universal.

It’s important to talk with your child about death from an early age – if possible, before they experience it.

There are specific things you can do to help your child process the death of a grandparent or the loss of a beloved pet.

An age-by-age guide to how children understand death, along with resources for parents to talk about and process death with their kids.

How to talk to your child about death | Family Man | Movember

How to talk to your child about death

How does moving affect a child’s mental health?

How long does it take for kids to adjust to moving?

How does moving affect kids?

When you tell them about the move

It's normal for kids to have lots of different emotions about moving.

Introduce your child to your new home before the move

Introduce your child to your new home before the move.

Help your child say goodbye to some of their favorite people and places

Include your child in moving decisions where possible

Preparing kids before the big move

Set realistic expectations for moving day

On moving day, set up your child’s room first

End the day by doing something fun and relaxing together

Helping your child cope during the move

Reestablish their routine as quickly as possible after the move

Try to be as consistent as possible.

Enroll your child in some extracurricular activities

Encourage your child to stay in touch with friends from your old home

Helping your child adjust after the move

Signs your child is struggling to adjust after moving to a new home

Moving can be stressful for children. The experience can make them feel anxious or unsure about the future.

With enough time and support, most kids will adjust to a move.

There are steps you can take before, during and after the move to help them cope.

Moving across town or across the country can be disruptive for kids. Here are steps you can take before, during and after the move to help them cope.

How to help your child cope with moving anxiety | Movember

Moving across town or across the country can be disruptive for kids. Here are steps you can take before, during and after the move to help them cope.  

How to help your child cope with moving anxiety

Symptoms and signs of depression in children and teens

Signs and symptoms of depression in children

What depression is (and what it isn’t)

Why it’s important to talk about depression with your child

Talking with kids about depression: an age-by-age guide

Early childhood (ages 3 to 7)

Middle childhood (ages 8 to 12)

Teens and adolescents (ages 13 to 18)

What if your child tells you they think they have depression?

Encourage your child to practise self care

Examples of how to encourage your child to practise self care.

Reach out to a therapist or mental health professional

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IMPORTANT: If you believe they are in immediate danger

Depression among children is on the rise and affects their thinking, mood and behavior.

A simple yet powerful thing that you can do to help your child is to talk with them about depression from an early age, in an age-appropriate way.

There are specific signs and symptoms that you can watch for to help you spot depression in your child, and steps that you can take to support them.

Depression is affecting a growing number of kids. Here’s how you can talk to your child about depression and what signs to watch for.

How to talk to your child about depression | Movember

How to talk to your child about depression

Four (possible) negative effects of video games

Are video games harmful for kids?

6 surprising benefits of video games

How to set healthy boundaries around video games

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Some worry video games might be addictive, harmful or that they might encourage kids to be violent. Often the issue isn’t video games themselves but how they’re used.

Video games can have several benefits, such as boosting creativity and problem-solving abilities, helping kids express themselves, and sharpening their spatial skills.

The key is to set appropriate boundaries to ensure your child has a positive, healthy gaming experience.

Video games can boost creativity, problem solving and social skills. Learn how to ensure a positive gaming experience for your child.

Should your kids play video games?

Stigma and stimming in children with autism

Defining (and destigmatizing) stimming

Why do people stim?

What are the positive and negative effects of stimming?

What can (or should) be done about stimming among children with autism?

Stimming is commonly associated with autism, but in reality everyone practises self-stimulatory behavior.

Children with autism may stim as a coping mechanism when overwhelmed or as a way to manage or express emotions.

Parents’ goal should not be to stop a child from stimming. However, in some cases it may be important to identify and address the underlying needs met by stimming behaviors, in order to reduce stimming that may have negative effects.

Learn more about stimming (self-stimulatory behavior), its effects, and why many children with autism stim. 

What is stimming?

Learn more about stimming (self-stimulatory behavior), its effects, and why many children with autism stim.

Examples of challenging behaviors in children with autism

Examples of challenging behaviors  in children with autism 

What can trigger challenging behavior in children with autism?

How to know what triggers your child’s challenging behavior

10 practical ways to support a child with autism

Several things can trigger challenging behaviors in children with autism, including changes in routine, sensory overload and unfamiliar settings.

When you identify what triggers your child’s challenging behavior, you can try to address it before it happens.

There are several things you can do to provide a safe, supportive and stable environment for your child with autism.

What triggers challenging behavior in kids with autism and how can you help them cope?

Autism and children: how to cope with challenging behaviors 

So where do these parenting styles come from anyway?

Authoritarian parenting

Permissive parenting

Uninvolved parenting

Authoritative parenting

Other parenting styles 

The four main styles of parenting are: authoritarian, permissive, uninvolved and authoritative.

In recent years, some experts have defined a number of additional styles, including toxic, helicopter and positive parenting.

Different parenting styles can have different effects on children, but the best ones tend to be highly nurturing and set clear expectations and rules.

Learn more about the four main styles of parenting and their long-term effects on children.

Types of parenting styles: the pros and cons

Types of parenting styles: the pros and cons as listed by the experts

How ADHD affects children

What not to do when parenting a child with ADHD

Tips for raising a child with ADHD

Kids with ADHD have loads of passion, energy, creativity and curiosity. While they often struggle with focus, impulse control and organization, there are things you can do to help.

As the parent of a child with ADHD, it’s important to know that it’s a real, treatable condition. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, not a learning disorder.

There are simple, everyday practices you can follow to create a safe, supportive environment for your child with ADHD.

Read eight practical tips on caring for a child with ADHD and helping them thrive. 

How to help a child with ADHD

Before the battle: make a homework action plan

Staying on task: 10 tips for homework success

What to do (and not do) when your child needs help

It’s not your responsibility to teach (or reteach) the material

Make a homework action plan with your child before the school year begins.

There are 10 simple steps you can follow to help your child conquer their homework each day.

Think of yourself as your child’s ‘homework project manager’. It’s not your job to do their homework for them, but you can help them get it done.

How to trade the nightly homework battle for more positive experience with your grade-school child 

How to help a child with their homework

How to trade the nightly homework battle for more positive experience with your grade-school child

What is positive parenting?

Benefits of positive parenting

4 essentials of positive parenting

How to practise positive parenting

Communicate the consequences ahead of time

Give consequences appropriate to the behavior and your child’s age

What about when your child misbehaves?

Positive parenting is a method that focuses more on rewarding positive behaviors than punishing negative ones.

This style of parenting has many proven benefits, including improved child self-esteem, better physical health and reduced negative behaviors.

The main principles of positive parenting are treating kids with respect, celebrating good behavior, giving kids choices when possible, setting rules and expectations, and using positive discipline.

Learn how to practise positive parenting to build a caring, nurturing relationship with your child.

What is positive parenting and how can it help your family?

Learn how to practice positive parenting to build a caring, nurturing relationship with your child.

Causes of anxiety in children

Signs your child may be struggling with anxiety

How NOT to help a child with anxiety

Equip your child with tools to manage their anxiety

How to help your child without feeding their anxiety

Tips about stepladders

When to seek additional help

Occasional anxiety is common among children. Kids experiencing more serious anxiety may need additional support.

It’s important to recognize the signs of more serious anxiety issues – for example, if your child’s anxiety is interfering with their day-to-day life.

There are a few key steps you can take to help your child manage their anxiety – and a few key things to avoid doing, too.

Every child experiences anxiety at some point. But it’s important to recognize the signs of a more serious issue, and know to help your child cope.

How to help a child with anxiety

Why art has such a big impact on children

5 tips to encourage your child’s inner artist

Conclusion

Art is key to your child’s development. Not only can art unleash a child’s creativity; it can have a calming effect when they experience big feelings.

Art has several benefits for children – from reducing stress to boosting confidence.

There are a few simple steps you can take to nurture your child’s artistic streak.

Art is a powerful tool for helping children express – and calm – themselves. Learn the childhood benefits of art. 

The positive benefits of art for children

Art is a powerful tool for helping children express – and calm – themselves. Learn the childhood benefits of art and get tips for unleashing your child’s inner artist.  

Internal vs. external motivation: knowing the difference (and why it matters)

Internal vs. external motivation

Encourage your child’s curiosity

9 ways to motivate your child

What about motivating a child when the task is hard?

Every parent struggles to motivate their kids at times, without always resorting to candy or screen time as rewards for good behavior.

It’s important to know the difference between external motivators and internal motivators – and learn what your child is intrinsically motivated by.

There are 9 practical steps you can take to increase your child’s intrinsic motivation and rely less on external motivators.

Motivating a child can be a demotivating experience. Understand what makes your child light up and help grow their internal motivation. 

How to motivate your child

Motivating a child can be a demotivating experience. But there are steps you can take to understand what makes your child light up and help grow their internal motivation. 

The two most important things to know about child development 

The 3 (or 5, or 7) stages of child development

Factors that influence your child’s development

There is no one-size-fits-all model of child development, but there are a few key stages (and a number of developmental milestones) you should be prepared for.

Through early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence, your little one will develop physical, cognitive, social, and emotional skills – and will also assert their independence.

It’s important to know which factors affecting child development you can’t control – and which ones you may be able to influence.

Every child grows at their own pace, but understanding the stages of child development can help you know what your child needs, when they need it. 

Understanding the stages of child development

How to tell when your child is ready to be stay home on their own 

Leaving kids home alone: recommendations by age

Ages 8 to 10: not yet, but you can start preparing them

When your child can be home alone is all about one thing: maturity. 

How to get your child ready to stay home alone

When the time is right…

How do you decide when your child is ready to be left home alone? It’s important to consider both the general recommendations from experts and your child’s individual maturity.

Generally, children 10 and under should not be left at home for any amount of time. But as your child gets older, you can see how they do with short periods on their own.

There are a few steps you should take to prepare your child, before leaving them home on their own.

Leaving your child home alone for the first time can be terrifying. Here’s how to know when they’re old enough—and what to you should do to prepare them.  

When to leave your child home alone

Leaving your child home alone for the first time can be exhilarating and terrifying. Here’s how to know when they’re old enough—and what to you should do to prepare them. 

There’s a reason it’s hard teaching kids to read. (Hint: it’s not you.)

10 tips to help your child read

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Reading is one of the most important skills for children to master. Here are 10 proven tips to help your child learn to read. 

How to help your child learn to read

Reading is one of the most important skills for children to master, but it can be just as daunting for parents as it is for kids. Here are 10 proven tips to help your child learn to read. 

Family Man Articles

How to talk to your child about death

How to talk to your child about death

How to help your child cope with moving anxiety

How to talk to your child about depression

Should your kids play video games?

What is stimming?