Unplugged Summertime Activities for Young Kids

With children out of school, summertime can be highly challenging for American households. Parents are looking for ideas on how to keep their kiddos entertained but at the same time having them be unplugged. Michele Borba, Ed.D., has put together the following list of summertime activities for children. They are free or low-cost and backed …

parenting a perfectionist

Some children show signs of perfectionism from early on. Young children might become frustrated and rip up their drawing if it’s not quite right. Older children might avoid or refuse to do homework because they’re afraid to make a mistake. Perfectionism can lead to children feeling overwhelmed, angry and frustrated, or sad and withdrawn. And …

Mothers' Dieting Habits on Daughters

Weight loss is one of the most common health and appearance-related goals. Women and teen girls are especially likely to pursue dieting to achieve weight loss goals even though a great deal of research shows that dieting doesn’t work over the long term. We are a developmental psychologist and a social psychologist who together wrote …

Sacred Feminine Wisdom Can Heal Parents' Stressed-out Lives

Andrea Menard is the author of Seeds from the Sacred Feminine: A 52-Card Wisdom Deck with Handbook. She is an accomplished Métis singer, storyteller, speaker, and the founder of the Sacred Feminine Learning Lodge. Menard contributed the following guest post. You can listen to our interview with her on the Girls That Create podcast.  A …

visiting an art gallery with kids

In our house we have a favourite story about the time our toddler was dragged from the National Portrait Gallery kicking and screaming “I want to see more paintings!!!” She needed lunch, we had to go, but she really loved the “Nick Cave Gallery”, as she called it, with his luminous portrait by Howard Arkley …

What Does ‘Good Enough Parenting’ Look Like

There is a huge amount of pressure on parents today – from feeding babies the “best organic purees” to making sure older children get all the developmental opportunities they could possibly need, while of course documenting the whole thing on Instagram. There is also no shortage of advice about how to go about this. Just …

Three Activities to Help Your Child Think Like an Artist

As a visual artist and educator, I know how important it is to encourage your child to think and behave like an artist. But this is not necessarily about drawing or painting in a particular way. The habits of an artist include the ability to generate ideas, trust in creative processes, be comfortable with ambiguity, …

Five Ideas to Help Reclaim Rest

Does the thought of non-stop guests, endless social gatherings and too-full days make you want to grab a blanket and head to the nearest cave? You’re not alone! That’s why life balance coach and speaker Renée Trudeau shared the following guest post with Girls That Create on five ideas to help reclaim rest. This year …

teaching daughters to be strong

Teaching daughters to be strong is one of the most critical things a parent or caregiver can do for their child. The task can feel daunting, but there are many ways to nurture a girl’s strengths to help her have a fulfilling adulthood. Below we explore different actions those raising girls (or any child) can …

helping kids let go of old toys and stuff

In any household with children there is an inevitable accumulation of possessions. Birthdays, Christmas, the celebration events like sporting victories and random impulse buys bring in a stream of toys, clothes and other stuff. But getting rid of these possessions is another story. While some children can be convinced to send their old toys to …