Presents four conclusions about why boys turn violent and how parents and teachers can save them: violence prevention is everybody's business; education for parents and teachers is crucial; child abuse prevention is the cornerstone of preventing lethal youth violence; and detoxifying the social environment of children and youth is essential to…

Discusses why families are so overscheduled, explaining that when children spend time by themselves doing nothing in particular, they are relaxing and learning how to be alone and enjoy their own company. When children do not have time to relax, there can be damaging stress-related consequences. Suggestions to help families spend more time…

Discusses the danger of unhealthy air in the school environment, describing common problems and how parents and schools can respond. The article focuses on the dangers of mold, pesticides, diesel exhaust, and radon. The three sidebars describe how to promote indoor air quality at school, note how to determine whether the school's air is making…

Explains how older siblings can teach and motivate toddlers while they play. Parents can augment traditional parenting by making the most of their children's playtime activities. This paper describes how to create fun learning experiences for toddlers and their siblings and discusses the role of older siblings who are in elementary school,…

Polled adolescents, parents, and teachers to determine where the child's right to privacy ends and the parent's responsibility to protect begins. Results indicate that the worst offenders tend to be siblings. The paper presents a three-pronged strategy to help parents deal with battling children: recognize the breaches, negotiate the truce…

Discusses creative methods of handling the tremendous amounts of trash generated daily in the U.S. Recycling, precycling, and reusing items all effectively reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills. The three components of successful recycling programs are collection, manufacturing, and buying recycled products. Pay-as-you-throw programs…

Notes that the kind of education and brain building that students undergo at home is as vital as school-based education, explaining what parents can do to establish a home environment that helps children develop their minds (e.g., monitor their children's development to know their strengths and shortcomings, instill intellectual content into home…

Many people believe that public education holds the key to success for individuals and society. However, too often they do not prioritize equitable educational opportunities for all students. To provide quality education for all students regardless of life circumstances requires community reform, not just academic reform. Education can provide…

School environments should foster both learning and self-esteem. Important elements in a good environment are acknowledging students and ensuring that they are accepted by others, having policies that support student growth, fostering student voice in decision making, offering opportunities for self-expression and self-exploration, and creating a…

Thirteen suggestions for preventing the growing problem of peer cruelty at school include: adopt a schoolwide character education effort; create a classroom community; allow children to help set rules; teach empathy; practice cooperative learning; allow children of different ages to work together; teach social skills to end victimization; empower…