Explore kids and teens parenting and learning questions from the Learnatist community. Ask for advice, share experiences, and find helpful answers about school, child development, learning support, teen life, mental health, and family education.
She draws all the time, but gets so upset when the picture in her head doesn't match what lands on the paper. She wants an art class and I want to encourage her, but not put her somewhere every projec…
My 11 year old plays guitar on his own and finds songs online, so I know he actually likes the instrument. But he dreads his weekly lesson and says the teacher makes him feel stupid when he misses not…
My 8 year old wants to try everything — chess, soccer, coding, art. But if another kid is better or the first class feels hard, he says he hates it and wants to quit. I don't want to force every hobby…
Our evenings are chaos lately. One kid has practice, one has homework, dinner is late, somebody can't find shin guards, and by bedtime I'm not even a nice person anymore. If your family is not natural…
School mornings have gotten rough. My 9 year old says her stomach hurts, mostly on presentation days or when there's partner work. She has friends, and I don't think bullying is happening. I keep reas…
My 3rd grader says two girls keep telling her she can play only if she does what they say. Teacher says she hasn't seen bullying, just playground drama. I don't want to overreact, but my kid is sad af…
I hear critical thinking everywhere, but I honestly don't know what to do with that at home. My 10 year old is tired after school and does not want a lecture from me. Are there normal parent ways to b…
I'm looking at robotics, coding, maker, and science camps for my 9 year old. The websites all look impressive and the prices are not small. What questions help you know if kids are actually building a…
Lunch is turning into my weird stress point. My kindergartener eats fine at home, but most days the lunchbox comes back almost full. Then she’s starving and emotional after school. I can’t tell if it’…
We found a daycare with a preschool room, and also a separate preschool nearby. Both say play based, art, outside time, social learning, all the nice things. Daycare hours work better for us though. A…
My 10 year old gets stressed, but if I say take a deep breath, he gets even more annoyed. I get it, nobody likes being told to calm down. Has anyone found a way to teach breathing, mindfulness, or cal…
We're thinking about karate or taekwondo for our son. He's 6, sweet, but impulsive, and he jokes around when he's unsure. I think the structure could help, but I worry he'll be the kid who cant follow…
My sophomore came home worried because friends are already talking about SAT tutors. She’s a good student and also an anxious one. I want to be practical, not pretend tests don’t exist, but I really d…
My 12 year old is hilarious at home but freezes during class presentations. She mentioned theater once, then immediately said forget it. I think it could help her confidence if it's gentle enough. Are…
My 2nd grader is tired after school but also somehow bouncing off the walls. We're choosing between art, chess, sports, or a general after-care program. I don't want to overschedule, but home every da…
My 10 year old wants to sign up for a pricey animation class because her friend is doing it. She does like drawing, but she also gets super excited about things and then loses interest. How do you dec…
My son can talk forever about a book or a movie, but when it's time to write a paragraph, he just stares at the blank doc and gets upset. I obviously don't want to write it for him, but he needs some …
I want my 9 and 12 year old to understand saving, spending, and not just clicking buy now in their heads. We tried allowance, and it turned into arguing about which chores count. What has worked for t…
Extra time is in the plan, but my child is still exhausted. Directions, copying notes, spelling in every subject, long reading passages... it all adds up. For parents of kids with dyslexia, what accom…
Our district does gifted testing in early elementary, and now parents are talking about prep books. My daughter likes puzzles and reading, so maybe it's worth trying, but I hate the pressure around it…