Today’s Parenting Tip:

We understand that some of our readers are from countries that have royal princesses and princes. We respect the important history and official roles of those royal princesses and princes. These parenting tips are designed to help us understand how an ordinary person can become a lovable, capable princess or prince – both in spirit and in action.

Because these parenting tips are inspired by our featured book, PRINCESS IN TRAINING and because August is back-to school month for many kids, these tips are about how your child can return to school as a lovable, capable princess (or prince).

Decide: To be a princess in spirit and in action, your child needs to think and feel at the same time.

Practice:   Play a game with your child. Ask her to think about something specific –– the school bus, a new teacher, the classroom, lunch, etc. Tell her she has to see if she can “think” about this for one whole minute.

Ask whether it was hard or easy to think for a whole minute and ask what thoughts she had during her minute. Repeat this every so often and notice whether it gets easier to think for a whole minute. This is good practice for her because when you give her the situation, she may have fears sneak into her mind without her even realizing it.

This is an opportunity for her to learn to still use her brain and think even when she is upset. When she uses her brain she can more easily focus on real things and not any imagined things that could be part of her upset feelings.

Read more about lovable, capable princesses (and princes): Becoming a Lovable and Capable Prince or Princess.

Come back to Daily Parenting Tips each day for another helpful tip.