Dr. Michele Borba's Reality Check

Kid Boredom Busters

Michele Borba — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:00:26 +0000

Parenting advice to help kids learn to self entertain and enjoy their own company! (Do beware: a new trend shows our Micromanaged, Over-structured, “Plugged-In” Generation can’t stand boredom. Maybe it’s because we might be doing too much scheduling, entertaining and solving? Just a thought!) There is a concerning new trend with twenty-first century kids. Perhaps because [...]

Do Older Men Make Better Dads?

Michele Borba — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 16:53:16 +0000

A new parenting trend shows many men are becoming fathers later in life. The trend, parenting considerations, and the studies I shared on the TODAY show. “My father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.” ~ Clarence Budington Kelland I sat down with Matt Lauer on the TODAY [...]

How to Ease Kid Homesickness for Summer Sleepovers or Camp

Michele Borba — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:44:52 +0000

Parenting tips to help kids feel more confident away from home sweet home –whether it be a camp, sleepover, or playdate–based on the latest research Mooommm… I want to come home! NOW! But can’t you pleassse pick me up? I hate it here! I don’t care how much you paid. Come get me now! Ah the [...]

“Thanks A Billion” On behalf of thousands of hungry American families

Michele Borba — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 18:56:38 +0000

REALITY CHECK: Alarming USDA Stats about American hunger More than 50 million Americans live in food insecure households More than 16 million of those impacted by food insecurity are children Over the past two years, I have had the pleasure of working alongside Walmart and the Walmart Foundation in their efforts to help children [...]

Helping Kids Communicate the “Old Fashion Way”

Michele Borba — Fri, 31 May 2013 16:57:41 +0000

Tips to help our digital natives learn to talk … not text … and even converse!!! WOW! Here’s the hot parenting question for today (at least the one I’m asked quite frequently): “How do you boost communication skills with today’s digital natives who would rather text than talk?” It’s a great question. So here’s today’s [...]

Bullying: What You Need To Know

Michele Borba — Thu, 30 May 2013 18:27:09 +0000

Bullying is a serious problem and one that all stakeholders (parents, educators, community) should be educated in. Here are the latest statistics from StopBullying.Gov. Bookmark that website and then pass these troubling statistics on to others. Permission to post this infographic was granted via StopBullying.Gov.

Raising a Self-Reliant Child by Dr. Alanna Levine

Michele Borba — Tue, 28 May 2013 13:00:04 +0000

We have all heard the news about helicopter parents and boomerang children, and baffling statistics like the fact that one-third of American men aged 22 to 34 still live with their parents. But how can parents safeguard against these trends, when every moment of a child’s life is increasingly scheduled and competitive? Pediatrician Dr. Alanna [...]

Rx Stimulant Abuse: Too Many Teens – And Their Parents! – Think It’s Okay

Michele Borba — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:10 +0000

Midterms. Finals. College applications. It’s no secret that today’s teenagers are overwhelmed with pressure to succeed, both academically and socially. Expectations are high, and teens are turning to stimulant medications, like Adderall and Ritalin, because they think it will alleviate some of that pressure and help them keep up. But what many teens and their [...]

The ‘Motherhood Club’: How to Empower and Support Our Fellow Moms

Michele Borba — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:00:56 +0000

Motherhood is the most important job in the world. We all share the same goal – to raise happy, healthy kids. So why are we caught in the ‘mommy wars?’ Let’s end this battle and focus on empowering one another. The Exclusive Motherhood Club I don’t know if you realize it, but there’s a [...]

Children’s Author Takes Action to Address the Dangers of Hatred, Prejudice & Stereotyping

Michele Borba — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:00:31 +0000

ATTENTION ALL PARENTS, COUNSELORS & EDUCATORS: Full disclosure: Trudy Ludwig is one of my favorite children’s authors as well as a caring human being. All her books (including Confessions of a Former Bully, Sorry, and Trouble Talk) are plain glorious, but now she’s outdone herself. Trudy has an exciting new nonfiction picture book project for kids that she’s [...]

How to Raise Assertive Kids Who Speak Up for Themselves and Others

Michele Borba — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:58:44 +0000

7 solutions to help kids develop self-confidence, buck peer pressure and speak up for themselves Let’s face it. It’s a hard time to be growing up, and the data confirms it. Bullying is fiercer. Peer pressure is tougher. Kids are more aggressive (and at younger ages!). Girls are meaner. Tougher temptations like drinking, sex, and drugs are hitting [...]

Could Computers Be the Answer to Peace? Ask Kids from Karabakh!

Michele Borba — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:00:37 +0000

How the One Laptop per Child project, NUR and children in a land far away called Karabakh may teach us the secret to positive social change for developing countries and even peaceful coexistence I’ve been a teacher, writer and researcher for over thirty years and like many, I’m haunted knowing that millions of children in [...]

How to Raise An Ethical Child

Michele Borba — Sat, 04 May 2013 15:30:18 +0000

Why we must nurture children’s hearts as well as minds: 7 ways to teach kids strong, ethical behavior and character in a decade of moral erosion This might as well go down in history as the “Decade of Moral Erosion.” Wall Street so-called “leaders,” politicians, celebrities, and even the clergy and their parade of unethical [...]

10 Reasons To Not Spank Your Child

Michele Borba — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:13:31 +0000

Yes, Kate Gosselin of the infamous Jon & Kate Plus 8 was photographed spanking her child. Oh my! I know this is probably old news and every media outlet from here to Cape Town probably covered it. But with all the flurry that Kate herself succumbed to that ancient parenting tool, my email box is [...]

10 Ways to Make Prom & Grad Night Safer For Our Teens

Michele Borba — Wed, 01 May 2013 17:00:49 +0000

REALITY CHECK: Did you know the period between prom through graduation are statistically the deadliest time of the year for teens on our national highways? Here are ways to keep your teen safe and have happy memories. Prom night. Graduation! You want your teen to have a wonderful, magical evening, but it’s easy to forget [...]