MSI Press Blog

  Today's tip for parents from two talented teachers comes from  365 Teacher Secrets for Parents  by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly. #185 Estimating   No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess. ~Sir Isaac Newton   You can help your child estimate in math by finding real life situations where estimating can be fun. Our ability to estimate well improves with experience so helping younger children learn this skill in interesting and exciting ways now can benefit them in many ways later. For all children, estimating the answer to a problem before solving it allows them, afterward, to answer the question, "Does the answer make sense?" If their answer is way off the estimation, they know to go back and recheck the addition, subtraction, etc. Here are some ways to work on estimation with her (and your whole family!) in your everyday life:   ●       How many bites do you think it will take to finish your bowl of cereal?...

  “Mastery” is a tempting word—often paired with achievement, confidence, and control. But parenting, especially of children with unique needs, rarely fits a model of fixed achievement. It's not a subject to master; it’s a relationship to grow. Raising a child who sees, feels, or learns differently can be unpredictable. What works beautifully one day might fall flat the next. It’s not failure—it’s the nature of a dynamic, evolving bond. 🌟 What Does Mastery Really Mean in Parenting? If mastery implies control, perhaps the real art lies in embracing adaptability: Learning what soothes your child after a tough day—and relearning it as they grow. Celebrating progress, not perfection. Releasing comparison and finding comfort in your child’s unique timeline. 🧠 Mastering Your Mindset More than specific techniques, parenting well means mastering your own mindset: Becoming calm in uncertainty. Practicing patience without passivity. Learning to pause before reacting—especially...

  Social skills don’t always come naturally—and for some kids, navigating friendships, reading body language, or taking turns can feel like climbing a mountain with no map. Whether your child is shy, impulsive, anxious, or just figuring out how to “people,”  I Love My Kids, But I Don't Always Like Them .  is the compassionate guidebook you didn’t know you needed. Franki, a seasoned expert in behavior with two decades of experience observing kids in classrooms and camps, knows what it looks like when a child flounders socially—and how much it can drain a parent’s energy. With warmth, humor, and refreshing honesty, she invites readers into her own messy, real-life journey raising three very different children. Her book offers no shame and no finger-wagging—just real tools to help your child grow into their social self, even if you’re running on coffee and fumes. Inside this award-winning parenting survival guide, you’ll find strategies for helping kids build relationships, ...