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Istar Schwager, Ph.D., an educational psychologist and mother, writes about the joys and challenges of raising kids. Advisor and contributor to numerous award-winning publications and television programs, Dr. Schwager frequently conducts workshops for busy parents. She is a consulting editor of HighlightsParents.com and founder of CreativeParents.com, a site “for parents leading creative lives.”

Happiness is . . .
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

Read the latest discoveries, and share them with your family. The word "happy" gets used a lot at this time... Read more

Solving the Puzzle: Why Do Kids Love Puzzles?
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

When my son was young, it seemed as if all he wanted to do was solve puzzles. He also loved... Read more

Getting Through the Holidays One Day at a Time
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

With November here, can December be far behind? If you face this time of year with a mix of delight... Read more

Learning About Tolerance
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

Not long ago, I was saddened to read a message from a mother who wrote to us saying that her... Read more

Family Games — 6 Secrets for Making Them Fun
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

That's a "string in the cellar" my mom would say when something was unknowable. The family catchphrase originated from the... Read more

How to Keep Halloween Fun
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

Kids start talking about what they're going "to be" for Halloween weeks, even months, before the end of October. Parents... Read more

Transitions: Easing into the Start of School
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

People Don't Have Gears! Have you ever noticed that many of the terms we use to describe transitions come from... Read more

Encourage Summer Reading
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

(And help kids learn to love reading!) For the first three years after my son was born, I was too... Read more

A Remedy for Boredom!
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

Encourage your kids to explore their interests and create their own fun. With all the talk of over-scheduling, it seems... Read more

Listening, Really Listening
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

My mother invented multitasking. OK, maybe your mother did. Anyway, the point is that now we all do it. Most... Read more

It’s a Funny Thing...
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

It's a funny thing that humor doesn't get more respect. But of course, respectability is one of the things that... Read more

Kids and Cliques—What You Need to Know
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

I'd like to dedicate this column to my childhood friend Denis, who died this week. In the e-mails that have... Read more

Kids and TV—A Positive Approach
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

While TV brings much of value to our lives, as parents we have our reasons to be concerned about the... Read more

Play Is Essential to Learning
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

Now that I've got your attention . . . ! What's happened to play? While learning has become the buzzword... Read more

Setting Up Routines
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

A group of three-year-olds opened my eyes to the need for routines at a time when I prided myself on... Read more

Vacationing with Your Kids
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

Vacations with kids are so different from vacations without kids that they may deserve their own name. Kidcations? Anticipating my... Read more

Keeping Curiosity Alive
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

Curiosity, the desire to know more, is a powerful impetus for learning. It helps motivate space expeditions, medical discoveries, and,... Read more

Parents, Kids, and Downtime
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare? From "Leisure" by W.H.... Read more

Good-Byes: Marking the End of the School Year
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

For most kids, the end of the school year means saying lots of good-byes. Some of these are temporary, some... Read more

Parents View Summer Camp
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

Do you ever wish you could go to summer camp? Many parents who visit their children at camp say they... Read more

"There Never Seems to Be Enough Time"
By Istar Schwager, Ph.D.

Why you feel that way and how some parents cope Some reasons we parents are feeling so much time pressure... Read more