Life Skill


Raising a Great Mom – Tips from Two Brothers

By Aaron and Josh Danielpour, sons of Lisa Danielpour, and nephews of Vicky Keston, Co-Founders of Gooseling   We are very lucky to have an awesome Mom (Lisa Danielpour), Aunt (Vicky Keston), and Grandma (Joan Keston).  We’re pretty much veterans at raising great parents at this point since Aaron is 20 years old (just finished […]


Tips to Help Ease Your Child’s Separation Anxiety

This article was originally published on urbansitter’s blog. If your life with young children is anything like mine, it’s rare that you’re able to walk to the bathroom without a child attached to your legs or shower without a child or two peering through the glass. Needless to say, you need a break, but how […]


Smart Estate Planning: Should You Have a Will or a Trust?

Estate planning is something that everyone knows they must do, but it is a path that many fear to tread. It requires collecting, synthesizing and collating information – and let’s face it, making decisions surrounding your own mortality can be just a bit unsettling. Nonetheless, life often forces you to confront this process, in most cases due […]

Bill Scherer, Scherer, Smith & Kenny. San Francsico, California. June 17, 2013

Proselytizing By Preschoolers

Question: My child’s classmate has been proselytizing about Jesus Christ. We are not Christian. My own child has now asked me to confirm that our God is the right one, and that others are wrong. How do I explain to my child that we don’t believe in Christianity, but to respect the other child’s beliefs?   […]


Nurturing the Sibling Relationship

Most of us have siblings; some are close, while others are not. To some extent, our personalities dictate how close we are as adults. But as children, how can we encourage a positive relationship? How can we avoid pitfalls that drive our children apart? A space of ones own. Our retired pediatrician, Jane Anderson, recommended that […]


Social Stories & Puppets: Powerful, Fun Tools to Teach Children 1

As parents we face a daily conundrum of opportunities and needs to coach our children about everything from conflict resolution and manners to transitions and routines. Two creative tools I love for teaching children social and life skills are social stories and puppets. Storytelling can be such a powerful way to engage children, capturing their […]


Ten Tips to Help Your Child Find His/Her Interests and Hobbies

One of the most fascinating things I love as a Mom is watching my children find their interests and passions.  Helping my children explore activities to see what they like and what they don’t care for at all is part of seeing their personalities unfold. We have no idea when they are born what a […]


Little boy excited with his birthday cake

Creating Special Family Rituals for Lifelong Memories 1

Establishing regular family rituals whether a weekend hike, family movie night, or special holiday traditions build strong bonds and memories that last a lifetime. These are the memories that we so often think of first when reflecting fondly on our own childhood. They reinforce a sense of security along with the message that we are […]