Parent & Caregiver Education

Ask any parent: if your child is sleeping well, life just seems to run smoother.

After all, when kids are sleeping well, parents can sleep well too. And when the whole family feels rested, everyday routines and challenges feel a lot easier.

Of course, every family also experiences moments where good sleep feels out of reach. Whether that’s waking with a young infant who doesn’t yet sleep through the night or dealing with a sleep regression, parents and caregivers are very familiar with the frustrations and worries that accompany moments of poor sleep. And because they’re also well aware of sleep’s essential role in children’s health, growth, and learning, they often feel even more pressure to fix things fast. It can be a rough cycle.

That’s why Rowland Hall’s princiPALS are focusing on sleep in the first of their newest batch of episodes that go back to basics when it comes to raising children who thrive.

Leaning on their own experiences as parents and educators, as well as a bit of sleep science, the pals talk about building healthy sleep routines that work for your child, dealing with inevitable bumps or pushback, and knowing if your child is getting enough sleep. Using their positive, no-pressure approach, the pals will help you remember you’re not alone in tough sleep moments—and you will get through it.

Listen to “Back to Basics: Let’s Talk About Sleep,” as well as other episodes of The PrinciPALS Podcast, on Rowland Hall's website and Apple Podcasts.

Podcast

As Rowland Hall’s princiPALS like to say: Parenting is hard. Teaching is hard. But both are a little bit easier when done in partnership.

That’s why, in the newest episode of The PrinciPALS Podcast, the pals are talking about some of the topics that are important to you, our listeners.

In this first-of-its-kind princiPALS episode, Emma Wellman and Brittney Hansen ’02 are answering some of your top questions about raising young children: how you can get habits and behaviors to stick, how to address distressing current events, how to get kids interested in activities and hobbies, and how to manage sibling rivalry during the elementary years. We hope you’ll join the pals, along with alum host Conor Bentley ’01, for this warm, supportive conversation that will leave you feeling seen and understood, and provide a deeper understanding of how to support the children in your life.

Listen to “Ask the PrinciPALS”—as well as other episodes of The PrinciPALS Podcast—on Rowland Hall's website and Apple Podcasts.

Podcast

We live in a world filled with screens—they’re a necessary part of how we work and communicate, and even learn and play. They’re also the cause of a lot of family anxiety.

From How much screen time is too much? to Should I let my child watch this movie? the questions around children and screen time can seem endless—and it often feels like you’re doing it wrong.

As parents themselves, Rowland Hall’s princiPALS understand the struggle around screens. That’s why they’re opening the fourth season of the school’s award-winning podcast with an episode on the topic.

Join Emma Wellman and Brittney Hansen ’02, along with host Conor Bentley ’01, for a refreshing conversation on screen time, including discussion about current guidelines (and why it’s understandable if you can’t always adhere to them), what high-quality programming actually is (and how to find it), and the ever-looming question: What about social media? You’ll also learn strategies to build children’s screen literacy, and find out why it’s so important to invest in non-screen time. And, importantly, listeners will discover how they can get the whole family involved in identifying values and boundaries that will guide screen time in their homes.

Listen to “Screen Time”—as well as other episodes of The PrinciPALS Podcast—on Rowland Hall's website and Apple Podcasts.

Podcast

Behavior and discipline: no matter what kind of parent you are, they’re two topics you think about often. And chances are, you’re often wondering, “Am I doing this right?”

That’s why in the newest episode of princiPALS, early childhood and elementary school experts Emma Wellman and Brittney Hansen ’02, along with Rowland Hall alum host Conor Bentley ’01, are focusing on behavior and discipline. What do undesirable or challenging behaviors in children mean? And what are the best ways parents and caregivers can guide those behaviors?

By learning to recognize patterns in your own children’s behaviors, you’ll be better equipped to help your children correct, problem-solve, and learn from those experiences.

In this episode, listeners will learn to recognize the why behind children’s actions. “Children are not their behaviors,” explained Emma, so by learning to recognize patterns in your own children’s behaviors, you’ll be better equipped to help your children correct, problem-solve, and learn from those experiences (not to mention you’ll feel more calm in the moment).

And in true princiPALS fashion, Emma and Brittney remind viewers they are not alone in this work. The pals share their own stories of growth, as well as identify resources—from books to your children’s teachers—you can use to help build your knowledge of relationship-first strategies. They also leave you with helpful homework that will assist you in better understanding your children’s behaviors and your responses to them.

Listen to “Behavior and Discipline”—as well as other episodes of the princiPALS podcast—on Rowland Hall's website and Apple Podcasts.

Podcast