Even if you, as a child, weren’t taught to “look for the helpers” in times of trouble, you probably have encouraged your own children to do so. 

Diwali is the holiday that feels like it belongs to me. “My Diwali Light” tells the story of Devi, named after my grandmother, as she gets ready to celebrate Diwali her way. Like so many major holidays, different families and communities have their own way of marking the season.

From the huge family Christmas parties my parents hosted when I was growing up to the icing cookies that have been THE holiday cookie of choice since I can remember to the glow of Christmas lights and decorations, I love the Christmas holiday season.

In this episode of the "Dear Highlights" podcast, Christine French Cully, Editor-in-Chief, and Hillary Bates, Director of Purpose and Impact, are joined by Highlights CEO Kent Johnson.

Kate Swenson is the owner of the blog, "Finding Cooper's Voice." In this very personal essay, Kate shares the advice that she wants every parent of a special needs child to know. 

Kids write to Highlights to tell us how they feel about their bodies. And the news is not good. When most adults are also unhappy with their bodies, how can we help kids to relate to their bodies, and to food, in a positive way?

Preparing to add another child to your family can leave you tired and full of emotions as you prepare to welcome your second baby.

Hanh Bui fled her homeland of Vietnam as a child. She remembers the challenges of arriving in a new country, with new customs, language and expectations.

These 5 tips will help you feel at ease when cooking with kids, while also helping your child feel at ease shopping for and chopping veggies, measuring ingredients and helping you cook and serve dinner. 

It is, most likely, inevitable: One day your 2-year-old cutie is quietly sharing her favorite stuffed animal with her 4-year-old brother, when out of nowhere you hear her shout, “Let go!” in the most assertive tone ever.

No matter the kid, late toilet trained or early, older child or youngest sib, most preschoolers delight in potty talk. They pontificate on poop and blab about butts anytime and anywhere. There are three big reasons why:

Kids are proud of what they can do. 

It may be hard to fathom, but children as young as age 8 can have suicidal thoughts, and many parents don’t know when their children are in crisis. In this week’s “Dear Highlights” podcast, our host Christine French Cully, talks with Dr.

Playing with a pal is not just board games, backyard soccer, slime, bikes and lemonade stands. It’s actually shoring up your child’s mental health, banking trust and developing security that can be drawn on for years to come.

Stop the antics before they start—or stop them in their tracks.

Much that is mundane to adults is new and exciting for toddlers. No wonder it’s so easy for them to slip over the edge into overexcited territory! Here’s how, when and why to step in. You’ll be glad you did.

While there’s no single childhood trait that guarantees a happy, healthy adulthood, scientists increasingly believe that kids who possess self-control may have a leg up on the competition.

Kids need time to prepare emotionally and physically for the first day of school. This back-to-school guide provides 5 tips to help promote school readiness, as well as fun and engaging Highlights products that will set kids up for back-to-school success.

Each year, thousands of kids write to Highlights magazine to share their creativity, make suggestions for a new feature or puzzle or seek guidance on a problem they are experiencing.

As you can imagine, Judy Burke keeps pretty busy as the editor of 

The internet was made for posts about cats and kids. But it’s also a massive network storing information about all of us, including kids. How should we think about kids’ privacy online?

For many parents, a child talking back or being rude is met with immediate anger or sternness—perhaps an instinctual response from their own upbringing or beliefs about respecting our elders.

From homework to open houses and everything in between, keeping up with your child’s school year can often feel like a full-time job. 

One of the most memorable parts of raising a child is recounting all the hilarious things they say when they’re little. Whether it’s pronouncing “blueberry” as “boodiddy,” or giving you advice on how to do your job, kids come up with some pretty funny stuff.

The air is full of colorless gas. So what makes a sunny sky so blue?

On a beautiful summer day, puffy white clouds drift in a sky that’s very blue. It looks like an ocean you could dive into. 

I love sharing the traditions of Hanukkah with my children and extended family because it’s important to me to pass down the rituals of Judaism that my ancestors have been following for thousands of years.

Christine French Cully, Highlights Editor-in-Chief, and Hillary Bates, Director of Purpose and Impact, sit down with Dr. Emily Oster, an economist at Brown University, to discuss how to understand data to improve decision making for parents.  

When school lets out, a whole new world opens. For some kids, that means splashy pool days, sidewalk chalk and stacks of library books. For others, it means quiet days at home, skipped lunches and fewer chances to learn or play. That gap isn't fair.

Here are simple ways to boost kids’ interest in food, desire for adventure and appreciation for what goes on in the kitchen.

Browsing the colorful aisles of a toy store or pages of an ecommerce site, you could easily think that vibrant hues, flashing lights and lots of noise are required for every baby toy.

In this Dear Highlights podcast, Christine French Cully, Highlights Editor-in-Chief, and Hillary Bates, Director of Purpose and Impact, talk with Dr.

One of the things our early childhood learning team hears most when we speak with preschool educators is that kindergarten readiness is far more than foundational literacy and numeracy skills, as critical as they are.

There are many reasons why the holiday season can hurt. We see ads and movies depicting this time of year as joyful and connected. But some families are experiencing hardships – the loss of a job, or a devastating illness or grief after losing a loved one.

In this “Dear Highlights” episode, Christine French Cully, Editor-in-Chief, and Hillary Bates, Director of Purpose and Impact, talk with Nelba Marquez-Greene, founder of the

The best backyards have a few things in common: they offer kids a place to explore, experiment, run, jump, learn and collaborate in a safe, familiar environment. The best part: it’s easy and inexpensive to create a backyard space that’s exciting and fun for your child.

This Dear Highlights podcast discusses navigating friendships, both the fun and the challenging. Highlights receives more mail about friendship, a vital part of a kid’s social-emotional development, than any other subject. 

While homework in elementary school is usually minimal, your child has many years of studying ahead of them. Teaching study skills to kids now – in age-appropriate ways – can pay dividends later as they progress through middle and high school.