iQ: smartparent

How can you make your life simpler and less stressful? By staying organized! Nancy Martin, youth services assistant at the Bethel Park Public Library, talks about the importance of organization not only in the library but in our everyday lives.

How can we make children more comfortable when they make mistakes? By setting good examples when we make them ourselves! Jen Ford, guidance counselor at Wylandville Elementary School in Eighty-Four, PA, explains the power of talking about mistakes, and how this can be a valuable tool in teaching children how to approach their own missteps in life.

What ideas do you have? What do you dream about starting? Vida Kuhns, the owner of Saving Grace Country Store and Consignment in Bakerstown, PA, shares her tips on what you can do right now to achieve your goals.

Getting ready for school is an exciting time. Did you know you can practice skills at home to get ready for the school year, and it is never too early to start? Beechwood Elementary Kindergarten teacher, LeeAnne Kreuger, lists some activities to try at home.

Girls of Steel is a robotics program based at Carnegie Mellon University for children and young adults in grades K-12. Grace Goslin and Samhita Gudapati from the program's high school team remind us of the importance of teamwork, not only in building a robot, but in our everyday lives.

Being silly can help reduce stress, improve mental health, and is overall just fun! Pittsburgh-based motivational speaker, comedian, and musician, Gab Bonesso, teaches us how to bring some silly into our everyday lives.

Rhythm is a series of repeated movements, patterns, or sounds. Amanda Kolson and Michael LaBella from the Slippery Rock University Music Education Department teach us how to find and create rhythm in our everyday lives.

Did you know that it's against the law and is very dangerous to ride a bike at night without lights and reflectors? In this Teachable Moment, BikePGH's Ted King-Smith teaches us how to stay safe and be seen while riding at night. For more safety tips, visit BikePGH.org.

The mission at SLB Radio Productions is to amplify voices of youth and other community members whose voices often go unheard. A great way to do this is through interviewing and listening. In this Teachable Moment, Larry Berger (Founder of SLB) and Morgan McCray (SLB Youth Advisory Council) share interviewing tips.

Maybe you have seen cups of dirt dessert before. But did you know they represent the 4 layers of soil? Ashley Kovel and Paris Lyons from the Washington and Jefferson Education Department explain each layer and encourage you to investigate the soil below your feet!

Because learning begins at birth, it’s never too early to start sharing books with your baby. For the past 22 years, The Best Books for Babies booklist has helped parents, teachers, and caregivers find great books to share with babies aged birth to 18 months. Co-chair of the Best Books for Babies Committee, Lisa Dennis, points out a few selections from the 2022 Best Books for Babies list.

Stress balls can help promote mindfulness, increase focus, and ease stress. In this Teachable Moment, Ja'Nya and Jackson, students from WQED/Steeltown Film Academy teach us how to make a stress ball using the supplies that we have at home.

Did you know that the trees around you could be older than the city of Pittsburgh itself? Joe Stavish, the director of education at Tree Pittsburgh, explains how to estimate the age of a tree using the tools you already have at home!

Did you know that small children should enjoy a snack or meal every 3-4 hours? Erin Spangler, a nutritionist with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, explains the proper ingredients for the perfect trail mix with the help of her friend Makayla.

At the Neighborhood North Museum of Learning, they have plenty of ways for you to discover the power of the wind. Teaching Artist, Dennis Garner shows you how you can build one of these contraptions in your very own home.

Check out this huge, colorful mural of sea creatures at the Butler Area Public Library in Pennsylvania. Youth Services Librarian Tiffany Harkleroad points out all of the hidden surprises in the mural and shows how kids can create their own scavenger hunt at home.

Being thoughtful can help us find peace when we are feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Felicia Savage Friedman of Yoga Roots on Location teaches us a simple concentration exercise that we can practice whenever we are feeling these emotions.

Cultural food traditions are preserved by handing them down from one generation to the next. Rachel Sew of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) - Pittsburgh shares a quick recipe of her family's tradition of making dumplings.

Constellations are pictures we draw using stars in the night sky. In this Teachable Moment, Lindsay Surmacz, aka "The Starry Messenger", teaches us a few constellations using the art of circus performance.