Kids who communicate well, handle emotions effectively and build healthy relationships aren’t just naturally skilled at social interactions. They’ve learned these skills from their parents or trusted adults.

I’ve worked with thousands of kids and families, often helping them navigate tough moments. People skills — like empathy, communication, boundary-setting and conflict resolution — are crucial during life’s biggest challenges. They also shape how kids handle everyday stress, friendships and family dynamics. 

Here are six things that parents who raise kids with strong people skills do on a regular basis:

Rather than shielding their kids and avoiding difficult topics like illness, death or big life changes, these parents build trusting relationships by approaching tough conversations with openness, honesty and compassion.

They use simple, clear language and invite questions, teaching children that it’s okay to talk about uncomfortable topics and to seek support. 

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Parents who create a home environment where kids feel safe expressing their thoughts and emotions raise children who have an easier time communicating and advocating for themselves. 

These parents are comfortable naming and showing their own emotions in front of their kids, including joy and playfulness in difficult times. 

When their children feel frustrated, sad or overwhelmed, they don’t dismiss those emotions or say things like, “Don’t cry,” “It’s not a big deal,” or “You’re okay.” Instead, they validate their child’s experience:

• “It’s okay to cry. I’m here with you.”
• “I see you’re feeling upset.”
• “Your feelings make sense.”

This teaches kids that all feelings are okay, helps them learn and practice coping strategies to regulate their emotions, and allows them to feel safe expressing themselves. 

When conflicts or challenges arise, these parents don’t force quick apologies. Instead, they guide their children to consider the other person’s feelings, asking questions like:

• “How do you think your friend feels about what just happened?”
• “Does your sibling seem okay right now?”
• “What do you think would help them feel better?”

This helps kids develop perspective-taking skills, gives them a better understanding of what’s within their control, and shows them how both their actions and external factors impact others — ultimately making their apologies more meaningful and their relationships stronger.

Rather than immediately stepping in to fix conflicts or ease discomfort, these parents empower their kids to navigate challenges themselves. Instead of dictating solutions, they ask:

• “What do you think we could try to make this better?”
• “Would you like some ideas, or do you want to try something first?”

They help their children recognize when they need to set a boundary, teaching them to express limits clearly and respectfully:

• “I don’t like that. Please stop.”
• “I need some space right now.”
• “I’m not comfortable with that.”

By combining problem-solving with boundary-setting, parents help their kids develop the confidence to advocate for themselves and work through social challenges. They also recognize that not every situation has a clear solution or a quick fix — and in those moments, they focus on providing support. 

Instead of pushing their kids into new interactions and hoping they’ll figure it out, these parents set kids up for success by preparing them ahead of time and giving them opportunities to practice.

They help their kids feel more confident by:

• Talking about what to expect before a new event, like a medical procedure or birthday party: “We’re going to the doctor for a check-up. They’ll measure how you’re growing, listen to your heart and lungs, and look inside your ears, nose, and mouth.”
• Role-playing tricky interactions, such as advocating for their needs. “Let’s practice what you might say if someone keeps asking why you can’t eat the cupcake.”
• Teaching them how to set boundaries in social situations: “If someone is pressuring you to do something that feels unsafe or unkind, what can you say?”

Play isn’t just about having fun. The parents I’ve seen raise socially and emotionally skilled kids aren’t afraid to be silly, but they also understand that play is a child’s natural way of processing emotions, working through challenges, and building relationships. They:

• Engage in play to help kids work through tricky situations or feelings: “Whoa! Lets get those mad feelings out in a safe way. Can you pretend to be a bear or imagine blowing out birthday candles!?”
• Prioritize unstructured play time for kids to feel connected and build their own creativity, cooperation and confidence: “You have my undivided attention right now. What would you like to play? I want you to be in charge of the game.” 
• Use playful moments to prepare for new experiences and teach boundaries, empathy and communication: “Teddy needs a check up! Can you play doctor with him?”

By valuing play, these parents establish connection and trust while helping their kids develop social and emotional skills that are critical for their growth and development — and will serve them for a lifetime. 

Kelsey Mora is Certified Child Life Specialist and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who provides custom support, guidance, and resources to parents, families, and communities impacted by medical conditions, trauma, grief, and everyday life stress. She is a private practice owner, mom of two, the creator and author of The Method Workbooks, and the Chief Clinical Officer of the nonprofit organization Pickles Group.

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Solo travel continues to trend.

A new report from Kensington, a private guided luxury travel service, ranked the top countries to for a solo trip in 2025. For this ranking, Kensington took into account findings from “affluent” travelers based on 2024 data and two external surveys conducted with Opinium Research and Dig Insight.

“Solo travelers are increasingly choosing destinations with deep cultural significance and unique landscapes balanced with independence and seamless, personalized service,” Matt Cammaert, Senior Vice President of Marketing, told Travel + Leisure.

The survey found that 76% of respondents are extremely to somewhat open to traveling by themselves internationally in the next three years.

India is the top destination for those looking to adventure alone.

“From the vibrant streets of Jaipur to the tranquil backwaters of Kerala, India’s diversity ensures that every traveler finds something extraordinary,” Anit Singh, Kensington’s destination expert for the Indian subcontinent, told Travel + Leisure.

The country is home to one of the modern-day Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal. The marble mausoleum in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

According to the report, India offers travelers “an alluring depth of history and culture that many travelers dream of for decades.”

1. India
2. Italy
3. Japan
4. Egypt
5. Thailand
6. Australia
7. Spain
8. Iceland
9. France
10. New Zealand

Italy ranked as the No. 2 solo travel destination.

Though Italy is always a popular locale, a solo traveler going to the European country “is likely fulfilling a unique personal dream,” the report states. “And is looking for experiences and places that are outside the mainstream.”

This is consistent with the trend reports from Expedia and Booking.com, which showed vacationers are skipping fancy trips to major global destinations for quieter excursions in lesser-known and far less crowded places.

About 63% of travelers said they will likely visit an off-the-beaten-track destination on their next trip, according to Expedia’s “Unpack 25” travel trend report.

The country is home to many famous monuments, including the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Colosseum, and the Duomo di Milano.

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As a leadership consultant who studies workplace psychology, I’ve spent more than 30 years helping thousands of individuals and CEOs at multimillion-dollar organizations navigate tough relationships and achieve success.

Out of all the different personalities I’ve worked with, ambiverts stood out the most. Because they have tendencies of both introversion and extroversion, they can leverage inward reflection and outward interaction in a strategic and balanced way.

Ambiverts are also ambitious and goal-oriented. Their sharp observational skills help them see both the bigger picture and potential pitfalls — all while building a community around them to help them achieve their vision.

If you identify with any of the traits below, you might be an ambivert. Here’s what makes this personality type so underrated and more successful than their extroverted and introverted peers.

1. You are very selective when it comes to social engagements.

You don’t seek interaction just for the sake of it. You carefully evaluate which opportunities align with your goals, values and energy levels. This allows you to be fully present and able to contribute in every interaction.

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2. You turn solitude into a superpower.

Time alone isn’t just relaxing — it’s productive. You use alone time to process, reflect and plan, rather than as an escape. After a long day, you step back to recharge in a way that makes you emerge with fresh insights and ideas.

3. You are fluent in speaking introvert and extrovert.

You are highly adaptable and skilled at adjusting your approach to match the other person’s energy or preferences. You’re equally at ease diving into deep conversations with quieter individuals and engaging in dynamic, intense discussions with people who are more outgoing.

4. You can take the lead, but you also know when to step back.

You excel at commanding attention but know when to let others shine. You pivot effortlessly between leading and listening during group discussions.

5. You speak to make progress, not noise.

Extroverts often speak when they shouldn’t, and introverts often don’t speak when they should. But as ambivert, you know when to talk and when to listen.

6. You act with intention and perfect timing.

You have an extraordinary ability to read situations and people: Who holds influence? Who is disengaged? Where are the real opportunities where you can contribute? You are constantly analyzing all the details of a given interaction, and you know exactly when to step in.

7. You can turn boring interactions into opportunities.

When faced with boring or irrelevant meetings or conversations, you don’t just zone out. Instead, you scan the room to identify interesting people — those you could benefit from engaging with to reach your goals. This way, you turn what others might view as “wasted time” into valuable connections.

8. You are a versatile problem-solver.

Because of your deep self-awareness skills, you understand both the rational aspects of a problem and the emotional sensitivities for the people involved. This gives you a unique ability to devise a solution that works for everyone.   

For extroverts, this is all about developing the skills to thrive in quieter, more introspective moments. Here are three simple things you can try:

1. Pause and think before speaking: In conversations, count to three before responding. This gives others space to contribute and ensures your input is thoughtful.
2. Practice silent observation: In meetings or group settings, observe dynamics without speaking. Pay attention to who talks, who listens and how decisions are made.
3. Schedule alone time: Block out 30 minutes each day for journaling. Use this time to review your day and plan your next steps, or to just process your thoughts. Think about recent interactions or decisions. What insights can you take away?

For introverts, this is all about expanding your range. Here are three simple things you can try:

1. Prepare what you want to share: Write down one or two points you’d like to share before attending a meeting. Commit to proactively contributing something meaningful. This will make speaking up less intimidating.
2. Follow up: Send a quick email or message after meeting someone. Reference something specific you discussed and thank them for their time.
3. Recharge with purpose daily: Set aside some alone time every day to process your thoughts. Analyze your interactions. Plan how to apply what you’ve learned. Draft ideas for what to share in the meetings and conversations planned for tomorrow.

Stefan Falk is an internationally-recognized executive coach, workplace psychology expert, and author of “Intrinsic Motivation: Learn to Love Your Work and Succeed as Never Before.” A McKinsey & Company alumnus, he has trained over 4,000 leaders across more than 60 organizations and helped drive transformations valued in excess of $2 billion. Follow him on LinkedIn.

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Most couples think they know each other well, but real intimacy is a lot more than just being able to name your partner’s favorite food or TV shows.

As a psychologist, I’ve found that people in the happiest, most successful relationships see in their partner what others can’t or would normally overlook.

If you can answer these five questions below about your partner, your relationship is built on a highly coveted level of understanding and connection. (And if you don’t know the answers? It’s the perfect excuse to start asking.)

We all have those moments that stick with us for life — something a high school teacher said in passing, a compliment from a stranger or a minor rejection that still stings years later.

These events might seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but they can radically alter the way we see ourselves, and they rarely come up in casual conversation.

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If you know about one of these small core memories in your partner’s life, it means you’ve had the kind of deep conversations that reveal the invisible threads of their personhood.

When life gets hectic, everyone has their own way of mentally checking out. Some fantasize about quitting their job and moving to a remote island. Others scroll real estate listings for cities they’ll never move to, or envision alternate versions of their life.

This is so much more than just a quirky habit; it’s a window into how your partner copes with stress. If you know the answer, it means you understand their inner workings, and that’s a rare kind of closeness.

We all have social scenarios that make us feel uneasy. Maybe your partner dreads small talk at parties, or they hate ordering at a restaurant in a group setting.

Knowing what makes your partner uncomfortable means you can be a source of support in situations where they might otherwise just grin and bear it. This is a sign that you’re truly attuned to their subtle mood changes — something that the untrained eye wouldn’t notice.

Whether we like it or not, we inherit certain habits from our upbringing — some good, some bad. For example, maybe your partner has a hard time accepting compliments because they never got any growing up.

If you know what habit your partner struggles with, it means you’ve had the vulnerable conversations about the family dynamics that shaped them into who they are today. These are the kinds of details most people don’t get the chance to learn, or simply don’t care to.

Everyone has accomplishments that they’re secretly proud of, but refrain from announcing to the world.

Maybe your partner once helped a stranger in a way that changed their life, or they pushed through a health, family or finance-related struggle that no one knows about. 

If you know about any of their unsung victories, it means your partner feels safe enough to share their most humble, meaningful moments with you. That kind of trust is invaluable in a relationship.

Mark Travers, PhD, is a psychologist who specializes in relationships. He holds degrees from Cornell University and the University of Colorado Boulder. He is the lead psychologist at Awake Therapy, a telehealth company that provides online psychotherapy, counseling and coaching. He is also the curator of the popular mental health and wellness website, Therapytips.org.

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Throughout her career, Elizabeth Gore, 47, has had a passion for entrepreneurs. “I really had a fever, which I still do, about small business,” she says.

Gore grew up in Texas and got her bachelor’s in animal sciences at Texas A&M University, initially thinking she would work on her family’s cattle farm. A college internship for a senator on Capitol Hill convinced her to pivot, and she ultimately worked at the United Nations Foundation for nine years helping building initiatives like Girl Up. It was there that she “got really obsessed with how critical small business owners are to the world,” she says, working with them in various capacities.

In 2017, after leaving the UN Foundation and working with entrepreneurs at Dell as their entrepreneur in residence, she co-founded a company herself: Hello Alice, a tech platform which helps entrepreneurs gain “access to capital like grants, loans, credit,” she says, as well as offering business planning tools and mentorship.

To date, Hello Alice has helped 1.5 million small business owners and contributed $52 million in grants, says Gore. Here’s how she built her career.  

At the UN Foundation, Gore started seeing the power of assisting small business owners through small loans.

“I was looking at the developing world, and particularly women,” she says. The theory was, “if they were able to make their own income, they could pay for family health care and their kids could go to school.”

As an entrepreneur in residence at Dell, she helped new companies through the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network, which ensured “that our female customers had the technology they needed to scale,” she says.

That experience taught her “how critical small business owners are in our country,” she says. “They are the largest job producers” in the U.S. But it also taught her about some of the challenges they face.

“I was shocked at how hard it was [to start your own business] in the U.S.,” she says, adding that that was particularly true “for women, people of color, our veterans,” who might not have the same types of resources other communities do to get started. In 2024, female-founded companies got just 2% of VC capital, according to Pitchbook.

Gore started running into her future Hello Alice co-founder, Carolyn Rodz, at various events and conferences. Rodz, who’d come from a financial and entrepreneurship background herself, was also passionate about serving small businesses.

Rodz saw the challenges the community faced “as less of a problem and more as this big opportunity,” says Gore. Around 2014, while attending a conference, the two started mapping out their new tech platform, which could address some of the challenges small businesses in America face. They ultimately launched Hello Alice in 2017 as a business that could “fuel and fund itself,” says Gore.

The company has since raised $28 million in multiple rounds of funding, says Gore. Their biggest profit area is a business health score tool they license to banks, fintech companies and others, says Gore, which they launched in April 2023.

To use the platform, entrepreneurs sign up for free and receive a tailored dashboard with grant listings, educational content and networking opportunities. Hello Alice also sends email alerts about new grants, funding programs and relevant resources based on the user’s business profile.

Down the line, Hello Alice hopes to adopt AI to help run their platform by analyzing business data in real time, providing personalized recommendations and anticipating challenges through predictive analytics.

Beyond giving entrepreneurs tools to grow, Hello Alice “advocates on behalf of our small business owners” to ensure policymakers create legislation that supports them, she says. “We are really passionate about showing that they are literally the beating heart of this country.”

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