Ages 6-9

Handle an emergency.
You've already taught them what 911 is, where the fire extinguishers are, and the fire escape plan, right? That's the easy stuff. The tricky part is teaching them calm, Runkel says. "In a crowd, tell them to look for people they can trust--the calm and present authority figures. Follow their commands. Avoid panic and people who are panicking." The best time to talk about emergencies, Runkel says, is during dinner. "Asking kids around the dinner table in a mature tone makes them feel more grown-up. And you want a grown-up level of responsiveness from them during an emergency."

Accept and act on criticism.
Kids face criticism from many sources: peers, teachers, coaches, and you. "Let them feel it," Runkel says. "Don't say, 'Oh, don't worry about it.' The lesson here is criticism has only as much power as we give it." Acknowledge that criticism hurts and ask your kids: Is it accurate? If so, what can you learn from it? "Also, give them time to process it," Runkel says. "If you say, 'When you act this way, you're not very likable,' it may not register right away. But they'll be thinking about it."

Hit a baseball.
Sure, climbing Everest is hard. But if you really want a challenge, try teaching an 8-year-old to hit a round ball with a round bat. We asked some of the best in the business how to convert a little whiffer into a tiny slugger.

Develop a batting eye.
"The best advice you can give is 'see the ball,'" says Julio Franco, a former Major League batting champion who played well into his forties. "It sounds simple, but it isn't for a youngster learning the game. Remind your kid over and over to track the ball and try to see it when it hits the bat."

Teach with imagination.
"The best device available is visualization," says Jalal Leach, a former San Francisco Giant and owner of the Baseball Mentoring Program. "When I want a youngster to visualize how to keep his feet parallel, I tell him to imagine standing on a railroad track. When I'm teaching how to stride into the ball, I say 'test the pool water with your front foot.' And instead of saying 'pivot off your back foot' during a swing, I'll say 'squash the bug.' It works beautifully."

Relax.
"Tell your kid not to grip the bat too tightly," says Derrek Lee, first baseman for the Chicago Cubs. "All kids want to squeeze the handle really hard, and it's a disaster. And have them maintain a level swing. Kids tend to uppercut wildly in an effort to hit a home run, and it's a terrible habit."

Solve disputes with siblings and friends.
Unless one of your kids is dangling the other out the window, don't say a word. You're not listening to only one side, and you're not acting as moderator. "As soon as you become involved, they're no longer interested in finding a solution; they're interested in getting you on their side," says Anthony Wolf, a child psychologist and author of Mom, Jason's Breathing on Me! The Solution to Sibling Bickering. If they keep pestering you, tell them that if you step in it'll be a problem for both of them. Stick with your rigid neutrality, and they'll learn that pleading their case is fruitless. More important, they'll learn to compromise quickly.