It is always with great relief that moms and dads report back that explaining the birds and the bees to their elementary school age child wasn’t that bad. And despite their six year old's exclamation of "Eewww, gross!" at the mention of the man putting his penis the woman's vagina, Mom could breathe again. That was the beginning. As kids' bodies grow, so do their feelings— physical and emotional—their cognition, and their exposure to a world that includes sex. And there is much more than the … [Read more...] about Beyond the Birds and the Bees
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Unplugging
Mindfulness is the rage in Los Angeles. Mindful eating, mindful interactions, mindful relationships, mindful communication, mindful parenting. There is mindfulness for kids: Teaching kids to become mindful; mindfulness as an antidote to bullying; mindful learning in school; using mindfulness to enhance peer relationships, and on and on. Mindfulness through meditation is the new antidote to stress. A few weeks ago a store front meditation center, Unplug, had a front page write up in the … [Read more...] about Unplugging
It’s Just A Sip
(First published in 2010) The journey of raising a teen is fraught with challenges. Not only is his natural development tricky, but a teen’s world is filled with societal influences of all kinds, alcohol being just one. Alcohol is on everyone’s minds: Tweens and teens want to try it, and parents want to keep it away. It is a concern at every turn. And while there is much to consider when it comes to teens and alcohol, parents remain tremendously influential in the choices their kids will … [Read more...] about It’s Just A Sip
Should You Discipline Someone Else’s Child….Revised
It’s hard enough to raise your own child—teaching him the rules of the road, guiding him as he learns how to “play nicely”—but what happens when a child who is not yours is in need of some pointed guidance (a swift kick in the pants!)? You’re having a playdate, and the guest grabs a toy (your child’s favorite Thomas car) out of your child’s hands. The grabber’s mom observes without reaction. You’re at the park, and a girl you don’t know throws sand at your child. The sand thrower’s mom is … [Read more...] about Should You Discipline Someone Else’s Child….Revised
How to Talk About Homelessness
With ever increasing numbers of homeless in our cities, it is not surprising that young children are asking questions. Whether it is someone in the street asking each car for money, someone pushing a cart overflowing with possessions, or a person forlornly propped up against a building, children notice anything that is different (as do we all, frankly). They work hard to understand and make sense of the world they encounter. As they grow and mature, more of the world comes into focus and is … [Read more...] about How to Talk About Homelessness
Redirecting the Holiday Gimmes
Sugar Plum fairies and fa la la la la are not the only things that come with the winter holidays. So does a parent’s worst fear that she has raised the spoiled child she swore she would never have. At no other time of year do the cries of “Gimme Gimme!” echo so loudly across our land. A case of the gimmes is not limited to the well-off. Parents across a wide range of incomes are plagued by concerns that they are raising a spoiled, ungrateful child. But here’s the truth of the matter: having … [Read more...] about Redirecting the Holiday Gimmes