They made a Book Store. That was the answer to my question, “What are your kids up do these days?” ‘Wait…what?” I asked. My client’s 12 and 9 year old kids were out of school with no plans for the week. Left to their own devices—no classes, no team practices, no playdates— they built a book store. First, they wrote the books… a lot of them, pages stapled together. Then they put the store together. Shelves were made out of their building blocks, complete with fiction and non fiction … [Read more...] about Summer’s Here–Let Your Child Be Bored
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The College Admissions Scandal: This is about parenting
Yesterday the web exploded with the news of the college admissions scandal. Water cooler gossip overflowed with shock and, for most, disgust. This revelation, honestly, is not a surprise to me. I am horrified … but not surprised. Gaining admission to the college of your choice is no easy task these days. Each year it becomes more daunting. What if my child doesn’t get into college? What if he doesn’t get into the college? Fear and anxiety can lead to desperate measures, like … [Read more...] about The College Admissions Scandal: This is about parenting
To Post or Not to Post
Every time there is a school holiday, social media is plastered with photos of families and kids engaged in all sorts of vacation fun. Then there are those other pictures, the ones that reflect something more than family fun. This year, in particular, there was a peppering of photos that made me stop and ask, Why did [parent] post that photo? Obviously, a parent posts photos of his child, thinking it will be “liked.” My friends will love this one! No one intentionally … [Read more...] about To Post or Not to Post
Gratitude Beyond Thanksgiving
Each year as Thanksgiving approaches, there is an mighty uptick in the gratitude discussions at school. Gratitude awareness fills the mommy blogsphere. And parents begin to think about the need for cultivating more gratitude in their spoiled kids…especially as the season of gimme is right around the corner. But shouldn’t gratitude be a year round attitude, part of our regular lives and our kids’ everyday school curricula? We know a whole lot more about the importance of gratitude, beyond … [Read more...] about Gratitude Beyond Thanksgiving
Talking to Your Child About the Synagogue Shooting
How I wish I didn’t have to write about the mass murder of 11 human beings at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. What a burden it is to have to explain to our children something so heinous, something that I cannot explain. I am sick to my stomach. As always, I am being asked, "Should I tell my children? How much should I tell my children? How can I make them feel safe in the world and especially when they go to religious school? How do I answer, 'But why?' How do I explain someone … [Read more...] about Talking to Your Child About the Synagogue Shooting
Parent – Teacher Conferences
Communication between home and school is essential to a child’s successful school experience. Fall is the time when many schools, public and private, have their first parent-teacher conferences of the year. Unfortunately, these conferences are usually short, sometimes only twenty minutes. You want to use your time well. Save the chit-chat and small talk for another day! Just as your teacher prepares for the conference, so should you. Whether your child is in 5th grade or in his first … [Read more...] about Parent – Teacher Conferences