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
Communication
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
Tips for Dealing with Scary Current Events with Children
Whether it is the horror of a violent event, an act of terrorism, or a natural disaster, the news of such things can have powerful impact on children of all ages. It can cause tremendous fear and anxiety, or it can just raise some questions. Each child will react differently. But no one goes totally unaffected. In dealing with your child, here are some tips that will help you to help your child process what has happened. First of all, take care of your own feelings. Children take … [Read more...] about Tips for Dealing with Scary Current Events with Children
Extinguishing Fire Worries
Not only is the prospect of a house burning down terrifying to a child (and everyone!), but so are many of the accompanying variables disruptive and disconcerting. The fires in the Los Angeles area have driven home this reality. Fires are destroying homes; the wind is the enemy; the air is unbreathable everywhere; the road closures make it impossible to go anywhere; and schools are unexpectedly closed. What’s a parent to do? Manage your own feelings. Of course parents are not only terrified … [Read more...] about Extinguishing Fire Worries