My teacher friend, Barbara, retold the wonderful story of a little boy in her new Pre K class. She was reading the class a particular book the plot of which was getting tense. The little guy interrupted her reading and announced, "Let's look on the bright side, guys. I'm pretty sure there's going to be a good ending to this story!" Call it half empty-half full or just plain having an optimistic attitude, this little boy had it. The optimistic child (and adult, for that matter), is the one who … [Read more...] about A Spirit of Optimism
Parent modeling
Bad Behavior…of Grown Ups, That Is
This morning's treadmil conversation at the gym was livelier than usual. I announced that I just had to blog about the growing epidemic of bad behavior...of adults... public figure adults' bad behavior. Whether or not my gym rat buddies felt Serena's tongue fault was forgiveable (It was, they thought--it was her first outburst; it was a lousy call; it was a genuine mistake), whether Joe Wilson had the right to call President Obama a liar (He did not, they agreed), or whether Kanye West's … [Read more...] about Bad Behavior…of Grown Ups, That Is
The Proof is in the Pudding
I really truly believe in the power of parents. I wouldn't be doing what I do if I didn't, right? I've written two books about it; I teach classes about it; I lecture about it, preach about it, consult about it. Parents who are deliberate in their parenting--who give thought to and discuss the ways they want to raise their kids--are on the track to raising pretty darn great kids. Yesterday I had one of those belief affirming experiences. I attended the Bat Mitzvah of a now young woman, … [Read more...] about The Proof is in the Pudding