May 7, 2020 There’s a not-so-secret society of moms out there in the world: The Society of Sports Moms. It’s made up of those of us who spend significant time taxing kids to practice, sitting as spectators, hunting up uniforms to wash at the last minute, and shuffling schedules. Even with years of experience, I…
June 3, 2014 It was about five minutes until we had to leave for school. I had apples from breakfast in one hand and a baggie for a sandwich in the other. In the middle of the chaos, my daughter walks in with bright purple streaks running vertically up the middle of her eyelids. It looked…
February 6, 2018 As parents, one of our goals should be to give our children the skills they need to be independent, successful adults. A skill they will need when they move out of the house is the ability to care for their possessions and keep them organized. Organizing and taking care of clothing doesn’t have…
August 26, 2015 It’s that time of year again. It’s hard to believe but school is starting across the nation. It can be a little difficult to get back into the swing of things (it’s amazing how much we can forget when we’re having fun in the sun) so here are some suggestions for making…
August 9, 2019 We hear a lot about the benefits of mindfulness these days. Basically, the concept refers to finding ways of focusing on the present moment while acknowledging and accepting everything that we are thinking, feeling and experiencing. It can take practice, but the calming benefits are entirely worth the time invested. Back-to-school time…
October 31, 2017 I love using Advent Calendars to count down the days until Christmas with the kids, but so many calendars offer candy behind each door. The kids end up consuming so many treats during the holiday; I’d prefer not to give them sweets in their Advent Calendars, too. So I decided to see…
September 2, 2014 This month’s Emotional Smarts conversation came on the heels of my daughter’s first ever back to school related melt down. Because she faces a lot of changes and uncertainty, this new school year feels overwhelming to her. I imagine many of us deal with the same anxiety or reluctance in our kids…
September 6, 2011 Once the excitement of the new back to school year begins to ebb away; the new supplies become used; the clothes and uniforms all become worn how will you keep your child focused? How will you keep things from becoming too habitual? Here are some tips that will keep the excitement in…
January 26, 2016 Be it a massive snowstorm on the East Coast or El Nino rains on the West, many of us face the possibility of days inside with the kids. No matter what your opinion on screen time and video games, they can only hold a child’s attention for a certain amount of time. I’ve worked…
December 31, 2013 Today is the day! We’ve reached the end of 2013. Next year spreads out like a lovely blank canvas waiting for us to fill it up. What is it about the New Year that inspires us to set resolutions, promise change, and revolutionize our lives? What is it about our lives that…
December 9, 2011 The holiday season is by far my favorite time of the year. It’s not just the excitement of taking a bite into holiday meals, decorating the perfect tree, or sipping that first cup of hot chocolate with extra marshmallows that bring me pure joy; It’s finding new ways to teach my kids…
August 8, 2016 These days, it’s infinitely easier to outfit your kids for dorm life than it was when you and I went to college. Before the dawn of online shopping, I remember how my parents searched for extra-large boxes and an old-fashioned steamer trunk large enough to hold bedding, lamps, wall decorations, posters, and…
July 20, 2012 We recently discussed standardized testing in the public school system and whether or not it is a hindrance or blessing. After reading through all the comments, it appears that most of you believe it is ultimately harming the public schools as a whole. This lead me to start thinking about schooling options….
August 15, 2018 It’s already that time of year again! Presumably, if your child is going away to college, the preparations are already well underway. It can be an overwhelming and emotional time for the whole family but it can also be a great opportunity for transitions and growth. You’ve probably got everything under control…
April 1, 2020 Parenting a teenager might be one of the most confusing and internally jarring sensations in the world. I was having a typical lunch with my oldest when it occurred to me that those loose unplanned moments were what I will miss when he leaves for college. We drifted in topics and suddenly,…
February 9, 2016 Our family took an impromptu trip to Disneyland this weekend. We kept hearing about the fabulous nighttime parade and fireworks, so decided to find a spot early in order to see them both. You would think getting there an hour ahead of time would leave plenty of time but no, it didn’t….
December 18, 2019 This time of year, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, whether you are romantic or not, whether you watch television or not, there is no avoiding those television Christmas movies. Love them or hate them, you’ve probably seen at least one. I love to tease my mom for watching them but I’ve…
March 31, 2015 It happened about six months ago. My son went to a friend’s house and played Minecraft. Parents who have experienced this know what came next … the obsession. He started talking about a variety of things that made little to no sense. The conversation ramped up to critical volume when we finally let him…
January 10, 2020 Winter can be long and keep many of us cooped up, but being home with your kids can make a great opportunity to teach them some elements that school likely doesn’t. Money Skills No matter the age, many children got money for Christmas. Without making it a math class or a complicated…
September 10, 2019 Late September to early October, I’m always caught off guard a bit by our family’s grumpiness and lack of motivation in just about everything. It happens almost every year. After the hectic beginning full of new and different, school settles into a predictable somewhat dreary routine. The same-ness of each week wears…
November 15, 2016 With Halloween behind us and Thanksgiving right around the corner, the time to embrace autumn is rapidly coming to an end. I admit I’m kind of a purist. I love the season and want to savor it until December, despite the fact that Christmas decorations started appearing even before Thanksgiving this year. But…
December 23, 2019 Nine years out of ten, New Years Eve sneaks up on me. The holidays are wrapping up. The family is in recovery mode. Then the calendar tells me that the year is about to end. It seems strange to let the night pass without any acknowledgment, but it can also feel like…
February 10, 2012 When I decided to put my three-year-old daughter in preschool this fall, I was at a loss at where to begin. Even though I’m a retired teacher, I had to start with the basics. Most Expensive Isn’t Necessarily Best Every parent wants their child in the best possibly school regardless of it…
October 2, 2017 Seasons are fleeting. We look forward to them and then they’re gone in a flash, so the more we can squeeze in and savor, the better. After a summer at the shore or the pool, it’s time to throw on warmer clothes and embrace the magic of the season. Here are a…
August 8, 2012 Summer break means vacation, picnics, BBQs and sleeping in. It’s also a great time to catch up on those all-important physicals and eye-exams. And if your child is looking to transition from glasses to contact lenses – summer is the perfect time to try it out before school starts again. Did you…
August 19, 2019 It’s back-to-school time, which means we’ll start seeing pics of parents celebrating the end of long summer days with their children at home. If you’re a homeschooler, you might have a very hard time identifying with that. Still, getting swept up in some aspects of this time of year can be beneficial…
June 6, 2014 It doesn’t take a lengthy conversation with today’s youth to discover that they really don’t know much about the world’s history. We are so busy sharing images of cats on social media and texting our friends that we often neglect to connect with our children in meaningful ways. Now, we are faced…
May 19, 2016 None of us want to talk about something like this but we have to. Every day around the world, children go missing. Sometimes, everything works out and they are returned to the safety of their homes. Sometimes, the outcome is devastating. When a child goes missing, the families rely on many resources…
July 2, 2014 As our last birthday theme leaned slightly toward boys, so this week I present a theme with lots of hair, flowers, and art: Rapunzel from the Disney movie Tangled. We threw this party in a park during the spring for my daughter’s eighth birthday. I find that each theme lends itself to…
April 16, 2012 April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to recognize that we can each play a part in promoting the social and emotional well-being of our children and the kids in our communities. Click to Tweet this article to your followers. Child maltreatment includes all types of abuse and neglect of…
November 2, 2011 WIC (Women, Infants, and Children Nutritional programs) can be an awesome resource for parents on limited incomes. However, you get a lot of baby cereal. After a lot of research I opted to skip the traditional white rice baby cereal phase of feedings and go straight for single ingredient baby foods and…
May 22, 2019 May is Mental Health Awareness Month. A few years ago, I would have said that due to my training in education, open conversation with knowledgeable friends and family, and experiences with mental health issues, I was pretty on top of those types of issues with my children. Let me tell you point…
April 19, 2019 Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to remind our moms just how much we love them. First celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, the holiday is today a beloved spring celebration of all the love and care…
November 11, 2013 We have entered our second week of November. Which means stores have already ditched the fall season and shuffled Christmas into its place. Between school, sports, and Halloween costumes, our family nearly skipped autumn entirely. But I love fall. It’s calm. It’s colorful. It’s unique. I refuse to let it slip past…
March 7, 2018 In the world of education, there is an ever-evolving concept called Bloom’s Taxonomy. This concept addresses the increasing level of cognitive thought and understanding needed in students as they move through education. Bloom’s breaks the progression of concept development into six levels of objectives: Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create (formally called…
March 13, 2014 Last Wednesday, March 5, David Coleman, President of The College Board, announced a major overhaul to the SAT college entrance exam. In Spring 2016, our students will see a completely different type of test. If you have kids in high school, this information seems drastic. But this change’s impact could be felt…
September 30, 2013 The whispers started a few years ago. Now it’s a yell. Unless you’re in one of five states, you have heard the phrase “Common Core.” But what exactly is it? And should you be worried? First, a history… Twenty five years ago, my mom taught a third grade class in California. She’d…
March 24, 2015 Since writing the article, A New View: We Need to Empower Introverts, about introverts in schools, I’ve thought a lot about behavioral influences on learning. My kids certainly approach their education differently. My son focuses intently because he worries about missing something the teacher might ask while my daughter tends to focus on the…
June 17, 2019 Summer vacation can be lethal to kids’ reading advancements. That doesn’t necessarily mean that school should continue without pause but reading is one of the few academic pursuits in which you can learn just by doing it. You can pick up the proper structure of a story, gathering information, new vocabulary, general…
September 13, 2019 As a mom of a child who is gluten-intolerant, Halloween is not the most allergy-friendly holiday out there. Until we learned our daughter was gluten-intolerant, we never considered allergies when choosing our Halloween treats. If the candy was on sale and had a cute Halloween picture on the front of the package,…
August 3, 2020 Summer is in full swing and the hot weather is here to stay for a few months. Families are looking for ways to cool down and have fun. But, many families are concerned about the safety of congregating in public spaces. And, that includes pools and beaches. So, is it possible to…
September 12, 2019 Compared to 100 years ago, the amount of added sugar in our food supply is staggering. While the initial risks of having so much sugar in kids’ diets was downplayed, it’s looking more and more like something we should be taking seriously. The American Heart Association recommends that children consume no more…
May 28, 2012 Potty training is one of those trials all parents face. Some parents start as early as 18 months to potty train their kids but I personally waited until my daughter was 2 years old to start. Here are some of the tips that worked for us. Be patient. Patience is a must…
May 14, 2012 Planning a birthday party for a toddler is pretty easy to do. Choose a theme, send out tine invites, buy some snacks, and let them play. But what do you do though when your tween wants to have a party, and understandably does not want a kid party? Start out by talking to your…
May 26, 2014 Memorial Day memes have filled the internet lately. Most of them ask people to think of the day as more than just the unofficial start of summer or an extra day off. While I’m not so big on the “shaming” memes, they did make me think. I am guilty of letting these days…