Your kids are bouncing around with excitement. School activities are over-the-top Halloween focused. Back in the day At the risk of sounding like a real curmudgeon, I will say that nobody had costume parades, Halloween parties, or spooky extra treats in my 1960s elementary school days. Sure, we made pumpkin art projects that got pasted …
MOTHERHOOD
Bullying: I’m Naming Names – Part 2
My son was bullied at Oak Hill Academy After reading about Rebecca Sedwick, a 12 year-old who killed herself after she was tormented by bullying, I was moved to tell two stories. Yesterday, I told you mine. Fast forward one generation. Today, I will tell you my son’s. Oak Hill Academy in Lincroft, New Jersey …
Bullying: I’m Naming Names — Part 1
Late Saturday, we buried our pet gerbil, with tears and sweet stories. My boys had taken very good care of him. I was moved by their compassion and deep sadness. Yesterday, I woke up and read the lead story on CNN.com. Yet another young bullied person committed suicide. The juxtaposition of these two events was …
Rock On, My Sweet 7th Grade Girl!
“Wear a helmet on the ropes course and don’t join in if kids are doing something stupid.” These were my husband’s parting words of advice as he hugged my 12 year-old daughter goodbye. She was boarding the bus for a three-day 7th grade wilderness trip. His worries were all about safety. My thoughts were all …
Dear Class Moms… What I Want You To Know
Dear Class Moms: It was great to see all of your smiling faces at last week’s potluck. There’s nothing quite like connecting over the shared mission of motherhood – of working so hard to grow healthy, happy kids at a time where the guidelines of parenting have become so complex and convoluted. We all want …
Is Your “Difficult” Child Hypoglycemic?
Summer is a time for family gatherings. It is also a time for occasionally intriguing, sometimes contentious conversations on the art of child-rearing. One of these lively discussions occurred between my brother and me while observing the penguins at the zoo with our children last July. Is it bad parenting? Nearby, we heard the sound …
Healthy School Snacks
Labor Day marks the unofficial end to summer. It also marks the time when many parents begin getting their kids ready for the new school year. We all know how consuming this can be, especially when it comes to finding healthy school snacks. At this time last year, I found myself trying to fulfill an …
Tuesday Afternoon. One Week Before School Starts
I catch myself in the three-way mirror outside The Gap dressing room where my 12 year-old daughter is trying on back-to-school clothes. ‘Who is this woman?’ I wonder as I roll my shoulders back and suck in my stomach. ‘When did I become the grown-up? I look tired,’ I think to myself, ‘School starts in …