Driving Backwards
Our 1972 Toyota Corona station wagon lived a tough life when I was a kid. From the factory, it came with an AM radio and no AC. How much fun can anyone have with that? While other families had Oldsmobile…
Building Parent-Teacher Partnerships
I have just begun my twelfth year as an English teacher. I spent two years at a private school, seven at a public school, and two at a school for students who are gifted in the arts. I see my…
Morning Struggles?
My husband and I work and have to stick to a schedule. How can we get our kids – ages eight and eleven – to school on time? They are so slow in the morning. Oh yes,…
An Education Trust
When Mark and Michelle began thinking about their children’s educations, they quickly became overwhelmed. They had heard of UTMA accounts, 529 plans, and educational trusts. They knew their parents wanted to help also, but they didn’t fully understand the different…
Focus on Virginia Elections
On November 7, Virginians will head to the polls to elect a new governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and all one hundred members of the Virginia House of Delegates. In the last full month before the election, Family Advocate examines…
The Thing About Middle School
Why is middle school so hard? Count yourself lucky if your kids move on having made at least one core memory involving one teacher or adult.
Forever Twenty-Bucked
If you’re like me, you almost never see it coming. It’s a bolt out of the blue, a maddening surprise, a whack across the back of the head when you least expect it. And there’s nothing to do but hunch…
Have a Favorite Child?
As my children get older, I can feel myself starting to favor one of my kids over the other. Is this normal? Parents can feel more ease with one child and more strain with another. Research shows that each parent and…
What is Kinship Care?
When John and Ann were in a serious automobile accident, they needed care for their children. Arrangements were made for the kids to stay with relatives in Virginia until their parents could recover. The caregiving relatives needed legal authority to…
Trauma and the Adverse Childhood Experience
When we hear the news about a teenager who has been shot or young children witnessing shootings in their neighborhoods, we may wonder what the long-term impact will be on these children. Research tells us experiencing violence can have…
