7 Project Planning Solutions
As a mother, a teacher for 19 years, and now a school counselor, I have seen the many anxieties that an upcoming school project can cause for your child. In the end, it can feel like your project when your…
What it Takes
The teacher all three of my women-children agree is the best they’ve ever had, admits he hated school when he was a kid. “And I was a lousy student!” he adds as a dramatic exclamation point. At first, I’m a…
Hot Wheels and Women: A Cautionary Tale
Ben, my oldest son, is thirteen. Sometimes he wanders into the room with a thousand-yard stare, which can only mean one thing. Girls. For the past year or so, he has been growing into an awareness that girls might merit…
Growing Babies and Big Kid Beds
Q: My 2½-year-old just moved to a big kid bed. He was a great sleeper in the crib, but now he wakes up several times at night and wanders in his room and through the house in the middle of…
Battle of the Pool Bag Bulge!
Take a moment to think back to last summer. Did your pool bag seem to double in size over the course of the summer? As the mother of two young girls and admittedly a packaholic, I know mine did. I…
Charity Begins at Home
About a month ago, I made a list. Empty waste cans. Sort whites. Scrub toilets. Clean bedrooms. Unload dishwasher. Dismantle the stockpile of shoes in the utility room that had recently begun to rival the pile of laundry. There were about ten…
A Peck On the Head
Well, just look at the bunch of us now. A bit more weight, a bit more gray, but who cares? It’s a reunion, so it’s bear hugs all around as we shake our heads and try not to count the…
Teen Drinking, Tots, and Potties
Q: When I was a teenager, I signed a contract with my dad that I wouldn’t drink alcohol until I was of legal age. It didn’t work on me. Do you think this is a good idea? A: Interesting that…
Dining Out With Kids?
Going out to eat with my family always seems like a great idea – at first. For a second or two, I forget that my husband and I are the parents of two children under the age of four. But…
Dad for All Seasons
“He’s here! He’s here! Paula’s … date… is … here!” Our voices rang out like a trumpet fanfare. My father had already pushed the furniture to the walls, clearing a path through our living room to the front entrance…
