Should I Make my Kid go to Camp?
I get asked this question frequently, so I’ve created a grid to help you make the decision. Just see what box you and your child fall in, the grid will tell you “yes,” or “no,” and your camp decision is made. Simple as that! Okay, it’s really not that simple. For some families, the camp…
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One Important Thing
I overestimate what I can do. Every day. You would think after nearly five decades of living with me, I would know that there is no way I am going to accomplish the 11 items on my “to do” list with the “W” circled for Wednesday. You would think I would assess the situation and…
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3 Things to Teach Your Kids about Alcohol
With my oldest daughter’s 21st birthday in just a few days, I am again thinking about deadly traditions around alcohol that are accepted as normal in our culture. Please talk to your kids about the dangers of alcohol, and share this with the kids you love. Earlier this month, a promising young athlete and former…
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“Pay it Forward” Day is April 24
No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. -Aesop I usually rush through the day thinking about what I need to get done and consumed by all the stuff that weighs on my time and my brain. And yet, being aware of those around me and doing a simple act of kindness can change…
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Five Reasons Great Parents Send Their Kids to Camp
My shy, quiet nine-year-old went to camp not knowing a soul. Two weeks later, she came home transformed. She blossomed. She made friends, learned a multitude of activities, felt safe, loved, confident, and happy — really, really happy. As hard as it was on me, it was all worth it for her. It was the single…
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Making Friends: Managing Difficult Emotions
Here are a few tough questions: • Has anyone ever accused your child of bullying or being mean to another child? • Have you ever seen your child lash out (physically or verbally) at another child? • Does your child react aggressively when upset by a sibling? • Have you noticed that other kids don’t seem…
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Friends: Finding Gold in a Plastic Era
“Friendship is the gold of childhood.” Michael Thompson’s statement stuck with me long after I attended his session on the social lives of millennial children at a recent American Camp Association conference. I would go even further and say that friendship is not just the gold of childhood, but also of life. And, unfortunately, our…
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Making Friends: 3 Communication Skills Your Child Needs
Leaving a soccer game last fall, a teammate called out to my son, “Great game today!” My son didn’t turn his head. He grunted something unintelligible, and he walked away. My husband and I were shocked. Did he not know that you RESPOND to a compliment by turning towards the person and saying, “Thanks!” or…
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Why Family Dinner is Important
I almost changed the title of this post to “Why my Kids won’t be Olympians,” since it seems appropriate this week. There are many reasons (mostly genetic and statistical) my kids won’t be in the Olympics, but one reason is that high-level sports commitments are just not as much of a priority for our family…
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Enjoy Your Teen Daughter
2014: Inspired by an email from a friend last week asking about parenting her soon-to-be-teen daughter, I found this post from a few years ago that still speaks to how I feel today about my teenage daughters. I hope it inspires you to listen less to negative talk about the teenage years and enjoy your…
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Practice What I Pin: Get Organized!
I’m like a lot of other moms in that I have A LOT of different projects and tasks going on simultaneously. There are moments when I can’t remember all of the things I have to do or figure out what I should work on. I find myself frozen, staring at the piles on my desk,…
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5 Reasons to UNPLUG
Oh, how I love my nightly Pinterest sessions. I look forward to that mindless scrolling and pinning of recipes I’ll never make and quotes that inspire. And I love seeing pictures friends have posted and what everybody’s doing on Facebook. And, of course, I love the great articles I link to from Twitter. The downside…
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