Children
It’s not unusual for a parent to notice a surge in their child’s skills in some favorite activity. This is happening right now with my youngest daughter and her competitive swimming ability. As we look to support her while she steps it up, I immediately wonder, “what is my role as a parent of a […]
Continue reading about Healthy parenting of rising-star athletes
On my mind today are kids and athletics. It’s fairly well-documented that when a child and a sport find a natural match, the child experiences increased self-esteem from performance in the sport. I believe this is not only applicable to sports but can include any interest or activity in which a chlid excels. But since […]
When I was six or seven, I had two pet names for my father – Naa and Ego. Although I don’t remember their origin, I suppose I was following suit from seeing the diminutives my parents used for each other on Christmas gift tags and Valentine’s Day cards. (P.B. and E.S., which stood for something […]
Last Saturday our oldest daughter, my stepdaughter, was the first of our kids to get married! Click here to read part 1 of my post. I promised more details about the ways the wedding ceremony balanced honor and acceptance. First of all, Brianna’s aunt (who is Brianna’s mom’s sister and was her best friend) attended […]
Continue reading about Wedding Ceremony Balances Honor and Acceptance, part 2
I was waiting for the actual “big day” to tell you about it! Our oldest child and daughter (my stepdaughter) got married this past Saturday! What a special day, and YES, we love her husband. This is an event that I always knew would raise questions of balance between past and present in our family, […]
Continue reading about Wedding Ceremony Balances Honor and Acceptance, part 1
I started to tell you last time that I had my daughter “sign her life away” to get her cell phone. Here are most of the terms and conditions we put in the agreement, in case it would be helpful to any of you. I, (child’s name), understand that my phone is a privilege given […]
In my post of June 8, “To Cell Phone or Not to Cell Phone,” I struggled over my decision about whether and when to activate a cell phone for my 11-year-old daughter. I’ve completed my research and made a decision: yes. The bottom line for my decision: my comfort. My daughter has started babysitting and […]
I didn’t blog yesterday because the day was filled with “last days of 5th grade” events. Graduation in the morning, the outdoor celebration lunch, followed by the annual field day. Whew! At the luncheon, one of my friends asked, “Are you going to miss elementary school?” (This is truly the end of our own kids […]
Last week I made a case about how I think face time with my kids trumps Facebook. Recently, we’d had the pleasure of having each of my older kids (my stepchildren) move back in with us, one at a time. Last week I told the story of my stepdaughter, her fiancé, and their dogs squeezing […]
I am reading the book Success in Middle School: A Transition Road Map with my 11-year-old daughter. I believe that the key word in the title is “transition.” I picked that word instead of “success” because I think success becomes a very personal definition for each student. Those definitions will range from success equaling academic […]