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Archive for December, 2012

Parenting beyond the tragedy

December 20, 2012 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

We were torn about our planned approach to this edition of Parent Today. The light-hearted, fun stories we had lined up to lead into the holiday break seemed suddenly inappropriate amid the horror that took place in a little town that we might never have heard of except for the devastation brought by one troubled […]

Good advice makes a lasting gift

December 20, 2012 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

My great aunt Margaret used to say, “A good cook always cleans up.” The picture in my memory has her standing in her kitchen wearing an apron, a wooden spoon in hand. In that moment, she meant “clean up” in the literal sense – if you dirty the dishes, you’ve got to clean them (which […]

The difference made by one simple act

December 20, 2012 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

When tragedy strikes, we are inundated with news and information, and our country’s most recent tragedy is no exception. Coverage online, in print and on television is continuous in the aftermath of the horror that struck at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. It is hard to escape the images and the stories of […]

Top five resolutions every kid should make

December 20, 2012 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

With the new year on the horizon, we can’t help but think about making resolutions. It’s a hard habit to break – at least the part that involves thinking about making a resolution. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, approximately 50 percent of the population makes resolutions each New Year. […]

Keeping kids focused amid holiday distractions

December 6, 2012 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Kids had barely wriggled out of their pirate and princess costumes Halloween night before the winter holiday blitz began. Radio stations launched into 24-hour loops of Christmas music; holiday lights and garlands were suddenly draped across supermarket aisles; and herds of animatronic and inflatable figures began to appear on neighborhood lawns. And the holiday drumbeat […]

Why imaginary play is so important

December 6, 2012 | Posted in: Early Learners

My oldest daughter was convinced when she was little that she was Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. Many of the popular animated movies at the time scared her too much to make it through the first five minutes, yet she was enthralled when her heroine faced off against the Wicked Witch of the West. […]

Finding a cause: How to help your child become socially conscious

December 6, 2012 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

From a very early age, I remember hearing my parents and teachers talk about the importance of helping others. My mother, a registered nurse, made a career out of caring for the sick and the elderly. I remember going with my grandparents on many occasions to share food and company with those in need or […]

When your child refuses to go to school

December 6, 2012 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Many of us can set our watches by the rituals that unfold on the home front each morning: coffee brewing, bathroom filling with steam, newspaper landing with a thud on the porch, the pre-teen lump under the blankets pleading for “five more minutes.” But what if, after the headlines have all been read and the […]