Parenting
21 + 3 Parenting Truths
Behold! My list of 21 + 3 truths about parenting. If you find any item on my list offensive, insulting, or somehow unfairly critical of your own parenting decisions, please remember that although I refer to these items as truths, the only real truth is that this is just a list of my opinions about…
Read MoreA great problem to have. BUT STILL A PROBLEM.
This is one of those moments when I’m going to apologize for complaining about something that really shouldn’t be a complaint. While visiting Pike Market in Seattle a couple weeks ago, we stopped in a great, little bookstore called Lion Heart Books, where we were thoroughly entertained by the owner, David Ghoddousi. His store didn’t…
Read MoreYou hate you when you say this…
If you brag (or even comment overly enthusiastically) about your child’s remarkable ability to enjoy eating almost any food, please know that the vast majority of parents who hear these comments at best don’t care but more than likely hate you very much.
Read MoreTooth fairy economics
Charlie lost his front tooth this week at his Little League practice. Non-baseball related. A couple weeks earlier, he lost his other front tooth, leaving a gap in his mouth large enough to drive a train through. It’s hilarious. When a child loses their tooth in our home, the tooth fairy brings that child a…
Read More7 bits of parenting advice that I stand by without reservation
Oddly, I am often asked for parenting advice. I say oddly because I’m hardly an expert, but I suspect that two decades of teaching and two relatively well adjusted children have caused some folks to think I know something about how to raise kids. I often refrain from offering parenting advice on a public scale…
Read MoreHiring a coach so your child can play Fortnite better is ridiculous.
The latest trend is parents hiring professional coaches for their kids to help them win at the 100-player free-for-all video game Fortnite. Contracting sites like Sensei and Bidvine will outfit kids with professional tips to anywhere from $20 per hour to $50 and higher. I heard someone on a podcast defending this practice, explaining that…
Read MoreMy kids were sweet and lovely this week. Don’t try to tell me otherwise.
Oftentimes Elysha and I see or hear our kids do something and can’t believe what just happened. A few from this week.____________________________________________ I picked up Charlie, who is five years-old, from his hip hop class on Tuesday. From the waiting room, I heard his class end, then Charlie and a couple kids lingered for a bit…
Read MoreSleeping babies: Less shame. More sleep.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) currently advises parents to sleep in the same room (but never in the same bed) as their babies for a year, ideally, but at least for the first six months. In a new study published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers led by Dr. Ian Paul, professor of pediatrics and public…
Read MoreHow Can You Help Students Cope With Getting College Rejection Letters?
Slate asks: How can you help students cope with getting college rejection letters? The answer to this one is fairly simple, I think: Remind them of how many young people can’t afford to attend a college of any kind. Show them the statistics on the enormous number of young people growing up in impoverished, crime-riddled neighborhoods,…
Read MoreGot kids? Here’s how to turn them into writers.
As a teacher and a writer, I often give parents advice on helping their children to become effective writers who (more importantly) love to write. My advice is simple: Be the best audience possible for your child’s work. If he or she wants to read something to you, drop everything. Allow the chicken to burn…
Read More