It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Yep, back to school. (OK, most really start in August at that point, but September still feels like back-to-school month.) The basics are always reading, writing, and ‘rithmatic, but the details of how those are taught and what else they are learning is amazing, not to mention the rules parents need to know so they and their kids don’t get in trouble can be overwhelming, especially when you are starting out. When my eldest was in preschool, he and a friend played “The Hugging Game.” It looked exactly like wrestling, but they both knew they would get in trouble in preschool for “wrestling” but not for “hugging.” That was not the first, or last, time we have worked around silly (but well-intentioned) school rules.
Whether it’s choosing a preschool or helping your kid cope with not getting into their first choice college, there is a lot to talk about related to school.
I had a post partway written that I was trying to finish for tomorrow. Then I decided to check other books by the publisher of a book I just finished, Night of the Living Trekkies. I wanted to buy every single one I saw in their “fiction” section, and that just doesn’t happen to me. I […]
Read MoreI don’t hold with conspiracy theories that Google, Apple, Amazon or anyone else care what individuals are doing, but I am tired of feeling like I am supporting a few giant companies that keep swallowing up small businesses and getting bigger. I know I’m not alone in this but finding other choices can seem like too […]
Read MoreLice are gross. We can all agree on that. And, like most gross things, they happen and there really isn’t a heck of a lot we can do about it. Sure, you can use shampoo to repel them and reduce the risk, but gross still happens. So how do you handle a lice outbreak like […]
Read MoreI feel strongly that elementary schools should allow PG movies, especially for PTO events and school field trips (on the tour buses). Why? One word: Frozen. It’s PG for “some action and mild rude humor.” I am not making that up. Schools won’t allow kids to watch many of the most popular movies for kids because of the […]
Read MoreThe song Make New Friendswas woven into the fabric of my youth by its ubiquity in Girl Scouts. I have always loved the sentiment, which I have always taken to mean older friends are more valuable. As adults, this is so much more important. It’s easy to focus all your time and energy on your […]
Read MoreMy kids love their schools, but it doesn’t take long to figure out that the zero tolerance policies modern schools have been forced into a position where they have a culture of fear for the students, teachers, and administrators. There really aren’t a lot of areas where zero tolerance makes sense and those where it […]
Read MoreI love my boys. I do my best to care and provide for them, but I have my own stuff to deal with. There are some very hard limits to what I can and will do, and I make no apologies for that. When our boys arrive home from school every day, could I drop […]
Read MoreIt’s easy to get distracted. Sitting down to write a book, I go to my internet browser to research something, and twenty minutes later realize I have no idea what I wanted to find, but I have read all the updates on my Facebook page. Online shopping, news, entertainment stories, fun quizzes, the possibilities for […]
Read MoreSit down and either decide on a goal you have or work with your child to set a goal for them to achieve. Write it down. If you have several, put them in order and note if they are for personal, school, family/home, sports, faith, etc. Here are some examples: Personal: I will write a […]
Read MoreI’m pretty sure we’re not the only family where Mom goes to all the pediatrician appointments. I’m sure there are also families where dad goes and Mom doesn’t. Either way, if you aren’t the parent who usually helps the sick kids, here is a short guide to what to do when your kid is sick. There’s […]
Read More