Bring on that Adventurer Spirit!
The door to our study is covered with decorative paper. A box of colored pens sit nearby. Drawings and words tell the stories of “new things we’ve done.” Learning a new skill, discovering a musical artist we’ve never listened to before, letting kids teach us a new game, all are grist for the adventurer’s mill….
Read ArticleGet Out!
Let the beauty we love be what we do There are Hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the earth. Rumi Rumi got this right — there really are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the earth! This summer, get creative with ways to combine your love of the earth with care for our…
Read ArticleMedia Literacy Resources
These are some resources for parents who want to help their daughters learn to think critically about the messages in advertising and media. Clicking on the books will take you to their ordering pages on Amazon.com. Resources for Parents of Elementary School Girls Books Can’t Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think…
Read ArticleThese Kids are Wired! Part 2: Fun Activities for Kids – Moving Beyond Appearance and Being Media Smart!
Concerned that your children spend too much time “wired”? Research shows that the average youth (ages 8 – 18) spends 45 hours a week with media! That’s an intense relationship! Many parents talk to me about their concerns about worrisome media messages, especially those that promote unrealistic standards of beauty & perfection. These messages can…
Read ArticleThese Kids are Wired! Part 1: Helping Kids Develop their Media IQ
45 hours a week with media–that’s the average for youth ages 8 to 18. Compare that to 9 hours a week exercising. And, do the math, this is way more time than they spend in school or with family. Technology and media offer incredible opportunities for living in a global community. But there are challenges…
Read ArticleBook Review: Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? by Claire Mysko and Magali Amadei
Welcome to the New and Young Families Corner! In the months to come Vicki Chiang, PsyD and I will be bringing you some great new resources, including book reviews, articles on topics related to the exciting and challenging transition to family-hood, and fun activities to do with your wee ones. This month, I’m excited to…
Read ArticleNavigating the Challenges of New Motherhood the Embodied Way
After the birth of my first daughter I was blindsided by the reality of motherhood. I had always wanted to become a mother. I thought that with my experience of working with children and families that it would come naturally, that I would take the transition with ease. But my daughter, Olive, had other plans….
Read ArticleCreating a Culture of Compassion
“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me.” That old adage just isn’t true. Teasing, name calling, gossip, rumors, exclusion, and betrayal are forms of cruelty sometimes referred to as social aggression. Social aggression starts at a surprisingly early age, during the pre-school years. Ever hear a 3 year old…
Read ArticleWhat Parents Need to Know about Teen Suicide
Reprinted with permission from Children’s Friend, Worcester, MA Since Tyler Clementi, a brilliant, 18-year old violinist, took his own life in September, more stories of teen suicides have emerged and shocked people across the U.S. Tyler was the fourth gay teenager to kill himself within only a few weeks, and this past weekend it happened again…
Read ArticleStuck in a Flower Pot: What to Do When It Isn’t Just “the Blues”?
I bend over a stack of empty pots to turn on the hose when I see her–a baby opossum. Not so small that she belongs in her mother’s pouch, just big enough, the size of my hand, to be exploring the world on her own. And here she is, fallen into a deep pot with…
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