A few weeks ago, during a conversation about the ways in which technology has infiltrated our lives, someone suggested that I watch a particular episode of Black Mirror, the Netflix series that is billed as the updated version of The Twilight Zone. In the episode, a mom, frightened when her preschool daughter wanders off from…
What Every Parent Needs to Understand About Marijuana and the Adolescent Brain
“Which is worse for you, alcohol or pot?” With the increasing trend toward legalizing marijuana, this is a question that is foremost in the minds of a lot of teens right now, and it is critical that parents and educators understand a few important things before they try to respond. Most responses miss the real…
Why Social Justice Matters & What We Can Learn from Emma Gonzales, Naomi Wadler, & Edna Chavez
Last week, I spoke with the founders of Girls Leadership, whose mission it is to equip girls with the skills to exercise the power of their voice. In our discussion, we spoke about the importance of actively teaching social justice, particularly to girls. We are in a unique time period, one in which we are…
Focus On Resilience In Wake of School Shootings
Each year, one of the administrators from the middle school tells a story to incoming parents. The story involves a chrysalis that is struggling to turn into a butterfly and a kind person who, after seeing the painful process, decides to help remove it from its binds. The problem is that it is in the…
Use Your Brain!
“When are you going to start using your brain?” Come on, we have all said it at one time or another when our kids are not making the best of choices. And sometimes, those choices are pretty unbelievable. But, the truth is, we cannot expect our kids to use their brains unless they learn how.…
A New Strategy For Bullying: Teaching Resilience
The media is filled with news about bullying. The question is, does all of the attention help to decrease the bullying? Unfortunately, the answer is not clear.
Summer Survival: Sibling Rivalry, Whining, Messes…
Its that time again..summer. Most of us are excited to take a little break from the school routine–waking up early, rushing out to get everyone to school on time, and, worst of all, making sure all of the homework is done. Summer vacation offers a chance for a little bit more relaxation, but it can quickly go from relaxing to reacting if you arent careful.
Are We Pushing Our Kids Into a Self-Esteem Trap?
Recently, MSNBC did a segment on education and the growing realization that academic ability is less likely to predict future success than qualities such as perseverance and resilience.
The Benefits of Risk
I have a trampoline. Several kids bounce on it at once. And a treehouse. Both present my kids with what I call “calculated risk”–I know that there is a chance that they could get hurt, yet I let them play anyway. We go hiking and climb the big rocks. We pull over to the side of the road to pick raspberries.
What We Can Learn From The Ant & The Grasshopper
Once there lived an ant and a grasshopper in a grassy meadow. All day long the ant would work hard, collecting grains of wheat from the farmer’s field far away. She would hurry to the field every morning, as soon as it was light enough to see by, and toil back with a heavy grain of wheat balanced on her head.