Thursday, January 24, 2013
A Patch blogger's post about not helping her children on the slide is being debated across the country.
A Patch blog from Alameda, CA, called “Please Don’t Help My Kids” has struck a nerve with readers across the country. Posted in September, the blog has taken off over the past few weeks as it has found a second life through social media sharing. The blog has 124,000 Facebook recommendations and 833 people have tweeted the blog. The blog is an open letter to other parents at the playground. The blogger Kate Bassford Baker’s basic request is for parents to not help her daughters on the slide. She wrote that she wants her daughters to do things and learn things on their own. Learning to walk up the slide’s ladder is the first step to learning new things and overcoming obstacles, she wrote. “Because, as they grow up, the ladders will only get …
Friday, December 21, 2012
A week after the Newtown, CT, massacre, schools have reviewed their safety procedures. Now should parents follow up with more coaching?
A week after the deadly elementary school attack in Newtown, CT, that has rocked the the nation, some parents say their kids remain oblivious to the attack—and the danger. Most teens and children are wrapped up in their own worlds. One mom of a middle-schooler told me instead of being worried about how the Newtown deaths would affect her daughter, she is more concerned that the girl is not aware enough of what took place. And there is only so much the schools can do. So this mom will spin out a scenario of danger and ask the daughter to think through how she might best respond. If you are a parent, are you doing the same kind of 'coaching' with your kids? Should parents be following up and expanding on the schools' safety procedures and …
Friday, December 14, 2012
Strategies for talking and listening to your children about the news, and a confidential 24-hour hotline for anyone experiencing psychological distress.
In the wake of the Newtown, CT shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Medford parents may find their children hearing about the tragedy or seeing it on the news and find themselves in a difficult discussion. For parents seeking guidance on how to address the tragedy with their own children, if it comes up, PBS has an article with flexible suggestions for answering kids' questions about the news. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also has a 24-hour hotline dedicated to providing disaster crisis counseling at 1-800-985-5990 or by texting "TalkWithUs" to 66746. The hotline is open to U.S. residents who are experiencing psychological distress as a result of a natural or man-made disasters, incidents of …
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Moms play soccer too!
The soccer mom stereotype involves a minivan, a sweater draped nattily over the shoulders, and a focus on the kids. A real soccer mom has mud on her cleats and buys Aleve in bulk. She's probably not as fast as she was before the kids, but she's a smarter player. She's relieved that her kids' games are on Saturdays, so she won't miss her Sunday kick-off. Moms play soccer too! Massachusetts, blessedly, has great opportunities for recreational sports at all levels. This includes moms who played high school or college soccer, or just became interested when their kids started playing. The Eastern Massachusetts Women's Soccer League just kicked off its 2011-2012 soccer year.This all-women league has highly competitive levels to less competitive…
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Short enough for you, long enough for them to fall asleep!
Many a parent has resorted to putting a cranky child in the car and just driving. The motion and monotony work their magic, and voila! You have a sleeping or rested child. Driving aimlessly works. I never had to resort to this when they were babies; in fact, we didn’t need this until they had given up naps. When they give up naps, they sure don’t give up crankiness, and what are you going to do? Driving aimlessly works, but driving with a destination is better for the adults involved. 40-Minute Drives Work For You And Them I’ve discovered two road trips that take about 40 minutes, one way. The destination is fun for everyone, and if they don’t rest on the trip out, your kids will rest on the return. My husband even falls asleep on the …
Lee Coytemore
12:17 pm on Saturday, April 6, 2013
this is Typical 'Liberal behaviour' sickness that 'one' over-reacts consistently in the "prediction of Calamity", and 'fear mongering' without justification. Overly intervening in the lives of other people for their own personal need to feel secure and safe while maintaining to provide these Catastrophic Conclusions All While under the possible discretionary use of Dr. Prescribed medication. -and… more ›