Advice about kids can drive you almost as crazy as the kids themselves. But I’m hoping “Ask Lenore” is a little more forgiving (and helpful) than the slurry of other suggestions coming into my inbox: “Five Fantastic Things to Make from Star Fruit!” “Coronavirus Is a Great Time for Kids to Learn About Ancient Assyrian […]
Archive | 2020
Free “Let Grow Independence Kit” — This Can Be a Time of Great Growth for Your Kids & You!
Is there a way for kids to actually become LESS anxious during this EXTRA anxious time? Yes. The Let Grow Project is a super-simple idea that many schools have been doing: Kids go home with the assignment, “Do something new, on your own.” Walk the dog. Run an errand. Make a cake. The results have been […]
The Slightly Calming Post You’d Expect from Us
Hop over to Let Grow to read 5 very basic tips about what to do when freaking out (and the kids are home!). Click here and take a deep breath!
“How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus” and other Expert Advice Articles Can Make Parents Feel Like Child-Rearing Amateurs
“How to Talk to Your Kids About Amilia Earhart’s Disappearance” was not a thing. “How to Talk to Your Kids About #Coronavirus” articles are. These can be helpful, but you can also wing it. Experts are not better at talking to your kids than you are. Click here for my piece at Reason on how […]
One Way to Get Kids Exploring Outside: Have Them Make Some Maps
Over at Let Grow, Tom Muir, creator of The Epic Classroom, has a lovely 90-second video about why it’s cool for kids to create maps of their neighborhood, and there’s a downloadable list of things for kids to look for and a map template too. Click here to go get ’em!
7th Grade Students Talk About What’s Making Them Anxious (Basically, Social Media and Us!)
“Some parents seem to be under the impression that if their child doesn’t suffer from anxiety, then they’re not driven or working hard enough.” Read a 7th grade teacher’s essay on student life today, and what’s different from our own childhoods. The piece is at Let Grow — please click here. (And get ready for […]
My Son Is Independent, My Daughter Acts Helpless. Did We Make Them This Way?
“Why is my son so independent and my daughter keeps asking us to do things for her?” That’s the honest lament of a mom trying to figure out if she “made” her kids this way or not. Read her piece over at Let Grow by clicking here! Photo by Marie-Michèle Bouchard on Unsplash
Hey Kids: Make Your Own Snow!
Even if you are sick of the slush outside, it can be cool — literally — to have your kids make their own snow, inside. Over at Let Grow we have 7 different ways to do this — including the “how to” that interests me most: How to make your own snow globe. (Just don’t […]
Your Kid Doesn’t Have to Go to College
A dad talks about talking about college — and alternatives — with his high school sophomore son, 16. The son begs,”Can we stop talking about this?” but the dad soldiers on, because, “One of the reasons dealing with college can seem so terrifying is that success is defined so rigidly. You graduate high school, go […]
One Mom Tries to Say “Yes!” a Little More (Instead of her Usual, Peeved and Exhausted “No!”)
It’s so easy to say “no” to kid activities that are messy, tiring, or even the teensiest bit risky. One mom decided to try saying yes. (Or at least thinking about why she was saying, “No!”) Click here to read about what it takes to change some parent-child dynamics. Â Â Â Â Â Â […]