This just popped up on a neighborhood listserv: Just a quick question about preK: my child is in preK at [local school] and I’ve been a little surprised that they haven’t been doing anything educational. My child was in preschool at [other local place] before and they used to read books, paint, practice letters, etc.. There was always a learning theme too. I saw the handwritten schedule the teacher left yesterday and it was something like: play dough time, bathroom, playground, table toys, lunch, nap time, movie time, bathroom, dismissal. My child also reports that there’s a lot…
Author: lskenazy
When Curious George was born 75 years ago this month, his German Jewish parents, H.A. and Margaret Rey, were fleeing the Nazis. They took George with them, in the form of a manuscript. As Alison Lobron notes in The Boston Globe: Three generations children have grown up with Curious George, who celebrates his 75th birthday this month and continues to star in several new stories a year. He’s still inquisitive and prone to find trouble. But as tastes and publishing standards changed, George lost some of his curiosity — and his adventures have largely lost the element of danger. Of…
This piece by Christine Burke on ScaryMommy is about how we interpret the world. Or at least that’s how I interpret it. It begins: We did everything “right,” and yet, it still happened. We moved to a neighborhood with thoughtful neighbors and wide, safe streets. We enrolled our kids in a school district known not only for its exemplary teachers but also for its low violence and drug statistics. Our kids know how to dial 9-1-1 and they know how to call a neighbor for help if we aren’t home. Stranger Danger. Scream, kick, and yell for help if someone…
A dad in Ostego, Michigan, population 3,956, terrified parents, police and school administrators by handing out teddy bears to people he passed on the street, including children in the presence of adults. It was Ken Cronkhite’s attempt to spread some happiness and help his 89-year-old father, the owner of an 800-teddy bear collection, to downsize. And it backfired. As news spread of a man, a plan, and his plush toys, the police department’s phone lines lit up. Officers sped off to patrol the bus stops as at least one frantic mom ripped apart her kid’s bear to see if it…
Shocking as it sounds, two parents recently entered a restaurant, placed their baby in his carrier in a booth, and proceeded to get their food from the buffet. How dare they? That’s what another patron thought, whipping out his weapon of choice, a cell phone. Here’s the video: And so, reports She Knows: …An Ohio couple is embroiled in controversy and being investigated by child services after a stranger at a local buffet recorded them leaving their baby sitting in his car seat while they went to grab their food. The incident happened at a Chinese buffet near Sandusky, Ohio.…
“Soon to be a much-loved lifetime companion.” That’s the pitch I just got for a new “spunky, lovable” doll that is being marketed to parents of kids with wiggly teeth. It reminds me of that great blog post by Bunmi Laditan, “I’m Done with Making My Kid’s Childhood Magical.” One of the burdens we put on ourselves is the idea that every part of childhood is so special it must be remarked upon, documented (of course!), gilded for the kid, and cherished forever by the parent. It’s great to cherish childhood, but I’m talking about commodifying it, and…
If I wrote another book (no plans!) I might call it “Obsessive-Compulsive Nation.” Because in our desire to keep everyone safe from every possible danger, we are like OCD sufferers, who, according to Psychology Today: …resort to repetitive behaviors called compulsions. The most common of these are checking and washing…. These behaviors generally are intended to ward off harm… Some people with OCD have regimented rituals: Performing things the same way each time may give the person with OCD some relief from anxiety, but it is only temporary. Here’s Exhibit A of how we are demanding OCD instead of common…
Marketing guru Seth Godin has a great back-to-school column up, in which he notes: Here’s how we’ve organized traditional schooling: You’re certain to have these classes tomorrow. The class will certainly follow the syllabus. There will certainly be a test. If you do well on the test, you will certainly go on to the next year. If you do will on the other test, you’ll certainly get to go to a famous college. Etc., etc. Except, he goes on to say, in a topsy-turvy economy (and perhaps throughout time), it doesn’t really work that way. Curve balls come at us.…
Here is a slightly edited excerpt from “Mamaleh Knows Best: What Jewish Mothers Do to Raise Successful, Creative, Empathetic, Independent Children,” by my friend, the humorist Marjorie Ingall. Her book blends anecdotes, history, and scientific research to show that, contrary to the stereotype of the overprotective Jewish mom, “Jewish mothers have actually historically nurtured their kids independence. In addition, they’ve urged a healthy distrust of authority as well as sense of humor.” MAMALEH KNOWS BEST, BY MARJORIE INGALL . I won’t deny that life — particularly city life — can be scary. The first time we dropped nine-year-old Josie off…
Pitchforks are so 19th century. Today’s righteous mobs wield cell phone videos and Facebook likes. Here’s the video of a baby whose mom did not drag him into the gas station for a short errand, causing some modern day “hero” to whip out his cell phone, start videotaping, and swear about what a horrible mother this “bitch” is. When she returns, he curses her to her face. And since he made sure to videotape the mom’s license plate, now she is being investigated by the authorities. And of course his video, which he posted on Facebook, has gone viral (2.5…