Parenting Tag

  As young Mothers and Grandmothers gladly and wholeheartedly comb the earth to find a very special something for a little relative, they might be surprised to know they have this present already. What the child most wants is their attention and time. A child’s heart’s desire is unquestionably just a few hours with a parent or grandparent, somewhere simple, maybe at home, a cozy restaurant or outside. Phones and all technological devices are not invited....

  Written by Anne Martine Cook This story was originally published in February, 2014. During the Thanksgiving holiday, four-year-old John Colligan became tearful at every turn. He was feeling extra attached to his mother, Liz, and wanted to be with her all the time. She did make special times for each of her four children but loved time with all of them as well. The children were happy altogether too. Yet John suddenly began to separate himself from the...

  Written by Marianne Riess  Most day camps for younger children end by the beginning of August. Inevitably parents contemplate thirty-odd days of blank time and wonder, “What will they do? How can we keep them amused? Or busy, or learning?” Actually this is a great time for young children. It is the way summer used to be generations ago, when the season stretched like an endless blank slate, and there were few organized activities available. What did...

  Written by - Marianne Riess Some recent Moms of the Week have described their favorite part of the day as the time spent cuddling and reading bedtime stories with their children. Besides the obvious closeness of the experience, reading to children offers so many benefits. Children gain a rich vocabulary, learn that print tells the story, and most important find out that books open up exciting new worlds to them. You cannot overestimate the value of...

  Written by Marianne Riess Many of us find ourselves with more time to read, as we are isolated from other pleasures such as movies, restaurants, or shopping. I was excited to order Isabel Wilkerson’s new book, Caste: the Origins of Our Discontents. I had enjoyed her first book, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration, for which she won the National Book Critics Circle Award (non-fiction) and several other prizes. That...

  Written by Marianne Riess While we can complain about many unpleasant, frightening, sad and depressing 2020 developments, we certainly can’t complain about the weather in the Northeast. We have been blessed with lots of absolutely beautiful sunny days, and warm, but not really hot temperatures. And thank goodness for that, because it allows us to see family and friends in the relative safety of the outdoors. This summer, we had lots of visits with our children and...

  Written by - Marianne Riess T. S. Eliot started his famous poem “The Wasteland” with the line “April is the cruelest month.” We can only hope those words hold true, and that the worst of Covid-19 will be behind us as we enter May and look forward to summer. The virus has turned lives upside down, even for those lucky enough to avoid catching it. Who could have imagined children missing 3 months of school before...

  Written by - Anne Martine Cook                             I am a nursery school teacher and I love my job. I have been doing this for almost 45 years, and each year, I have loved getting to know the children and their parents in a deep way. We all form a wonderful and invigorating community. Now we have the Coronavirus pandemic, and I am away from my...

  Written & Contributed by - Shelley J. Forest From The UK Photo Credit @ Pixabay Whether it's retreating to a cozier house or relocating cross-country, many families end up making a move at some stage point in their lives. And while it may be an exciting new start, bidding farewell to a home is never easy — especially for your kids. With this in mind, here are some key ways to prepare your kids for a big...

  Party with Moms is very fortunate to welcome Dr. Patricia Grimes as a guest columnist. Dr. Grimes is well known to many area schools as a valued consultant. She is not only an educational psychologist but also the mother of two adult sons.  Written by  - Dr. Patricia Grimes Four tips to help you and your children face these challenging times Even in the easiest of times, the demands upon parents in our society are great. In my experience,...

  Written by - Marianne Riess  We are in unknown waters. “Unprecedented” is a word we hear on the news every two minutes. We don’t know when children will go back to school or when life will return to some kind of normalcy. We are stuck at home and all the places we like to go are closed. What good can we take from this time of social distancing and home time? Oddly enough, as I FaceTime with...

  Written & Contributed by - Lenore Broach From The UK Photo Credit - Pixabay A Party with Moms article “It’s Summer! Do You Know Where Your Children Are?” discussed how playing outside has evolved, with parents now keen to account for their offspring’s every moment of the day. In our parent’s day, children could be out from dawn until dusk and not be at risk, but that’s not acceptable in the modern world. Similarly, attitudes have changed around the home....

  By Guest Columnist, Emily Roberts No matter how old your kids are, they can be a handful at the best of times. With many moms working long hours in the office, not to forget trying to run a busy household at the same time, it comes as no surprise to learn that stress levels can go through the roof. We all need a bit of a helping hand from time to time, so it’s important that...

  Fall light bathed the walls of the Bates’ house. The morning sun made dappled images and everything looked beautiful. Then came a peace-piercing scream. Charlie ran into the kitchen with a pencil in his hand and with the saddest expression a four-year old could have on his still tan little face. The screaming continued. Josh Bates ran up the back stairs. His wife Molly was in the baby’s room, holding Finney, who had a deep cut...

  In Case You Missed Part 1, Help Lorraine and Jane sat opposite each other at the coffee shop. “So tell me about Jared,” Jane said. “What worries you about him?” Lorraine thought for a moment. “Well, he seems to be out of control a lot of the time. I never know what he’ll do next. No matter how I try to guide him in advance, he just does whatever he feels like. And usually the result is not...

  Lorraine Finch and her two children, Jared and Liza were going to story hour at the Library. Mrs. Etheridge, the librarian was a kind, older woman who had been reading stories to very young children for decades. During the last story hour, Jared had thrown a book at Mrs. Etheridge and knocked her glasses off. “Remember Jared, be nice to Mrs. Etheridge and listen to the story. No bad behavior this time,” Lorraine reminded him. As they walked...

By Marianne Riess Your high school junior daughter is invited to a party, but she has a big test the next day. Will she forego the party to study for the test? Your college freshman son has a paper due, but would prefer to watch a football game in the lounge with his friends. How confident are you that he will make the right choice? The ability to stick with an unattractive, but necessary task rather than...

By Marianne Riess Most parents understand that children learn primarily through play. Yet, when their child attends a play-based nursery school, they may wonder whether he or she is being challenged, being thoroughly prepared for elementary school, being exposed to “academics.” Studies show that rote learning at a young age does not stick. Children may develop a temporary edge over their playing peers, but it is just that, temporary. And while they are being taught and drilled,...

By Marianne Riess Most parents are aware of the importance of building confidence and self-esteem in their children. How to do it effectively? One way is to listen when they talk and then respond, letting them know you take their ideas seriously. Ask their opinions at times. Whenever possible, give them choices about what they will eat or wear. Spend uninterrupted time with them to show you enjoy their company. Building self-confidence too often involves a lot...

  The school year had come to an end. It had been an absolutely great year and the teachers were as sad as the children to say goodbye. Fortunately for the teachers and the children who were able to stay on, there was a little three week summer camp. This was essentially an extension of the school year along with sprinklers and more time for everything, because of the longer day. It was heaven for all. The...

  “I just want to say goodnight to my lady b… I mean desk. Then I will go right to sleep.” Not really listening to her daughter, Lexi replied, “Okay, Alice. Remember, tomorrow is a school day and you need extra sleep.” “I am back in bed now. Goodnight Mommy.” Alice couldn’t stop thinking about her ladybug, which was in a little jam jar with holes in the metal top. Earlier in the year, the jar had housed a...

  Written by - Anne Martine Cook Afraid of Your Child I recently was sitting in a coffee shop. A young couple sipped on their coffee near me and talked about buying a new stove. All the while their young boy kicked the leg of his father’s chair. The boy’s mother asked him to stop, which fueled the child’s determination to destroy their time. The young father asked his son again to stop and more kicks ensued. I...

  When the hot cocoa runs out, kids and adults alike can start to get a little stir crazy during the cold, dreary winter months. The sun sets almost as soon as you get home from work—leaving you and the kids to find ways to stay active and engaged inside the house. While this might seem like an insurmountable challenge, especially when it snows all weekend, it can actually be quite creative and stimulating to focus...

  Over the years I have witnessed many parents’ reactions as their young children encounter someone they don’t know, which is, of course, just about everyone. A few particular situations have remained beyond vividly in my mind. I was looking, with droves of others, for Valentine’s Day cards. A little girl walked up and touched my coat. I looked at her, smiled and said, “Hello.” Her mother, from quite far down the aisle sirened, “Stranger Danger!” Staying...

  Last week the N.Y. Times published an article entitled “Why Are Our Most Important Teachers Paid the Least?” Nursery school teachers have been dismissed as glorified babysitters, paid low hourly wages with few other benefits, and expected to put up with chaotic working conditions. After all, they were only teaching preschoolers. They had no need for academic expertise in any field. Perceptions have changed. First, brain research done at Harvard with Project Zero showed the importance...

  The holidays are around the corner. As I leaf through the toy catalogs this year, in search of the perfect presents for my grandchildren, I am amazed by the number and variety of STEM toys. They are everywhere! Build your own robot or lunar lander or drone. Make electricity and learn about circuitry, magnets and gears. Learn coding to remote control your (fill in the blank). Take on an engineering project, simple or complex. I...

  Ross Etheridge sat in his driveway, honking the horn. "Chop, chop Bozos! In the car or you're toast!”   His wife appeared, softly steering their children to the car.  “Liz, come on! I asked you to have the children ready!” Thomas and Lilly fumbled with their seat belts. Liz came over and helped them. She patted her children’s soft hair. “Ross, please try to slow down. The children love being with you. Life isn’t a race, even if you are...

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe You may ask yourself, why is a college admissions advisor writing about reading? What does reading have to do with college admissions? Everything! One of the first things I ask my clients is what do you like to read outside the required reading at school. Even the best students have difficulty answering this question. Why is the need to reed important in the college admissions planning process? I just provided...

  When your child enters the middle school years, you enter a new stage of parenting with new challenges. You need to think about social media and how to make sure your children are safe as they become users and consumers of social media platforms. Being concerned about social media and how it is impacting your child makes you a good parent. However, it is hard to know how to teach your child the proper and...

  As a nursery school teacher with 40 years of experience, I like to think that I can be flexible and responsive to the requests of children and their parents. As a result, even though my teaching partners and I always ask that toys from home be left at home (or at least in the car), I have made exceptions when a child enters the class clutching a beloved toy and the mother says, “I couldn’t...