Parenting Tag

07 Sep

Published on September 7, 2017 in Marianne's Early Childhood Column by

  It’s that time of year again, when children go back to school, or start at a new one. Many of our youngest will attend school for the first time, and at a very young age. Two and three-year-olds who have never been to school before are in for what can initially be a traumatic experience. There is a happy ending, however. Starting nursery school means watching your mom or beloved caregiver walk away and leave you...

28 Aug

Published on August 28, 2017 in Guest Contributors by

  The start of school can be stressful for children, mothers, and fathers. There are concerns about new teachers and new schools. Children worry about challenging academic schedules, and concerns about peer relationships and social pressures. As a parent, there are things you can do to make the transition to school easier for you and your children.   -Notice your own anxiety level and manage it. Maintain a positive attitude about summer ending and school starting. Make a...

10 Aug

Published on August 10, 2017 in Guest Contributors by

  In addition to a successful practice in Princeton, NJ, Dr. Sharon Press has opened a new office in Westport, CT providing diagnosis and psychotherapy for children, adolescents and adults. The services she offers include: Individual Therapy Family therapy for children and adolescents Psychological and educational testing for children, adolescents and adults Consultation with lawyers, regarding children’s needs in the divorcing process and the development of parenting plans for divorcing families Marriage counseling Parents who have worked...

27 Jul

Published on July 27, 2017 in Anne's Parenting Column by

  I just returned from an absolutely perfect trip to Paris with my sister. We had so much fun together and with the French. My Franglais served as a source of entertainment for the French and a chance for me to again and again see that fun is the most universal language. As we walked on these ancient and beautiful narrow streets together we looked into very busy patisseries, tiny fruit and vegetable markets and many beyond...

29 Jun

Published on June 29, 2017 in Education & Programs by

  Written Exclusively for partywithmoms.com by our Guest Contributor, JenB’s Home   With childrenswear steadily growing over the course of the last decade, it has finally become ripe for innovation and fresh ideas. Over the past five years, Business of Fashion reported that the industry has grown by over 10%, and the current figures have exceeded predicted market growth. This means that the opportunity—and pressure—for brands to adapt to different demands from parents everywhere is huge, and this is...

22 Jun

Published on June 22, 2017 in Anne's Parenting Column by

  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...

08 Jun

Published on June 8, 2017 in Marianne's Early Childhood Column by

  My brothers and I grew up in a Long Island suburb. After graduate school, I came to Greenwich to teach, and stayed. My children grew up here, and now I have grandchildren in town as well. But I also have two grandchildren who live in New York City, and I have concluded that city kids lead very different lives. Suburban kids go everywhere in cars. They are driven to their destinations by parents and nannies, do...

25 May

Published on May 25, 2017 in Anne's Parenting Column by

  “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...

18 May

Published on May 18, 2017 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe Several weeks ago the U.S. News World Report published their ranking for best public high schools. Only eight public high schools in Connecticut, including four in Fairfield County made the Top 500 list. Here are the top public high schools in Connecticut which received a gold ranking in the report.         Amistad Academy in New Haven, #1 in Connecticut, #20 in the U.S.  Weston High School, #2 in Connecticut, #231 in...

11 May

Published on May 11, 2017 in Anne's Parenting Column by

  Mickey looked into Sally’s cubby. He saw a small soft toy brown bunny in her tote bag. “Hey Sally, do you have your baby blanket too?” Sally looked up from her drawing to see Mickey swinging Baby, her most beloved stuffed bunny. “Oh Mickey, please stop! Baby doesn’t like that.” “Oh, she has feelings?” Mickey smirked. “You are dumb, Sally. Your name should be Baby.” He tossed Baby to the windowsill. Their teacher, Kate Macaferri turned to see...

20 Apr

Published on April 20, 2017 in Marianne's Early Childhood Column by

  Having worked in a nursery school for 36 years, I was part of many attempts to encourage young children to be charitable. Whenever the efforts involved giving toys, they inevitably failed. Parents and staff would initiate a “Toys for Tots” kind of effort. After explaining that some families could not afford to buy toys, parents would take their child to a store and encourage him or her to pick out a toy for an underprivileged...

13 Apr

Published on April 13, 2017 in Anne's Parenting Column by

  Sissy and Cliff Tremont met a year ago at a small private equity firm in Boston. They loved that they were both Type A’s. They eagerly tried to outdo each other’s Type A-ness, especially in meetings. “Sissy, wasn’t it you who recommended that Betty and John Seagram invest in MacLaren before it went deeply south?” Cliff said with a smug, muffled laugh. Sissy replied in a deeply perturbed tone, “You know what, Cliff, it was your old...

06 Apr

Published on April 6, 2017 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe “Some of America’s most exclusive colleges are becoming more exclusive” (WSJ – April1-2, 2017). According to recently published data in Business Insider, more qualified students are applying to Ivy League schools. This has resulted in even higher rejection rates for Harvard, Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Princeton, Dartmouth and UPenn.  The Wall Street Journal article also reported that even applicants with 4.0 GPAs and SATs greater than 1400 are being rejected. “Competition...

29 Mar

Published on March 29, 2017 in Marianne's Early Childhood Column by

  Nothing is more aggravating, discouraging, and guaranteed to set your nerves on total edge than listening to your children fight with each other. Nothing can make you question your parenting skills (and your sanity) more than the constant bickering or worse. Because we love the children so much and recognize their individual strengths and talents, we can’t believe they treat each other with such disrespect and outright cruelty. “Why?” we ask them, “Why can’t you...

09 Mar

Published on March 9, 2017 in Anne's Parenting Column by

  Rosie was in her crib as her mother, Evelyn Wood finished emptying the dishwasher. The view from the kitchen was of a nondescript day, with a few birds singing a bit. Yet, Evelyn knew spring was coming and she adored thinking about spring. The familiar clinking of glasses and cups and pinging of silverware being put away made Rosie “ooh and ahh” and giggle. Evelyn and the other children could hear her in her room up...

02 Mar

Published on March 2, 2017 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe My team and I personally work with U.S. as well as international families (who reside in the U.S. or are abroad) during the private school application admissions process. We have worked with families from over 130 different countries and on all seven continents. My firm works with families who are interested in top day and boarding schools primarily on the east and west coast. Year after year, I hear about...

26 Jan

Published on January 26, 2017 in Anne's Parenting Column by

  Jane Hallowell was waking up slowly. She heard light speedy feet coming down the hall. In seconds, Rafe and Will were plastered against their mother. Jack, Jane's husband was on a trip to London, the first one in several months. Gently patting her little boys’ backs relaxed them and bought them all more quiet time and a coziness that Jane adored. Saturday was a present; Jane felt this through and through. She knew no matter how...

12 Jan

Published on January 12, 2017 in Marianne's Early Childhood Column by

  Just before Christmas, Party with Moms republished one of Anne’s classic columns, “What Do Children Really Want?” Her point is that children relish the time and attention of a loving relative. I was reminded of the truth of her concept last week when our two grandsons came to our house for a late Christmas, and ended up spending 24 hours with us. The first evening was taken up with exchanging presents and having dinner with friends...

22 Dec

Published on December 22, 2016 in Anne's Parenting Column by

  This was Anne's first Parenting Column ever, originally published in December, 2012 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...

15 Dec

Published on December 15, 2016 in Anne's Parenting Column by

  In case you missed Part 1  Quinn slept all night. His father had carried him up to his bed without awakening him. As the sun came up, Quinn was just beginning to stir. His father looked into his room just as Quinn sat up. “Hi Daddy!” “There’s my boy! I missed you last night, sweetie. You must have been zonked." “Oh yeah. That’s right, I fell asleep on the couch. I had a terrible afternoon with a crabby man named...

08 Dec

Published on December 8, 2016 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

By Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe They are all Ivy Leaguers: Matt Damon (Harvard), Emma Watson (Brown), John Legend (UPenn),Julia Stiles (Columbia), Brian Hallisay (Cornell), Conan O’Brien (Harvard), Amanda Peet (Columbia), Ashley Judd (Harvard), Angela Bassett (Yale), Mindy Kaling (Dartmouth), Mira Sorvino (Harvard), Dean Cain (Princeton), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Columbia), Rashida Jones (Harvard), Elizabeth Banks (UPenn), Julie Bowen (Brown), Joshua Redman (Harvard), Wentworth Miller (Princeton), Connie Britton (Dartmouth), Famke Janssen (Columbia), Ron Livingston (Yale), Aisha Tyler (Dartmouth), Bruce...

01 Dec

Published on December 1, 2016 in Anne's Parenting Column by

  Rosie and Quinn were very good friends. Both children were in Mrs. Randall’s Nursery class at the Little Farm School. They had been in class together last year as well and were overjoyed to be sharing another year of school together. Given free time, the two children almost always ran to the dress up area of their classroom. “I’ll be the dog,” said Quinn predictably. He almost always wanted to play a dog. “Let’s pretend you hurt...

23 Nov

Published on November 23, 2016 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe On June 23, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld its previous rulings that colleges and universities have the right to consider diversity and to include race as a factor in its holistic review process. The Court’s decision empowers colleges and universities to promote both equity and excellence by reducing the role of test scores and other quantitative factors and focusing more on students’ character, qualitative attributes and what I have coined...

17 Nov

Published on November 17, 2016 in Marianne's Early Childhood Column by

  Before leaving on a recent trip to Spain, we were warned: Spaniards don’t eat lunch until 2, and no one eats dinner before 9:00 PM! Since my husband and I are early risers, and not big breakfast eaters, I knew some adjusting was going to be in store. But I couldn’t help thinking how convenient such a schedule was for parents. Basically they could feed their children dinner, and get them into bed before going...

03 Nov

Published on November 3, 2016 in Anne's Parenting Column by

  Tender Thoughts John collected a few small pinecones with his babysitter Mary. He put them in his small wooden treasure box in his room along with the smooth blue button his friend Rosie gave him. The box also contained a pair of chopsticks, still in the wrapper, from the first time he used a pair with his mother and father, and a small green car given to him by his grandparents before they left for Florida,...

27 Oct

Published on October 27, 2016 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Dr. Paul Lowe Admissions and Athletic Recruiting Expert You have been playing your sport for 5-10 years and you want to be recruited or even better, recruited and receive that four-year athletic scholarship from a top choice college. Don’t sell yourself short. My advice after 18 years in the college admissions advisory business and constantly talking to college coaches and Athletic Directors is that they are looking for these points: (In case you missed Part...

20 Oct

Published on October 20, 2016 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Dr. Paul Lowe Admissions and Athletic Recruiting Expert You have been playing your sport for 5-10 years and you want to be recruited or even better, recruited and receive that four-year athletic scholarship from a top choice college. Don’t sell yourself short. My advice after 18 years in the college admissions advisory business and constantly talking to college coaches and Athletic Directors is that they are looking for these points:  Ability: Coaches are interested...

29 Sep

Published on September 29, 2016 in Anne's Parenting Column by

  On the first day of school, Mrs. Gallagher stood at the door of nursery school, greeting families, some new and others very familiar. She remembered us from our interview. “Sheila and Charlie, we’re so happy to have you.” I smiled and Charlie said, “Remember the bunnies in that room you showed us?” “I do, Charlie. You will see them again, later on.” Mrs. Gallagher pointed out Charlie’s classroom, and he eagerly walked down the wide hallway. Parents...

22 Sep

Published on September 22, 2016 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe Admissions officers are talented and committed professionals who make decisions based on a comprehensive and holistic understanding of an applicant and how he or she will contribute to their institution’s mission. They are committed to expanding a diverse applicant pool by reviewing every detail of an applicant’s application and supportive documents. Their decisions are based on their perceptions and perspectives of a student, the students’ backgrounds and communities, as well as...