Lately I’ve been reading a great deal in the literature about habit formation and cognitive functionality. It appears that little things matter a great deal. A tiny decision one day moves us closer to developing a habit that could ultimately impact an entire lifetime. While this could certainly be cause for alarm, I think the [read more] …
Family Life
A Parent’s Most Important Job
Even though I had a degree in child development, even though I’d watched good parents for several years, I was still caught off guard by the ever-growing fact that my kids were their own people, unlike me in various ways. It took a long time to realize that my children would never be exactly what [read more] …
Having Their Say
In the middle of my parenting years, I asked myself this question frequently. Now I get the query from many parents. “How much say do we give our children?” It is a tough question and the answer will look different for every family. I think the guiding principle should be to realize that most students, [read more] …
Questions for a New Year
At the turn of the year I love to remember Anne of Green Gables and her optimistic pronouncement, “Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it.” This new year gives us the time to catch our breath and take a realistic look at the things that populate our lives. It presents us the [read more] …
Cultivating Carefully
I learn a lot from the families I am privileged to work with. It is always fascinating to be in the middle of college applications and suddenly get a glimpse into the family culture that produced such an incredible young person. I am always humbled and enriched to gain new insights into good parenting. It [read more] …