Well, to be very candid, often it doesn’t. If a child is merely meeting a school-imposed community service hour minimum or just dabbling (three hours serving in a soup kitchen, two hours at an animal shelter . . .) then community service doesn’t mean much at all. A little here and a little there doesn’t [read more] …
student leadership training
Self-Regulating Kids
The habit of self-discipline is a fascinating thing. It predicts academic performance more than IQ. It changes our self-confidence. It literally shapes the way our brains develop. Back in 1960, psychologist Walter Mischel conducted the now-famous marshmallow experiment series with preschoolers to see if they would choose the marshmallow immediately or wait 15 minutes to receive [read more] …
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] …
It Matters That We Matter
As human beings, we are hardwired with a deep need to matter to someone. Even those of us who are extreme introverts want to be in relationship with others who care if we show up, who depend on us. This is part of the reason that the empty nest hits so hard. Suddenly children don’t [read more] …
Little Heroes
To mark our 35th anniversary on July 4th, my husband and I journeyed to Durango, CO to experience the narrow-gauge railroad that loops to Silverton. After that, we did what we normally do in a new place: we followed our noses, our way of saying that we follow any interesting road or conversation to wherever [read more] …