The New Parent: Raising Excellent Kids in an Insane World

Can a Jittery Child Learn?

The New Parent: Raising Excellent Kids in an Insane World — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:29:00 GMT

A little while back I was a parent helper in my daughter’s kindergarten class. W hile I was there, I was interested in observing how much our little ones move in place while doing their schoolwork. Now, in my point of view, schools spend too much time on some things (repetition) and too little time on other things (learning how to be calm). W hat I...(read more)

When to Start teaching?

The New Parent: Raising Excellent Kids in an Insane World — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:22:00 GMT

Controversial? Maybe. The human brain is pretty amazing. Neurons are created and then as our little ones grow and experience their environment, neurons are pared down. The right kind of stimulation at the right age is definitely helpful. As brain areas develop for processing senses and movement, then spatial orientation and language and then the integrating...(read more)

3 questions your child should be able to answer

The New Parent: Raising Excellent Kids in an Insane World — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:13:00 GMT

Well, it seems our little ones, when asked, can answer such goofy questions as: • what programs do you like to watch on TV? • what kind of candy is your favorite? • what costume did you wear on Halloween? • do you like school? and so on ... But it seems to me, that there are three very basic questions that our children should be able to answer from...(read more)

What Do I Wear Today?

The New Parent: Raising Excellent Kids in an Insane World — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:38:00 GMT

The other morning my daughter came out of her room to show me how she had dressed herself for school. For about the past year she has been choosing her own color combinations (with oversight from mom and dad) and now as a 5 year old, well, I smiled at how nicely she did. When my little one was a baby, I said to my wife that we’re not having any “battles”...(read more)

Back in the Saddle

The New Parent: Raising Excellent Kids in an Insane World — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 21:42:00 GMT

Sorry I’ve been away for a bit, but life got very busy (smile). My daughter started public school kindergarten—institutionalized schooling—and one of the things I’ve been doing is learning how to work with a bureaucracy. As I’ve gone through this process, I truly understand why parents choose to home school, unschool, etc. I’m trying to apprehend the...(read more)

When to do?

The New Parent: Raising Excellent Kids in an Insane World — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 15:09:00 GMT

A couple of weeks ago, while at a picnic for my daughter’s school, the children were using the big slide. A group of about five little ones, crowded at the top, waiting for their turn to slide down. But, instead of waiting they all pushed their way onto the slide and slid down one behind the other. My daughter was one of them. A s the first child in...(read more)

What to do

The New Parent: Raising Excellent Kids in an Insane World — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:35:00 GMT

Whew ... feeling better now and I wanted to thank all those who dropped by to wish both my daughter and me well. That was really sweet of you all (smile). I truly appreciated it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ W hile I was recuperating, friends stopped by with their children. One of the kids was...(read more)

Sickness

The New Parent: Raising Excellent Kids in an Insane World — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:09:00 GMT

Well, I'm sorry I haven't been posting as much recently, but my little one came down with pneumonia. Poor thing, a 105.6 fever had us concerned. She was so listless and not too hungry (which is amazing for her). We were on the verge of taking her to the emergency room when her fever broke. The last couple of days have been better, except for the deep...(read more)

We CAN Teach Children to have ...

The New Parent: Raising Excellent Kids in an Insane World — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 23:29:00 GMT

Recently one of my little one’s preschool teachers had a parent pass away. When the teacher wasn’t in class for a few days, she asked why. When told what had happened, she asked some questions and then let the topic go. Suddenly, a few days later, while riding with me in the car she asked, “Daddy, do we have any flowers in the house?” “I think so, what...(read more)

And So It Ends?

The New Parent: Raising Excellent Kids in an Insane World — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 04:59:00 GMT

A bout three months ago we bought a wonderful, sweet tempered parakeet, who became sick and after much medical care, recently died. M y little one had begun to develop a close relationship with this good natured bird and made sure she spent time with him everyday. U pon his death, she was confronted for the first time, with something close, passing...(read more)

The Politics of Parenting

The New Parent: Raising Excellent Kids in an Insane World — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 03:37:00 GMT

“ Y ou know ,” said a woman sitting next to me over dinner, “ if you don’t send your kid to a great elementary school, you might as well kiss a good college good-bye .” “ R eally ?” I responded, half listening. “ W ell, if you send your kid to an average school, whatta ya get ?” she said with that pop quiz kind of voice. “ An average kid ?” I answered....(read more)

A TV Moment

The New Parent: Raising Excellent Kids in an Insane World — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 22:47:00 GMT

“ S o, what does your daughter watch on TV?” I was asked by a parent one afternoon . “ W ell,” I began with hesitation , “she doesn’t watch much TV, but when we do, it’s mostly documentaries.” “ D ocumentaries?” was the surprised response . “ W hat do your little ones watch?” I countered, evasively . “ O h, American Idol, cartoons, some educational...(read more)

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

The New Parent: Raising Excellent Kids in an Insane World — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:47:00 GMT

I just spent the last few days reading an interesting article on why children lie. The researchers concluded that parents teach them how to lie. From what I’ve observed, that’s just part of the story. Yes, I’ve seen that we do contribute to our kids learning how to lie, but their peers also play a very important role in that process. Some parents I’ve...(read more)

A High Cutitude Quotient!

The New Parent: Raising Excellent Kids in an Insane World — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 06:12:00 GMT

W hile putting my daughter to bed one night, in her dark room, she said, “Can you see, Daddy?” I said, “Not yet, honey.” She said, “You can’t see yet until your cuticles get adjusted in the dark!” Cuticles--I smiled at her words. -------------------------------------------- O ne evening, while watching the movie “The March of the Penguins,” one of the...(read more)

Fact + Fiction?

The New Parent: Raising Excellent Kids in an Insane World — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 04:02:00 GMT

O nce upon a time, long ago, there was a child who loved to pretend. She could pretend that her dolls were real people and that when she jumped off her bed she was flying. She would make believe she was a Mommy and pretend she was in charge. She would imagine that she knew things that she didn’t know and play at making up answers to questions that she...(read more)