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Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree is one of the many books that our generation has rediscovered upon becoming parents. It's ubiquitous -- found in every library, bookstore, and preschool classroom. And yet, rereading it again for the first time in thirty (or so) years can come as a bit of a shock. Many parents we know have commented: "It's so depressing!" And on one level, that is perfectly true. A boy and a tree have an idyllic, playful, nurturing relationship that is forever transformed when the boy, inevitably, begins to grow up. Now he doesn't want to play; he wants apples for money. And then wood for a house. And then a tree trunk to make a boat. And then, finally, a stump to rest upon. The tree offers him everything he needs, and each time he accepts, the progressively shorn and mutilated tree is "happy." Read More »
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To help them both understand, I made up a thing called "friendship bricks" and "friendship smacks." If you say, "I made this picture," and someone responds, "I can make a better one," or "I don't really like it," that's a friendship smack. It undermines a relationship. If you say, "Good job!" or "It's beautiful!" or even, "Tell me what's happening in this picture," that's a friendship brick. It's a brick in the wall of a friendship. Read More »
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All of us who care about our good green earth are doing our best to cut back on paper. We get ourselves off catalog and junk mail lists, receive electronic bills, and bank online; we email, text, and read the news on the web. With a houseful of children’s paraphernalia, the last thing we need is more paper clutter. And since most of the paper that passes through our hands eventually winds up in the recycling pile, doesn’t it make sense to forgo any non-essential paper in the first place? Read More »
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Sometimes we get a bit frazzled when the wave of invitations splashes onto our family's calendar, but the truth is that nothing -- repeat, nothing -- is cuter than preschoolers at a birthday party. Put kids in this age group around a table with tiny chairs and cupcakes and party hats, and cue the "ahhhs" now. Bring on the smiles and the tears, both ours and theirs for both, and call it precious. Because it is. Read More »
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My wife Janice had always wanted to publish a
children's book, but it wasn't until we became grandparents
that the dream… Read More »- Let’s talk: Comment (0) | Blog
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Stranded by a thunderstorm,
I sat in Dulles airport and watched how the little kids (under 5)
coped with waiting. Of the seven in my immediate vicinity, two
napped, one threw a prolonged temper tantrum, and three played with
their parents' (or at least I hope they were their
parents') Read More »
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Preschool's out, and the beach beckons! Or Grandma's house, or the lake you daydream about during chilly winter afternoons, or wherever it is your favorite mode of transportation might take you. Walk, ride, fly, float. Do whatever you need to do to plot a getaway! And whether you are packing the kiddies up for a trip across the world or just across town, we thought you might appreciate our tried-and-true Savvy tricks for holding the (sometimes infinitesimally) short attention span of your preschooler during the trip. Read More »
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Summer is a time of explorations, and no one enjoys exploring more than our preschoolers. In these days of far-flung families and friends, many of us are looking ahead to a few trips to see our dear but not so near this summer. The lucky among us may have a vacation journey with the kiddos in the works as well. We're making plans, pondering travel schedules and itineraries, studying maps, and getting the whole family packed and organized. Whew! In our haste, let’s not forget that our preschoolers want to come along for more than just the ride. Given the chance, they’d really like to get in on the planning too. Naturally, they’ll be making known their fervent desire for a trip to Disneyland, but even if that mecca is not on the itinerary, our little ones will want to understand where they are going and how they’ll get there. This spontaneous curiosity is a great excuse to give our kids their first sense of the scale and terrain of this vast land we inhabit and a bit of its history too. Read More »
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Does summertime make you dream of a second home? A getaway ever at the ready, a place for relaxing and dreaming, for hiding from the world, located in a beautiful spot and full of your favorite things.... Well, you are not the only one. Your children want one too -- one of their…
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