Having taught public school, private school, home school tutorials, and one-on-one, I’ve seen it all. There will always be discipline problems and tired kids and non-interest (not everyone loves a good John Donne poem). But one key to a child’s success both socially and behaviorally is the relationship between the teacher and the parents. Yet this is often one of the hardest relationships to keep positive. If you let it, it can become the cog …

“Wonder” is coming to theaters in November. You can watch the trailer here. Chances are, if you have kids anywhere from eight to 18, you’ve already heard the premise, which is based on the best-selling novel by R. J. Palacio. The tale is about a child named Auggie who was born with a genetic abnormality that caused facial deformities among other things. The story follows his first attempt, as a fifth grader, to attend a …

“Three under three.” “Three in diapers.” “Twins…double trouble.” “The days are long, but the years are short.” I’ve heard these phrases many times over the last few years (less so now that the kids are 5 and 3) and while it is usually spoken with wonder and sympathy, I always want to laugh a little, because yeah…I know the math. Click on the picture below to see our reality on Scary Mommy.   *Linking up …

PSALM 115:9-11 All you Israelites, trust in the Lord—     he is their help and shield. 10 House of Aaron, trust in the Lord—     he is their help and shield. 11 You who fear him, trust in the Lord—     he is their help and shield. Trust is a delicate thing and precarious, like a magnolia blossom on the edge of a waterfall. It floats and drifts and sends its heady scent up into the mist. It’s beautiful, but …

The world, and the technology in it, is evolving. Self-driving cars are rolling in, robots are stocking Amazon shelves, and computers are working their way up the corporate ladder. We tend to approach change like a round of “Pop Goes the Weasel,” cautiously and with all systems firing so that when it does burst in on us, we can be ready. We look at the predictions for the price of college in five or 10 …

Summer beckons you outdoors. It waves from open windows and whispers, “Come play.” It’s easy to throw swimsuits and t-shirts on the kids and launch them into the big wide open. Autumn, though, takes a bit more effort: one more layer of clothing, a little less daylight, a little more scheduling around homework. But nature is a necessary part of our existence. It’s the reset button we all need for our minds and bodies, and …

Unless you are an immigrant or the child of immigrants, the move from one country to another can be a hard thing for kids to understand. The transplanting of a life is about more than just a physical shift. It’s about holding onto one’s culture, ideals, and heritage during a shift onto new soil, and it’s no small thing. In honor of such a move, here are 15 books to help your child grasp what …

PSALM 34:17-18 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. PSALM 62:8 Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. I heard a sermon a few weeks ago on worship and a bit of it has stuck with me. I always think of the singing part of …

It’s happening. The thing you thought would never come has come. We’re back to school. Pools are closing. Backpacks are fattening up with things to be done. Buses are rounding the corners like jumbo jets ready to take your kids up and away to higher learning. And on those mornings as you stand at the end of your road and wave them off, the air is just a degree or two cooler and you feel …

Hey moms, let’s talk! Over a glass of wine, or not. The whole wine-mom thing is out of control. Not the drinking per say, although that’s another topic for another day, but the idea of it. This idea that we moms are surviving on wine, caffeine, and chocolate to get us through our happily-harried lives is a myth, an airbrushed reality that only the likes of Facebook and Instagram can manage. We all get it. …