Ages + Stages

My oldest will be eleven this year and I’m finding the “behavior modification” parts of parenting are happening less and less. We’ve moved into this new phase where I feel more like a sideline coach than an on-field trainer....

Like most people, I don't enjoy confrontation. So when my son came home from school with an issue that I felt I needed to address directly with his teacher, I wanted to be strategic with my approach to ensure a positive...

We’ve all heard the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” But increasingly in our global society, many new parents settle in places far away from their hometowns or home countries and have only a limited or...

I know, I know. I can already hear the cries of protest that our kids need a break after the year that has felt like twelve years in one. But hear me out. My first grader came home on...

I left my job this year. After more than a decade’s worth of teaching high school and middle school, I took a leave of absence to make up for lost time with my kids. (And also because the stress...

When we moved to Oregon, I was desperate to meet other people and feel connected with our new community. I decided to try a parent-teacher organization (PTO) meeting at our new school. Thanks to TV and movies, I was...

At 11 a.m. this morning I was driving around doing errands when I heard a news report that brought tears to my eyes.  “A mass shooting has been reported at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. Several fatalities have...