When I decided to become a work-from-home dad so I could spend more time with my children, I started thinking about how, apart from just playing with them, I we could have more constructive time together. Well, I found a recipe for success. My 3-year-old son, Noah, has always played with our cooking pots and his toy kitchen. Most of the games he created revolved around him being a cook. In the evenings, when I make dinner, Noah would climb up on a chair and stand beside me, watching me peel an onion or prepare a sauté, observing everything I do. I thought that this could be "our thing." … [Read more...]
Virtual School: ‘Almost School’ or Online Lesson for the Future
Based on my parenting experience, I immediately associate the word "virtual" with meaning "almost." That there's been a diminished effort, something watered down or, very simply, done half-assed. And, to date, my inclination to disregard anything my kids say is virtual has been proven right. Virtually every time. Everett, my 5-year-old “picked up virtually all the LEGOs.” Then, after tucking him in, my bare foot steps entirely on one of those little, yellow character heads. Yosef, my oldest, said he “did virtually all of my math.” Never mind his weekly progress reports littered with … [Read more...]
Competition Can Be a Dangerous Game in the Digital Age
One night recently at the dinner table, my wife said to me, “You know you’re the reason why the boys are the way they are.” While I might have hoped this was general praise for their overall wonderfulness, I think what she was referring to specifically was their petty competitiveness. As is often the case, our 4- and 6-year-old sons were enjoying their dinner with a side of brotherly bickering. School had recently started for both, and they were arguing over who had received more points from their teacher that day. Our older son’s first-grade teacher uses an app to help parents track … [Read more...]
My Kid’s Failing School: Punishment or Understanding Needed?
The timeout chair had absolute and unquestioned power in our home. Until they were 4, my kids were horrified at the thought of a timeout. But even when the timeout chair didn’t preemptively stop a temper tantrum, it still worked magic. A two-minute sentence of silence in it instantly defrayed the tension. When you got up from timeout, the slate was perfectly clean – no ill will lingered. The timeout chair had many powers, but it had no memory. I miss the timeout chair. Hell, I simply miss the threat of it persuading my little ones to behave better. Unfortunately, no such device … [Read more...]
Oh, the Many Things Your Children Will Bring Home from School
Back-to-school time brings about a plethora of emotions in children: excitement, anxiety, anticipation, fear, among countless others. Sometimes they bring those emotions home with them, or in the case of my son, Nolan, wear them on their sleeve. Those are just some of the stuff, tangible and intangible, your kid will bring home from school, along with: Germs Your school-aged kids are to blame for any family illness the majority of the time. They bring countless germs home and, unlike their toys, your kids are kind enough to share them with you and the rest of the family, especially … [Read more...]
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