If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
How do you retain a sense of dignity when people treat you as a second class citizen? Do you laugh it off, walk it off, or fight? When do you make that decision, and why? This may substitute for violin lessons in the regular Tiger Mom curriculum.
Today we are launching the Aspen Institute Ascend Fund, a $1 million fund that will invest in solutions like these that tap the creativity, knowledge, and assets of all sectors of our society to create a cycle of opportunity for children and their parents.
We might resolve to respond to whatever arises with loving kindness, exploring what might be discovered. Enter life, in the raw and sweaty, and the test gets real darn fast. Getting distracted from good intention can be tricky and takes a bit of doing in the reframing department.
Our kids love technology. Parents are cautioned over and over again to limit the amount of "screen time" our kids have. This puts parents and kids at cross-purposes. They want tech and we should say no, right?
Throughout a childhood spotted with quits and failures, I've never felt like a quitter or a failure. That's a parenting trick bordering on magic.
What will you be doing this Father's Day? Grilling in the back yard with the family? We often take such simple pleasures for granted. But, elsewhere, millions of fathers around the world will struggle to help their children survive and thrive.
Every three days guns kill more than 20 children and teens, enough to fill a school classroom. We have likely had the equivalent of 67 Newtowns in the numbers of child deaths since December 14.
It is my belief that when a child finds something about which they are passionate, learning of all kinds takes place. A passion or strong interest builds self-esteem in the child.
I recently overheard a mother proudly declare: "I live for my daughter." Too bad for that little girl. And too bad for the mom.
How do you protect a child from harm, make sure they do what needs to be done, learn what they need to learn -- while at the same time making sure they don't conclude I'm powerless or I'm not good enough?
Recent studies have shown that playing an instrument reduces stress, prevents hearing loss and may even stave off Alzheimer's disease.
Babies don't come out asking for the car keys and looking at colleges. You have time to learn and time to make mistakes.
Right now there is a teenager riding the 4 subway train through New York City, wondering where to go. Nestled between you and me on our train home from work, her belly is too small for us to notice. She feels invisible. But she has rights, and she is not alone.
The best gift is the hug I get when I put you to bed, or the laughter I get when I tickle you, or the thirty minutes of extra sleep you give me every fifth weekend. None of those are premeditated, or holiday-specific; they're just you being you. And that's all I need, every day.
We can end war. War is not inevitable, no matter how cluelessly enthusiastic the media may be to promote it, no matter how thoroughly it runs the global economy and dominates almost every government.
When my daughters visit, they deposit little pieces of themselves all over our apartment: bras on the back of the bathroom door, empty glasses in the sink, and pretzels on the floor. When they leave, things go missing, like my heart.
