My 7th grader developed a bad habit this school year: not bringing his book bag home from school. It started out innocently enough, leaving it in his locker on Fridays because he had no homework over the weekend. Then with my “systems-thinking” son, it morphed quickly into not bringing it home on any days he…
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Recently, I began writing a monthly piece in South Jersey MOM magazine, much to my delight. My first article will be in the December issue, which should hit newsstands on December 5. But I want to tell a bit about how this came to be. This story is all about wanting something and then going…
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5:00 p.m. on Halloween Night: “I HATE HALLOWEEN!I wish I could just cancel it and send you all to bed at 5:30 pm!” I shouted. I have not screamed at my 12 year old son like that for several years. And I felt like a jerk. As he tried to explain to me what he…
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I coach my 7 year old son’s soccer team. We have a boy on the team (not my son) who is exceptionally talented and athletic; he is a fantastic soccer player. I have watched this young boy play for several years now and he is really good. For the first two games at the beginning…
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Last week, I learned of a boy who tried to take his life. He was found in time to be rushed to the hospital and at this point, it is unclear if he will survive. This has caused a ripple of emotions – fear, sadness, grief, disbelief. How could this happen? Why did it happen?…
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I just had a great conversation with a friend and colleague. We were talking about our careers as parent coaches and how much we love our jobs and are committed to helping parents become the parents they wish to be. I was telling her about my childhood friend who died this week of breast cancer…
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October is breast cancer awareness month. I received the sad news that a childhood friend from the neighborhood where I grew up died yesterday of breast cancer. She would have turned 39 in 11 days. This young woman had a loving husband and two adorable children – a 3 year old son and a 2…
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One night recently as I was doing the bedtime routine with my daughter, I heard Jay raise his voice to our 12 year-old. When I came down to investigate, I discovered that they were having an issue with homework. Noah was given an assignment five days prior and it was due this morning. He did not have…
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So yesterday was my birthday. Thanks to everyone who wished me well. I began my day waking up with the people I love the most in the world and getting them all set and on their way for the day. Quite an ordinary thing to do on a Tuesday morning in September, but I cannot…
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I have a 12 year old. He is not quite a “teenager” but for all intents and purposes, he acts like one (which is not all bad by the way – I happen to very much enjoy teenagers). I am deeply aware that I am firmly entrenched in early adolescence with my boy. Yesterday morning,…
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