child development | PulseonParenting

The September 2014 Book is Not About a Lot of Things

Sep 09 2014

My husband is a TED talk devotee. I try to remember TED even exists. Don’t get me wrong, I think Technology, Entertainment and Design is an amazing resource. I just rely on my husband to funnel the most intriguing talks my way. One evening, he was insistent we watch one in particular that featured writer Jennifer Senior. She opened her lecture with how the parenting section in a chain bookstore is overwhelmingly stocked with volumes on how to raise the “right” kid and the crisis these overladen shelves symbolize. By the way, Jennifer Senior has published a book. But it…

The Next Challenge

Aug 27 2014

I get the urge to sort and surrender about every other month. When it seems our house is overrun by “stuff,” I grab a box and get to work. Then the kids discover the collected past-treasures and realize they can’t live without the coloring book or stuffed animal or two-sizes-too-small t-shirt I have deemed for donation. They haven’t given those items a mere thought in months but a newfound awareness of their presence makes these things dearer than life itself. Awareness is powerful. The recent “Ice Bucket Challenge” for ALS is a recent prime example of how knowledge can make…

Well, Enough About Me…

May 22 2014

We’ve all heard the line: Enough about me…what do YOU think of me? Ever realize you get so caught up in your own vision you forget: The situation isn’t about YOU? Just a rhetorical question. Except not for me. Since I mentioned it I have to ‘fess up (otherwise I wouldn’t have this blog post!). And my answer is: All too often. How much my being an only child plays into this, I don’t know. But I freely admit my forays into egocentricity because I realize that as a parent (it’s ok to silently agree with this) I hope my…

Makeup!!!!

May 20 2014

To set the right tone, let me help you hear what I hear when I read the title of this post. Remember the Looney Tunes cartoons? In at least one of these animated features someone gets blown up (Wile E. Coyote comes to mind) and then another character yells, in a manner that curdles blood: MAKEUP!!!! Eeewww. My circulatory system is in havoc, pulse racing and heart pounding. This is the same way I felt, and the same voice I heard (in my head), when I saw my child’s third grade friend wearing, you guessed it, lots of…. MAKEUP!!!! Now…

May 15 2014

{Ok. The first draft of “Part Two” was a mess. The junk has been corralled and put out to pasture! Below is the honed, endlessly-edited version.} To get this post organized I had to make a handwritten list of all the points I wanted to include. (The definition of gravitas in our electronic world!) Previously on May 13 (How About Homeschooling, Part One), I wrote how a friend (an educator) and I talked the topic of homeschooling and our sugar-fueled discussion caused me to wonder about the possibility of homeschooling my son. As I pondered, many thoughts and concerns came to…

A Question for You

May 08 2014

The end of the school year is rapidly approaching. Of course there is “Senioritis.” There is also “Third Grade-itis.” And even “Extracurricular Activity-itis.” My kids haven’t caught the last affliction but I sure have. Have you? I find the after school and sometimes weekend running to be exhausting. And not just at the end of the school year but in the fall and winter as well. The question I need to ask you is two-fold: Are you tired of the running? And do we keep our kids too busy with activities outside of school? I’m curious what you think.

Tag - child development

The September 2014 Book is Not About a Lot of Things

The Next Challenge

Well, Enough About Me…

Makeup!!!!

How About Homeschooling? Part Two

A Question for You