Monthly Archives: April 2014

Open House – Officially Starting Middle School

Anxiety, Kids, Parenting, School

Tonight was yet another first for me in this parenting gig: middle school open house.  Allow me to set the scene…

The gym was set up with tables around the perimeter with each elective, club, sport, and music option represented.  They each had a teacher or coach, and an information sheet available for the students.  After making the round, a current 6th grader took you on a tour of the 2nd floor, which is almost exclusively used by 6th graders.

Here is what I learned tonight…

She gets to start choosing the smaller paths of her life.  I let Grace … Read the rest

Wednesday Wit: April 23, 2014

School, Wednesday Wit

This is a worksheet that Ada brought home from school…

What’s bugging you at school?
What really bugs me at school is that we have to stay at school for one hundred eighty days and we are only at the one hundred forty-sixth day!

What’s bugging you at home?
The thing that bugs me every day at home I have to deal with the two littler kids who argues about who plays with me! (We have two neighbors who don’t really get along)

What’s bugging you in the world?
What really bothers me in the world is that people do … Read the rest

Fences

Just My Thoughts, Parenting

Which side of the fence are you on?

You know, those fences that somehow go up as soon as your pregnancy test shows positive.  Are you getting an epidural?  How much TV do you think a toddler should watch?  How much time should kids spend playing video games?  (PS – I totally hate the word “should”)

Those questions tend to make me feel trapped, like it’s not really a question but a means by which we are subtly judging other parents.

I’m deciding to take the fences down.  

I’m going to make a conscious decision not to ask those kinds … Read the rest

Parenting a 10-Year-Old

Parenting

There are goods and bads in every stage of parenting.  We always come out the other side stronger, smarter (hopefully), and sometimes with a few emotional scars.

We’re nine months into parenting a 10-year-old, and I’m not exaggerating here – something changed the moment she turned 10.  This is slightly worrisome for me because in June we’ll have another 10-year-old, and another 18 months after that.  So…

I’m learning that I have to shift the way I parent, which is not an easy thing to do.  She wants so desperately to be grown up but she just isn’t.  I’m trying … Read the rest