by Diana Divecha, Ph.D. For most of my kids’ childhoods, I felt that my ability to guide my family faced direct competition from school, and many forces beyond. In elementary school, heavy backpacks bent my kids’ soft little backs. Homework intruded into playtime, even though research has shown that play is important for cognitive and […]
Blog
Oct 10th
Nine Big Changes in Young Teens that You Should Know About
by Diana Divecha, Ph.D When children are young, it’s easy to celebrate their developmental changes. We write down their first words and send photos of first steps to grandparents; we scaffold their learning by breaking tasks down into manageable parts, and we mitigate their risks. It’s fairly simple. But something breaks down midway on the journey […]
Mar 24th
To Gap or Not to Gap
by Martha Stabler To gap or not gap, that is the question being mulled by many graduating seniors across the Bay Area right now. And it’s not just the kids who are debating this option. Parents must also consider the social, emotional and economic issues involved in the decision to delay matriculation to college. Gap […]
Nov 12th
Breaking through Deadlocks
By Cynthia Klein Imagine you are having a conflict with your child because he won’t do his homework. You are in a deadlock because both of you are determined to win the argument. Your perspective is that it is his homework and he needs to be responsible for getting it done. You shouldn’t have to […]
Nov 12th
Where’s the Best Place to Study?
by Robina Riccitiello As another school year is underway, students across San Francisco are well into this year’s round of homework. Pencils sharpened (does anyone write on paper anymore?), laptops and iPads charged, snacks at hand … they are ready to work. The question is where? Some students study at pristine desks in their rooms, […]
Mar 18th
What’s the word?
Yolo: You only live once. Said before doing something dangerous or after doing something stupid. Used to be a cool expression, now possibly is considered annoying. Rickrolling: The prank of hiding a 1987 video of one-hit wonder Rick Astley singing “Never Gonna Give You Up” behind a seemingly interesting link. Photo-bombing: Waiting until just before […]
Mar 18th
What Teachers Wish Parents Knew
by Joy Libby I am lucky to count many teachers as friends, some of whom have taught my own children over the years. There was a clutch of preschool teachers who get in the trenches of the sandbox and have a bottomless well of creativity and there were brave middle school teachers who face hormones […]