The Parent Diaries
6500 GIRLS AND BUDDIES ARE SCHEDULED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GIRLS ON THE RUN REINDEER ROMP 5 K TOMORROW
More than 6500 girls in grades 3 to 8 are scheduled to turn out for this Saturday’s 5K Reindeer Romp Fun Run, hosted by Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia. Be there to cheer the kids on at the Reston Town Center on Saturday, December 5, starting at 8:30 a.m. “We were blown away by the response and support we have gotten for this event and sold out so fast that we actually had to turn some runners away,” explains executive director Catherine Keightley. “I believe that is simply a testimony to the power of this program.”In fact, more than 3000 girls in nearly 180 schools from all over Northern Virginia have...
Read More...How to Protect Yourself If There's a Pandemic
No parent wants to think about a pandemic, but on the anniversary of 9-11 terrorist attacks we're reminded that the worst is always possible. Here are some good tips to keep in mind. The best strategyTo reduce the risk of becoming ill with pandemic influenza, avoid crowded settings and other situations that increase the risk of exposure to someone who may be infected. If you must be in a crowded setting, minimize your time there. Some basic hygiene and social distancing precautions that can be used in every workplace include the following: · Stay home if you are sick.· Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds or with a hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.· Avoid touching your nose, mouth and eyes.· Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, or cough and sneeze into your upper sleeve. Dispose of tissues in no-touch trash receptacles.· Wash your hands or use a hand sanitizer after coughing, sneezing, or blowing...
Read More...Happy Birthday!
With my 45th birthday just around the corner, my dearest friend Lisa sent my this column by The Plain Dealer columnist Regina Brett. "To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 Lessons Life Taught Me," Regina wrote when she posted it on June 6. "It is the most-requested column I've ever written." Not surprising. And for the record: The author has been said to be 90, but in her June 6 column she fessed up to not her real age: 53. See that column here: www.cleveland.com.Regina Brett's "45...
Read More...G is for Green
From organic peas to natural wooden toys, most adults are determined to expose their little ones only to the safest items. These days, many are also looking for environmentally friendly children's products. Execs at the UK-based publishing company Priddy Books have taken the cue from these savvy customers, and recently launched the Organic Baby book series, which is printed on recycled paper with soy ink, as opposed to the traditional cardboard-and-petroleum-ink menthod.“We’ve always wanted to do our best to protect the environment for future generations, and using recycled paper and soy ink seeme...
Read More..."Top Educators Under 40" — Scholastic Administrator magazine
In its February issue, Scholastic Administrator magazine picked 10 "Top Educators Under 40," including our friend Peter Noonan, Fairfax County Public Schools Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services.Reporter Caralee Adam asked: How is a younger generation is changing the face of education? She wrote, "To overcome the enormous challenges facing our schools today, new leaders must emerge—leaders who believe that they can change the system, who demonstrate relentless energy and unyielding passion, and who hold tight to an unwavering commitment to always put children first. Their task is daunting, to say the least, ...
Read More...The Lost Generation
Don't think so! Check out this fabulous YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42E2fAWM6rA....
Read More...Former Sec. Margaret Spellings talks about 21st Century Skills
Former secretary of education margaret Spellings visited Fairfax High School on November 19 to view the AVID program and observe other cutting-edge initiatives it has embarked on with the goal of improving students’ 21st Century Skills. As one of the principal authors of the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, Spellings said throughout her four-year tenure, “We cannot prepare students for the global economy if we don’t get them to grade level first.” In 2005 she convened a Commission on the Future of Higher Education to recommend reform at the post-secondary level. The reason for concern, she ex...
Read More...Out of the mouths of babes
On the Parent Diaries blog, I try to provide information that will help parents better help their children succeed in school — without going insane. To that end, I recently came across this fabulous poem posted on the MySpace page of my daughter's friend, Olivia. It's a poem that has been traveling around the Internet, written by an unknown source, it seems. I found it wonderful and poignant that Olivia chose to post it because despite the antics of middle school (don't get me started), it's refreshing to see that this gorgeous 8th grader and her "best friends" in the photo realize that they are growing up too fast. So her...
Read More...Do Your Giving While You Are Still Living: Edie Fraser and Robyn Spizman Reach Out
I love the title of this new book by Washington, DC activist / philanthropist Edie Fraser and TV journalist Robyn Spizman. Not only is it a great message to send our kids, it’s a message that parents need to hear — especially in this time of economic uncertainty when more people are hoarding what they have, out of fear for the future. “We believe the most important word in our vocabulary is love,” the authors write in the introduction. “We’re talking about the kind of love that opens our hearts to others and expects nothing in return. It inspires us to do kind and caring things even when no one is watching.” It...
Read More...The Best of Both Worlds: Making the holidays happy in a house with two religions
When it comes to celebrating the holidays, my husband Michael and I have always said the more the merrier. He grew up Catholic. I grew up Jewish. And neither of us is willing to forego the teachings of our past. So we celebrate Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Easter, Passover, Channukah and Christmas! And when I saw a query from reporter Lynn Martin looking for families that celebrate both Chanukah and Christmas, I had to respond. Lynn and I hit it off, spent some time talking, and did a photo shoot with DC photographer Steve Barrett for the magazine where the article was to...
Read More...The Power of Staying Positive: We're Profiled by The Mom Entrepreneur and Working Mother
In addition to blogging and working as a freelance journalist, I am also the owner of Inkandescent Public Relations — a PR firm I officially launched this fall. I left a good-paying part-time job as the leader of corporate communication for a global futurist firm to embark on this new venture, and although I had an inkling that the economy was faltering (I worked for futurists for two years, after all) I hoped for the best and took the plunge. So when our financial institutions tanked and the recession firmly took hold, I continued to stick to my plan and hope for the best. How could I not when that's what I always t...
Read More...Don’t Bother Me Mom, I’m Learning
Author / educator Marc Prensky’s book begins with a warning: “You are about to hear a message that, while absolutely true, will fly in the face of prevailing wisdom about computer and video games: Computer and video games aren’t as bad as you think they are. In fact, there’s good reason to believe that they do a tremendous amount of good.”And so it goes in Don’t Bother Me Mom — I’m Learning, a 254-page paperback published by Paragon House that outlines why, and how, the technology provided in games is actually helping prepare children for the jobs and work they’ll do as participant...
Read More...32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny
With the excitement surrounding Barack Obama finally settling down, I started thinking about what it is that makes him such an inspirational leader. The obvious comes to mind: He's calm and clear, profoundly reasonable, and a great storyteller who can whoop up a crowd and leave them feeling better for just having listened to him. My kids, 13 and 9, have also touched by his power — and have had the incredible experience of being part of the political process.In a nutshell, Obama is just the kind of teacher every kid — and adult — wishes they had in school. All this noodling reminded me of "32 Third Graders and One C...
Read More...The Principal Factor: Nardos King
When it comes to how you feel about your kids' teachers, many parents have a "hope for the best" attitude. We all assume the teacher will be top-notch, highly educated and personable — and really want the best for our children. But what most educators know is that it is the principal who makes or breaks a school. They are the ones who hire the teachers, set the tone and attitude for the year, and ultimately determine the experience that the children — and the parents — will have when they walk into that building."Principals are the key to a school's success," says former City of Fairfax Schools Superintenden...
Read More...HR expert Alice Waagen offers tips for Gen Y
I don’t know of a parent today who isn’t worried about how their children are going to fare in the future. Our young adults who have already entered the workforce are reportedly struggling to find their place — and evidence suggests that employers are struggling right alongside them. Fortunately, Alice Waagen, PhD, president of the executive Workforce Learning, has some advice. The founder of the leadership development company that since 1997 has provided managers and C-level executives with the skills and knowledge they need to build a more productive work environment, recently offered some tips to Washington Examiner repor...
Read More...The Importance of Learning Chinese
First graders in Grace Yuan’s Chinese class at Providence Elementary in Fairfax County, VA aren’t shy about showing off what they’ve learned since the start of the year. The 6-year-olds are all eager to come to the front of the class to recite their names in Chinese, the days of the week, numbers from 1-31, months of the year, the four seasons, and some basic greetings.“I couldn’t be more impressed,” beams Providence’s Principal Joy Hanbury. “To say these students are picking up Chinese with great ease and enthusiasm is an understatement. I can’t wait to see what they’ll know by the end of the year.”She ...
Read More...Safe Young Drivers
Driving on highways and winding back roads is scary enough when an experienced driver is behind the wheel — but when teens start driving, there's an increased cause for concern. Reports of teens dying behind the wheel seem to dominate the news. That’s why Phil Berardelli’s book, "Safe Young Drivers: A Guide for Parents and Teens," is an essential read for every parent.The Fairfax County, VA dad, former teacher and journalist originally penned the 176-page paperback in 1996. In its fourth edition, it has sold thousands of copies — and still, he says, each year far too many teens die or are harmed d...
Read More...Nature vs. Nurture: A Dad's Debate
By Michael Gibbs An Illustrator and Dad The floor of my son's room is an almost comical testament to the life of a typical nine year old boy. A baseball glove. Drumsticks. A Game Boy. Stuffed animals. His stash of coins. A week's worth of clothes. A Captain Underpants book. A book on scientists. Gizmos made of disassembled old toys. Stacks of his drawings, next to a toolbox filled with crayons and markers. Two of those things stand out, for not so obvious reasons; the baseball glove and the toolbox of crayons and markers. He's very good at throwing a ball, and he's very good at creative thinking and drawing. Yet those two things also r...
Read More...The Power to Fight Cancer
BEFORE HE WAS diagnosed with brain cancer at age 31, Dr. David Servan-Schreiber could be found scarfing down a bowl of chili con carne on the elevator at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in between teaching classes and seeing patients. "I'd sometimes add a bagel to the mix, and wash it all down with a can of Coke," admits Servan-Schreiber, the author of Anticancer: A New Way of Life, which hits bookstores in September. "It's a pretty scary mix to me now."However, it took another bout with cancer seven years later, when he was 38, before the neuropsychiatrist could bring himself to slow down or change his habits. Although both t...
Read More...Live the creative life you want
When she was a little girl, Elaina Loveland dreamed of becoming a prima ballerina. The graceful waif of a woman was a dynamic dancer, but after attending the dance program at Goucher College to study for a few years, she realized the reality of her choice might not make for an ideal career.“It became clear that I should have gone straight to New York City to dance instead of going to college to study it,” she admits. “I also realized that my dance career would probably only last as long as my body held out—and that seemed like a bit of a gamble.”So she opted for Plan B and became a writer—and ever since hasn’...
Read More...Bratproofing Your Children
When college professors Janet and Lew Solomon were raising their son Michael, now 33, they were determined to teach him the value of money. On the morning of his 10th birthday, they got their chance. Young Michael came bounding down the steps and announced it would only be 6 more years until he could get a car. Lew (a lawyer who taught taxation and trusts and estates at George Washington University Law School), and Janet (a business school professor who specialized in human resources management) gave each other a sideways glance and sat Michael down for breakfast and a taste of reality. “We didn’t want to burst his bubble—but we did want to...
Read More...Obesity in Kids: What Parents Can Do
"Nearly every single possible combination of the children's meals at KFC, Taco Bell, Sonic, Jack in the Box, and Chick-fil-A is too high in calories," according to Margo Wootan, Nutrition Policy Director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, who released a new report, "Kids Meals: Obesity on the Menu" on Aug. 4 at a press conference at the National Press Conference in Washington, DC.Wootan explained that 93% of 1,474 possible choices at 13 top chains exceed 430 calories—an amount that is one-third of what the Institute of Medicine recommends that children aged 4 through 8 should consume in a day.The problem, Wootan ...
Read More...Brain researcher Patricia Wolfe on what babies really need to develop
Pat Wolfe is worried about your toddler.“I’ve been reading a lot of articles lately about the growing number of parents who are concerned about getting their children into the best academic preschools to ensure they do well when they begin their formal schooling,” the leading brain researcher and author of "Brain Matters," tells The Parent Diaries. “Some are even signing their babies up before they are born. Given the research on early brain development, trying to create a ‘super baby’ or ‘super child’ doesn’t make sense. In fact, it runs counter to what we know about how a child’s brain develops.”Here’s what Wolfe s...
Read More...Three Scenarios for Virtual Education
Virtual education is a concept that has mostly been embraced by adults who want to go back to school--but just can’t find the time in their schedule to get to campus. But in the years to come this trend will not only appeal to those who want to improve their skills post-college, it has the potential to change the way Americans learn, says futurist Mark Justman of the futurist research and consulting firm Social Technologies.“Virtual education is definitely a growing trend in World I, but how it will play out depends on a variety of factors,” Justman expalins, and in an attempt to determine the most likely scenarios, Justman describe...
Read More...Futurist Kevin Osborn on "Helicopter Parenting"
In celebration of Father's Day 2008, we asked futurist Kevin Osborn to talk about a topic near and dear to his heart: Helicopter Parenting. For those not familiar with the term, “helicopter parents" are those well-intentioned Gen Xers who are micromanaging their offspring not just in kindergarten and elementary school, but all the way through college and into adulthood.Osborn, a senior analyst at the Washington, DC-based futurist research and consulting firm Social Technologies, has conducted extensive research on the topic, and in his brief on the topic entitled, “Helicopter Parents: Hovering over Childhood—and Beyond,” h...
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