I was recently with my family at Sea World in Orlando. Listening to a trainer answer questions about training killer whales made me chuckle to myself. Someone asked, “How do you get the whales to obey your commands.” She paused, smiled and replied “Oh…we NEVER command killer whales to do anything. We ask them. In […]
It’s that time again: back to school time. For most parents that also means the beginning of after school activities. Whether you have more than one child, work, like to take an occasional break from constantly chauffeuring your child, or any combination of the three – carpooling is frequently the answer. I’m sure most of […]
Often one learns by simply listening and observing. Lately I’ve spent a fair amount of time doing typical summer activities and I’ve made an unsettling observation. I’ve noticed that a good number of children tend to be very negative in their words and actions. I know, this is not a groundbreaking discovery, but it is […]
Many of us have happy childhood memories of summer and amusement parks. Whether they were on the boardwalk or larger theme parks – it is usually equated to simple childhood fun. The thrill of swinging, spinning and dropping at rapid speeds, with music in the background, is incredibly exciting for children. Even the occasional upset […]
The unofficial start to summer has begun. It’s time to enjoy the outdoors and socializing with friends a little more. This usually includes at least a few fun trips to the swimming pool for most children. To this day, I can still vividly remember being 6 or 7 years old and going to the swim […]
A few days ago, on the playground, I overheard two women discussing an incident where a grade-school child made a disparaging comment about another child’s intelligence. I was a little surprised at how they choose to assess the situation. Basically the sentiment was “what can you really do – that’s just how kids behave sometimes.” […]
You can’t fake good eye contact. It’s an incredibly powerful skill that must be communicated with finesse and honesty. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote “An eye can threaten like a loaded gun, or it can insult like hissing or kicking, or, in its altered mood, by beams of kindness, it can make the heart dance for […]
Lately the topic of cyberbullying has been prominent in the news. The Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use describes cyberbullying as “being cruel to others by sending or posting material using the Internet or a cell phone.” This is a scary, potentially violent and a challenging issue for parents, schools, and the legal community. […]
When was the last time someone said, “you’re welcome” to you; or the last time you said, “you’re welcome” to someone else? At times it seems as if the phrase “you’re welcome” has been dropped from the English language. It’s an interesting phrase whose origins began in the early part of the 20th century. Since that […]
A few weeks ago, I was at the photo store using their computer to crop a holiday photo. The store was very busy that day, and I was waiting to pay. While waiting, an elderly woman asked me a few questions about using the photography computer. I’m in no way a computer photo expert, so […]