Last week we put up our Christmas tree. At the end of each crazy day during this hectic season, it’s so nice to sit back and just take in its beauty. I have such fond memories of the Christmas trees of my childhood. I remember going with my sister and parents to pick one out; […]
Tag: Development
The Learning Curve: Kindergarten Readiness
Heading to kindergarten is a major milestone and important transition for a little learner. It is an exciting time of exploration and discovery. With kindergarten comes greater responsibilities, and a more complex, faster-paced curriculum than pre-school offered (See here for an example of a typical day in a kindergarten classroom.) It’s a big step, and […]
The Gift of a Great Book: The Penderwicks
This past summer, a close friend of mine gave me a book recommendation. The two of us have exchanged titles with one another for years now, always books for our own reading pleasure. This time, the suggestion was for my daughters. We had just spent an entire day together with our kids and she thought […]
Surreal Times in the City
It’s a week like this past one that makes your head spin in more ways than one. Our family, like so many others, gathered batteries and flashlights and stocked up on groceries and water in preparation for Hurricane Sandy. Our kids have been dying for a black out – we didn’t have one during Irene. […]
Does Money Buy Happiness?
I heard the old saying, “Money can’t buy happiness” the other day and it reminded me of a very interesting Blog Talk Radio show that we hosted a while back on “Advantaged Children.” Our guests were Dr. Karen Rancourt (from ask our Ask Dr. Gramma Karen column) and Dr. Christine Fernandez. Here is an overview […]
Explaining Natural Disasters to Your Children
In light of Hurricane Sandy, we thought we would share this article from NY Family Magazine with you that we wrote a few months ago that provides ways to talk with your children about severe weather conditions. With ever-increasing incidents of severe weather occurrences come questions – questions that are, for many parents, not so […]
Halloween Coming Soon: Common Dentist Questions
As a chocolate lover, I love Halloween. I especially love Halloween in NYC. Unlike the ‘burbs where I grew up – where I often walked half a mile between houses – here in the city, you can fill a Halloween bag in no time! That’s the good news. The bad news is – now that […]
Lessons Moms Can Learn from Dads
So I recently read a long, controversial article on the importance of “horseplay” amongst dads and their children. The idea is that the time dads spend with their kids sometimes – in moms’ eyes – is not “productive” or “not involved enough or present enough.” It went on to suggest that we should allow ourselves […]
Lessons (and Heartaches) of Second Grade
After a packed summer, my girls were excited to start the school year. My oldest was starting second grade, and my youngest, kindergarten. My seven-year-old took great pride in preparing her little sis for what her school was like. She covered it all – recess rules, cafeteria food, P.E, etc. They had elaborate plans to […]
The Evolution of a Working Mom
Before having kids, I loved my career. I was a Recruiter, and enjoyed my small company and colleagues, the feeling of satisfaction in finding someone the perfect job and the great commissions! I worked alongside one of my best friends and seldom dreaded Monday mornings. When I was pregnant, I couldn’t fathom being a stay […]