Sugar and spice And everything nice, That’s what little girls are made of! Snips and snails And puppy-dogs’ tails, That’s what little boys are made of! What the heck are “snips”? Sounds like what’s leftover after the barber cuts hair. Snails? Ew! And the dog’s tails? As a child, this poem made me squirm. When… Read More Rockabye Hope
When he walked in this evening, Daddy wanted to take his boy to the park. As I changed Little Man on the landing, he wrapped himself around my neck and kissed me. He smiled, “I will never let you go.” My eyes smarted. The sacred moment hurt – a swelling tight at the edges. I… Read More A Boy’s Love on the Landing
Your toe broke through the sole. We peeped into a row of run-down restaurants for a new shoe and then stood beneath the eaves, watching cloudburst pound the pavement. I cradled you — seven years tall. I would carry you in the rain. You grew a few years smaller in my arms before slipping into… Read More Carry You In The Rain
I couldn’t resist this post. Five-year-olds memorized facts in seven subject areas along with 1) the names of all the U.S. presidents 2) 24 verses of a chapter from the book of Ephesians and 3) enjoyed hands-on explorations in science, art, and music. Middle and high schoolers also wrote papers, redrew the map of the… Read More We Underestimate The Human Brain
I’ve condensed the radio interview from This American Life, Love is a Battlefield. What do you make of this woman? For seven-and-a-half years, Daniel was confined to a crib. He ate in it, stared out the window during the day, and slept upright in the space he shared with another boy in the orphanage. He… Read More An Unstoppable Love
A recent L.A. Times article described a celebrated Black Santa Claus, “the main attraction…at a mall…in the heart of black Los Angeles.” People actually first call “to make sure he will be there” before they head out on what is for some an hour’s drive. The historical St. Nicholas was actually a wealthy Greek orphan… Read More Black Santa: Racist to Keep St. Nick White?
These thoughts emerged as a personal response to the controversial Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Yale Law professor Amy Chua who pushed her daughters to excel in ways that earned her praise and censure. She writes: I do believe that we in America can ask more of children than we typically do, and… Read More A Biblical Perspective of Achievement
My launching pad is an enlightening New York Magazine article that explains how praising kids for being smart often backfires, straitjacketing them to fear of failure. It spoke to me not only as a parent of a boy fairly fresh on the path of formal education, but as the studious girl whose achievements were marked… Read More Greatness, Part 5: Praise, Smarts, and the Myth of Self-Esteem
I got to do the fun stuff with my students when I taught the Gifted and Talented in the 90s. The elementary school kids in the program left their classroom and came to me bright-eyed, bushy-taled. Grounded in the basics, they were ready for a session of poetry or creative writing. Here are some activities… Read More Young Writers in Their Dreaming
The little guy fell in love with this song by Chris Tomlin, Sovereign, when I was practicing for church last year. I think Tennyson played better here. He was 5 1/2. In the zone. I quickly grabbed the camera:
A Holistic Journey 