I can hardly believe that I have to deal with a bully as early as kindergarten. My daughter comes home and tells me her “best friend” is mean to her just about every single day. Actually, no, not true. I just think the girl is being mean every day, she thinks she is mean only some days. Why do I think she is mean every day? Because the girl shows obvious signs of an abuser. One day, this bully will tell my daughter that her work is not good. For example, she will say, “What is wrong with your coloring? … Continue reading →

… in school… by their teachers… and it’s not against the law. Add this to the list of reasons why I am so glad I don’t live in Florida. According to NPR, Florida is one of 19 states that still allows teachers the right to paddle students who misbehave in the classroom. The right to use corporal punishment to discipline kids has been in place for decades in rural parts of the south and Mountain West region. In those areas state law doesn’t require school administrators to get parental consent before paddling a kid. According to the NPR piece, the … Continue reading →

I was walking the dogs tonight and all of a sudden I see four running feet coming towards me. Yes, my two children. I just knew they didn’t tell my husband they left the house to come meet me down the street. Since they are 6 and 3 this makes me very uncomfortable. They just think they can open the door and start running wild in the street. It’s unacceptable. I was willing to look the other way on it with a stern look and warning that they will never do that again. However, the next thing they do just … Continue reading →

Some parents barely know the name of their child’s teacher, let alone their phone number of email address. Then, there’s an entire camp of moms and dads who have their child’s teacher on speed dial. Which are you? My daughter has only been in school for a year-and-a-half. She’s had one teacher who winced every time a parent stepped into her classroom. Seriously; the woman would have been overjoyed if the students in her classroom were immaculately conceived by robots, so she wouldn’t have to deal with questions and concerns from parents. As for communicating, well, let’s just say it … Continue reading →

It’s the stuff urban legends are made of: A 10-year-old boy from Tennessee is bored out of his mind while eating lunch at his elementary school cafeteria, so he decides to chew off pieces of his pizza to resemble a gun. He then proceeds to wave the slice of pie around like it’s the real deal, and ends up getting being banished to the “silent table” for the rest of the semester. Sound absurd? Perhaps, but it’s also 100 percent true. According to news reports, Nicholas Taylor will be dining in silence for allegedly using his teeth to form a … Continue reading →

According to a new study, I was destined not to be a Rhodes Scholar. In addition, researchers say because I was born in the month of August, there is little chance I would have graduated at the top of the class from Harvard, Yale or Oxford. They’re right. In fact, I didn’t even get accepted to Harvard… then again, I never applied. I was doomed to be a failure and that goes double for the rest of you Leos, or so says the Institute of Fiscal Studies. The group just released findings from a study it conducted, which shows that … Continue reading →

Imagine dropping off your three-year-old son at preschool, only to find him back at home two hours later. If that weren’t enough to have you faint on the spot, consider that your precious peanut made his way home by himself by giving his teachers the slip, scaling a three-foot high wall at his school, and crossing a busy main drag and several side streets. That’s exactly what little Alfie Aldridge managed to do according to his mother, Samantha. The 27-year-old mom from Surrey, England, says her son’s adventures were only half the story. Samantha tells the Daily Mail that when … Continue reading →

My daughter’s second grade teacher has come up with a novel way to teach kids about losing gracefully. And it’s killing me. Each day, just minutes before dismissal, the teacher pulls a name from a hat. If the child, whose name is pulled has behaved that day, he or she is awarded a small prize, be it a bookmark, a key chain or sports trading cards. But here’s the catch: Once you win a prize your name is placed back into the hat and you are eligible to win the next day, and the next, and the next. Basically, the … Continue reading →

“I love you, Mommy!” Those four little words–comfort food for the ears. Now that school’s back in session, I don’t hear them nearly as much any more. In fact, for more than seven hours a day I don’t hear a single syllable from my second grader. I’m at work, she’s at school, and the house is eerily quiet compared to the height of the summer when my daughter’s voice filled the rooms and often spilled out onto the sidewalk. Less than two weeks into September and we’re back to the academic year routine: Prep uniform, pack lunch, make breakfast, drag … Continue reading →

Whereas I miss spending lazy summer days with my seven-year-old, I have to admit there are some perks to having her out of the house and back in school. If you’ve ever attempted to clean your kids’ rooms while they are in it, then you know what I’m referring to. Try sorting through mountains of old art projects in an attempt to save some and toss the rest, and you know that the task can be akin to Chinese water torture. “You’re throwing that away!” my little Picasso screams each time I try to recycle even the most obscure art … Continue reading →