By Ann Brown, parenting consultant I’m sitting on the living room couch as I write this column. My twenty-month old puppy, Phila, is snuggled next to me, her head on my lap. She is snoring happily. I am petting her, completely content. I’m also watching out for Robin because as soon as I see him […]
By Parenting Consultant, Ann Brown As I write this article, we are already encroaching upon 2014. Because I am an old crone compared to you who will be reading this, I can remember, back in the 1960’s, the awe I felt when I imagined what the new millennium would be like. The idea of the […]
By Joe Newman What do you say to a parent who asks, “How involved should I get in school?” Before talking about this question I first want to talk about a more important underlying issue. Relations between parents and teachers are at an all-time low. Parents blame teachers for their child’s poor academic performance and teachers […]
By Ann Brown It’s another rainy afternoon. Perfect for making soup, reading, avoiding work, and napping. You’d think I’d be perfectly happy. But no. I am not snugly in my comfort zone. One of my toes is hanging out. Kids start off with a very small comfort zone. It’s pretty much Baby + Parents. […]
By Ann Brown, Parenting Coach Those of you in my classes and parenting groups have heard me start many sentences with, “after the revolution, when I am in charge of the world and we all live on communes in peace and harmony….” But today, I am going to write about what we can do […]
By Ann Brown I’ve been listening to The Four Tops. If you don’t know what I am talking about, if you do not know who The Four Tops are, if you are not familiar with their music, well, then, I really don’t know what to do with you. Maybe a time-out. Oh wait, I don’t […]
By: Ann Brown Doing the work I do and having grown children who no longer pick their noses in public or have screaming tantrums at Whole Foods, affords me a certain amount of, um, flexibility with the truth. I mean, my kids are 25 and 30 years old and they are great kids. They make […]
By: Ann Brown A parent dropped off a magazine article to me a few weeks ago, saying, “I thought you’d like this.” I am always curious to see what kinds of things you think I’d be interested in because I know I kinda have a reputation for being a bit….well, offbeat. I remember a while […]
By: Ann Brown The mistake I want to talk about this month is difficult to label in a few words. I guess I could call it thinking that I needed to entertain or engage my kids when I was home with them. I know that it’s nearly impossible to get anything done when you are […]
By: Joe Newman Our boys are in trouble. They are falling behind girls academically, socially, and psychologically. Consider the following: • Boys are 30% more likely to drop out of school before graduation. • Girls outperform boys at all levels of schooling, from elementary to graduate programs. • Boys are 11% less likely to get […]