My Kindergartener Hates School. What Should We Do? Introducing Dr. Heather

This year, one of our sons is starting kindergarten. Being a second-born, he was “raring to go” to school; he talked about it incessantly over the last few months. When asked if he likes school, he replies, “I don’t LIKE school. I LOVE it!” But the J-Man already knew his teacher before school started; she was his older sister’s teacher two years ago. J-Man also had been going along for school pickups and drop-offs for the past couple of years; he’d had the chance to slowly get used to the school environment. It helped a lot.

But his older sister was more tentative, when she started school. She had to learn the routine from scratch, and didn’t have an older sibling on campus to help make her feel more at home. It took her quite awhile to get into the swing of things. For awhile, we fretted that perhaps we had chosen the wrong school, or she wasn’t in the right classroom, despite the fact that her teacher was a gem.

Read more

Are you the best Parent you could be for your child?

Parent as Leader,  Parent Leadership. What does it really mean? Do you think that as a parent you are also a leader and if so, how do you go about that?

I have always found the words Parent and Parenting to be very emotive. For me, they bring up a feeling of exhaustion, frustration and a feeling of being stuck. I’m not sure if this is only me but I have never found these words at all inspiring. Let’s face it, bringing a child into the word and caring for them, ensuring that they grow up to be a fine young adult is so much more than about parenting. I remember saying to someone ages ago that I am not a parent; I am a relationship builder and that felt much more freeing for me. I then went on to replace this with the word Leader; I am a leader for my child. To me that feels more like a task to take, a result to achieve, an inspiring outcome to work towards.

Read more

Family Man® “Room to Roam” By Gregory Keer

A recent study done in England suggests that 21st century kids are losing out on the health benefits of nature and space because they do not get out enough. The report’s author, Dr. William Bird (nice last name for a nature lover), “has compiled evidence that people are healthier and better adjusted if they get out into the countryside, parks or gardens. Stress levels fall within minutes of seeing green spaces, he says. Even filling a home with flowers and plants can improve concentration and lower stress.”

The study is all the more interesting when paired with another bit of new research that  shows how much exercise improves the mood of kids (a long-known finding regarding adults). In today’s world of indoor amusements (mostly of the electronic variety), it isn’t easy to get some kids to go outside. We are also dealing with our own fears of letting kids go out to play unsupervised and the annoyance of having to drive them to a park.

Read more

New Year…New Fun!

With a big Inauguration Week having just concluded, the celebrations don’t have to end. You can download and construct your own Play Art dolls of President Obama and Vice President Biden. Get these fun toys right here!

DOWNLOAD President Obama (PDF)

DOWNLOAD Vice President Biden (PDF)

Marley & Me

The movie version of Marley & Me begins shortly after young John (Owen Wilson) and Jenny Grogan (Jennifer Aniston) tie the knot. Moving to the warm weather climate of Florida and taking jobs at two of the local newspapers, Jenny and John don’t feel ready for a baby yet so John surprises Jenny with a golden Labrador puppy for her birthday.

From the start the cute little clearance pup is a mess waiting to happen as he tears through belongings, races away from his owners, and goes berserk during thunderstorms. John and Jenny try to get Marley trained at obedience school but he gets kicked out faster than you can say “Hello Kathleen Turner.” (The Academy Award nominee plays Marley’s beleaguered dog trainer in a brief sequence.)

Read more

Family Man® “MLK Day Precedes Special Inauguration” By Gregory Keer

It’s only fitting that a day celebrating the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr., comes before the inauguration day of our first African American president. These days are made more inspiring following my biannual trip to various Southern U.S. states with a group of high school students. We made the journey, visiting numerous Civil Rights locations, including the Rosa Parks Museum and the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama, and the Ebenezer Baptist Church where Martin Luther King, Jr., preached in Atlanta, Georgia. Seeing all of these places last November, right after the nationwide election, was deeply moving for my students and I.

But no place held more significance for me than the Lorraine Motel, now housing the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. Please forgive my sentimentality, but the place has real power, particularly on the upper floor where the room King stayed in is preserved. There, as I looked through the glass that separates visitors from the spot where King was assassinated for peacefully challenging discrimination, I felt like I was touching the bottom of a deep lake of hatred, only to spring back up on the knowledge that our country had looked beyond race to elect a person based mostly on his accomplishments and ideals.

Read more

Help your children deal with their emotions

OK, I recently got asked what to do when a 5-year-old is throwing a tantrum . . .

Now, having a tantrum thrower myself and successfully using coaching on her very effectively I jumped at the chance.

OK, so here are my thoughts.

This is what I believe parents can do before, during and after such tantrums . . .  I have written this as though it is for a 5-year-old, since that is what I was asked, however it will translate to the child years with different language.

Read more

Family Man® “The Laugh Track” By Gregory Keer

Somewhere in the traffic jam of the last year, I lost control of my favorite vehicle of parent-child bonding: making my kids laugh. I became so wrapped up in the relentless responsibilities of life that my funny bone resembled a car wreck.

Rather than find a moment to engage in a tickling game, I found myself hustling my kids from dinner to bed, racing against a buzzer signaling the end of my daily energy. Instead of reading funny books or singing silly songs, I was getting the kids ready for a gym class or soccer practice or just shushing them to keep the noise down. I was just too stressed and irritable to find much humor in my family life.

Read more

Family Man® “Daddy Time After Work” By Gregory Keer

Even in today’s era of enlightened fathers who are very involved in their children’s lives, it can be hard to transition to the dad role after work. Here are a few tips that work for me and have worked for a few friends in the same situation:

Read more

The best wishes for 2009

Dear all,

2008 has been a roller coaster year for us. We worked really hard on a totally new experience that will provide families with children a safe and fun on-line gathering place. After our launch in September we received very positive publicity and we see the number of families joining us grow every day.

But the thing we are most proud of is the way you have helped us improve on our service. We have hundreds of active users dropping by our Glubble community on a regular basis. With your help we have detected issues and resolved them and we have improved the service by adding new features you have requested.

Read more