Parent Hacks

Let’s talk about Charleston

in: Fun & Learning

The horrific events in Charleston, South Carolina. I struggle with what to say, what to do. But I can’t wait for clarity before saying something. My heart goes to those families. To the members of that church. To every person who lives in fear, unprotected. Without sanctuary. Not long ago my family watched the movie Selma together. My kids were […]

Advocating for your kid in school when you really want the teacher to like you

in: Fun & Learning

I’m no stranger to speaking up for my kids at school.

Both my kids have needed help handling the social and academic expectations of the classroom. At times, this has required me to reach out to their teachers for clarification (“Are you seeing in class what I’m seeing at home?”), or as translator (“When he gets anxious he blurts out answers.”). No problem.

Sometimes, however, I have to take on the role of advocate (“She needs to be able to eat a snack before lunch to help her concentrate.”) and challenger (“I’d like to talk to you about something that’s concerning me.”).

This is hard to do, because I wrestle with something I’ve craved ever since I was a kid: I want the teacher to like me.

Brain Chase Online Summer Learning Challenge: Update + Giveaway

in: Fun & Learning

This post is sponsored by Brain Chase. If you read my Brain Chase review, you already know I’m 100% on board with this online summer learning program. Which is saying something, because I’m an educational game skeptic and a supporter of unstructured summer learning. Today, I want to share two things: new additions to Brain Chase […]

An online learning challenge that reveals real buried treasure…and a $10K scholarship [Discount Code]

in: Fun & Learning

This post is sponsored by Brain Chase, a summer learning challenge like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Read on for details, plus a special discount code for Parent Hacks readers. I’ve long held that “summer brain drain” is an academic problem, not a learning problem. Summer learning — open-ended, active, exploratory — is harder to measure but just as valuable as classroom learning. […]

Chores for Older Kids: Hold Them Accountable

in: Fun & Learning

We’ve had a breakthrough with my kids’ chores. Not because we discovered a magical new chore system for older kids — but because we finally held our kids accountable to the chore system we’re already using. Chores for Older Kids: Expect More As They Get Older When my kids were little, the daily chore list was simple: hang […]

Best of Parent Hacks: Holiday Edition

in: Fun & Learning, Holidays & Special Occasions

So! The holidays are upon us. Hopefully this collection of hacks will help you streamline so you can relax and enjoy the holidays a little quicker (which means enjoying them a lot more). Getting organized for the holidays Let your calendar remind you to try new seasonal activities Let Santa take away the old toys, […]