Parenting from the Heart

In this age of succinct emails and text messages, the value of handwritten notes is not lost—especially between parents and children. Parents often place sweet messages in their children’s lunchboxes, providing a nurturing moment of their presence with the good food. Writing letters can also help us communicate with children when spoken words might fall short or might not have the desired results. An apology letter to an older child after an upsetting situation can inspire re

With darkness wrapping around us earlier each evening, autumn invites us to more and better sleep. Experts say fall’s cool air is the most conducive to refreshing sleep. Snoozing more helps us respond to the quick temperature changes and more purposeful activity of fall. More sleep also helps maintain strong immune systems. On the other hand, not getting enough sleep compromises adults and children mentally and physically. Many of the challenges we fret about with children re

I recently had fun seeing the new Superman movie with my grandson. Who wouldn’t fall in love with Superman’s dog, Krypto, and the adorable way he knocks over his master and smothers him with kisses? However, (spoiler alert) when Superman’s arch enemy, Lex Luthor, uses DNA to create a clone designed to fight Superman to the death, I had big feelings. I desperately wanted Superman to pulverize his look-alike, and watching them fight made me feel empowered. If I had on a Superma

Increasingly, our students are becoming global travelers. Instead of telling us they went to Tahoe or Disneyland, they mention that their...

Room 1 teacher Chris Cameron called me aside last week to tell me about a touching situation with one of the four-year-olds in his class....

Our school librarian, Mari Ponghamsing, asked children to create bookmarks that illustrate important rules about caring for books. She...

Rosangela Snavely is on the big playground teaching children to jump rope. This game is unfamiliar to most children today, and she...

The setting: Fourth graders visiting first graders are doing a “getting to know you” art project together. Each fourth- and first-grade...

During set-up week, while our teachers attend meetings and get their classrooms ready to welcome students for the new school year, our...

Arriving at school one day, a girl pointed to another child and told her mother, “She’s a baby. She doesn’t know how to talk.” The mom,...

Our wonderful elementary and chorus teacher Laura White has just published a sequel to her inspiring children’s book Our Class Needs You...

Our classrooms are buzzing with the energy of students anticipating end-of-the-year parties as well as the move to a new class or school....

We have to set aside a day every year to thank mothers because they so rarely stop to thank themselves. Whether they become mothers by...

Magda Gerber, human development pioneer and author of Your Confident Baby , first witnessed an adult’s profound respect for a child when...

The fifth grade play this year, based on another original script by Judith Nielsen, depicts a dramatic period in Bay Area history, the...

I was so grateful that a father took time recently to email me about his hope that his daughter wouldn’t be labeled as shy the way he was...

One day I whispered "Do you need help?” to a little girl sitting at a table where people were concentrating, as she seemed frustrated...

Every year teachers and parents stop at this time and ask, “What’s happening? Have our children become problems overnight?” Then we...

Our elementary school librarian, Mari Pongkhamsing, has the fun of observing children’s budding interests as they expand and develop with...

Perceptions about time change over generations. Before electricity, people spent at least half their days in the dark or candlelight....