What did my child do? If your child’s personality seems to change at this time of year, try not to worry. In spring a child’s fancy turns to pushing limits and boundaries. The same process that incites spring flowers into what Rilke called “blooming most recklessly” propels children’s instincts for expansion. In the past people called these surges of energy “spring fever.” Wasn’t it nice when there was a name for it? Mark Twain once wrote about the condition. “It’s spring fever and when...

Does your child feel lucky? St. Patrick’s Day, the Irish holiday coming up on March 17, is usually connected to the tradition of the “wearing of the green.” The holiday also involves long-held beliefs about what brings a person good luck. Legend has it that finding a four-leaf clover or witnessing a rainbow is a sign that our day, or even our life, will be charmed. The concept that there is such a thing as good luck involves believing in a realm where seemingly random occurrences can signal...

Quiet as a cloud that tiptoes through the sky, Quiet as a cloud am I. Hushed as a fish, gliding through the sea, Hushed as a fish will I be. —From “The Quiet Song” by Hank Mindlin Images of silence from the Meher Schools’ “Quiet Song” prompt me to ask an unusual question: “How do children today learn about the nourishing resource of silence in a noisy world?” Research shows that experiences of silence promote neurogenesis—the growth of new brain cells—and can enhance learning and emotional...