Please Don't Help My Kids

A Patch blogger's post about not helping her children on the slide is being debated across the country.

A Patch blog from Alameda, CA, called “Please Don’t Help My Kids” has struck a nerve with readers across the country. Posted in September, the blog has taken off over the past few weeks as it has found a second life through social media sharing. The blog has 124,000 Facebook recommendations and 833 people have tweeted the blog. The blog is an open letter to other parents at the playground. The blogger Kate Bassford Baker’s basic request is for parents to not help her daughters on the slide. She wrote that she wants her daughters to do things and learn things on their own. Learning to walk up the slide’s ladder is the first step to learning new things and overcoming obstacles, she wrote. “Because, as they grow up, the ladders will only get …

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Have You Reviewed with Your Children What to Do in 'Danger' Scenarios? Should You?

A week after the Newtown, CT, massacre, schools have reviewed their safety procedures. Now should parents follow up with more coaching?

A week after the deadly elementary school attack in Newtown, CT, that has rocked the the nation, some parents say their kids remain oblivious to the attack—and the danger.  Most teens and children are wrapped up in their own worlds. One mom of a middle-schooler told me instead of being worried about how the Newtown deaths would affect her daughter, she is more concerned that the girl is not aware enough of what took place. And there is only so much the schools can do. So this mom will spin out a scenario of danger and ask the daughter to think through how she might best respond.  If you are a parent, are you doing the same kind of 'coaching' with your kids? Should parents be following up and expanding on the schools' safety procedures and …

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Moms Talk Q&A

How to Teach Kids About the Importance of Giving Back

This week the Mom’s Council discusses how to teach children about giving back.

This week, the Mom’s Council discusses ways to teach children about giving back. How do you instill a sense of compassion or generosity in your children? Let us know your opinion in the comments too.  Q: What can we do to teach our children about the importance of giving back? Answer from Jessica Stowe: Teaching our children the importance of giving back is one of the most important values we can instill in our children. As adults, we can start by leading by example and take part in a charity or organization that we are passionate about. Then, find a cause that is of importance to your child. If they are passionate about animals, do some research together and find organizations that share their same passion. You can start with donating dog…

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Moms Talk Q&A

How Do You Manage All of Those Toys? To Toss, Store, Donate, or Give Toys at All?

This week The Mom’s Council talks kids toys: Keeping them organized, when to get rid of them, how to manage those flashing lights and noises, and more. Add your opinion below.

This week’s question about children’s toys comes from Alison Mitchell, moderator of the SomervilleMoms Yahoo Group, where several good discussions on this very question have been held recently. QUESTION: Let’s talk kid’s toys: How do you keep them organized and how do you keep too many from accumulating via gifts, etc.? When is enough enough? When is it time to pass on or toss toys that have been outgrown?   Add your own answer to the comment section, read on for the Council’s take.... ANSWER, Alisa Stendardo: Ugh…the topic of toys. This just came up for us as my son turned one last weekend. We are in the accumulation phase and between Christmas and his birthday, we just have way too much stuff now. So I've divided the toys into three "…

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Moms Talk Q&A

Do Tiger Moms Have Anything to Teach Somerville Parents?

This week the Mom’s Council looks at the Tiger Mom issue and debates whether Amy Chua has a point. What’s your opinion? Please share in the comments--or join the Mom’s Council yourself (it’s for dads and guardians too).

The Question: Is there anything Somerville parents can learn from Amy Chua's (aka Tiger Mom) parenting style? Answer: From Kate van Sleet (read about Kate below)  While I am certainly an advocate for encouraging your children to live up to their greatest potential, I have to say that I am a little put off by the extreme nature of Chua's parenting style. I can't help but think that eventually her aggressive parenting will emotionally backfire. And while it may be a successful traditional Chinese method of parenting (so she claims), I wonder how well it really translates in today's American culture.  I don't doubt that some children need a very structured home environment to succeed, but in my opinion, all children need emotional support, …

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elena neva

9:49 am on Friday, February 25, 2011

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