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Graphic Novels Are “Real Books”
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Articles tagged parenting
If You’re a Parent and…You Have an Hour
I volunteer in the school library every Friday afternoon. A few weeks ago, my scheduled time overlapped with a special program called “I Can Hour.” Because the school librarian did the bulk of the event’s organization, I was pressed into service. That Friday it was Zumba, not book check out for me. This event required … Continued
Broaching through Books
By Caroline Jones This past Sunday, I was driving back from Maine and passing the time in traffic with the wonderful podcast “This American Life”. One of the episodes, “The Birds & The Bees”, explored the complexities of explaining all kinds of difficult issues to young children. W. Kamau Bell, a comedian and father, was … Continued
If you’re a parent and…your child has no imaginary friend
Like countless other children, my son recently saw the acclaimed new Disney Pixar movie, Inside Out. And like countless other parents, I quietly wept through just about the entire movie. Among the many striking moments, characters, and messages in the film was one specific creature who got me thinking – Bing Bong, the since-forgotten imaginary … Continued
If you’re a parent and…conversations start with “what if?”
My seven-year-old daughter recently attended a two-hour day camp with a River Wildlife theme for a week. Wildlife on The River – the St. Lawrence River – includes fish, osprey, frogs, otters, and herons (the five themes for five camp days). So I was perplexed when I picked her up on frog day, and she showed … Continued
Mothers and Kids: Togetherness
At CLiF, much of our work occurs behind the scenes. We spend many hours scheduling events, organizing logistics, communicating with coordinators who are on the ground in various communities throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. While we love what we do, nothing compares to hanging up the phone, logging off our email, and stepping out from … Continued
If you’re a parent and…you’ve got a slugger
Well, maybe not a “slugger.” More like a clunker. His pitching is anything but fast, his tiny hands can barely close his glove, let alone catch with it, and he usually forgets to run the bases when his bat finally makes contact with the ball. No matter. It’s baseball season, and my son is itching … Continued
General / If you're a parent and...
If you are a parent and… your child learns to read
I’ll be honest – I burst into tears. At first I didn’t believe it. Emmett’s friend (who is nine) had been sitting with him looking at a book when she alerted me: Emmett can read. I said, “What?! Really? Are you sure?” “Watch,” was her response. She pointed to the word car, and Emmett said, … Continued
General / If you're a parent and...
If you are a parent and… learning to ski leads to a teachable moment
When the temperature sneaks above 20 and the sun pokes out of the winter grey, I seize the opportunity to take my son skiing. He’s gone a handful of times, and each trip out to the slopes is a clean slate. I never know if our day will end within minutes with chilled fingers and tears or … Continued
General / Book Recommendations / If you're a parent and...
If you’re a parent and… you’re teaching your kid to have a sense of humor
My six-year-old daughter loves Sesame Street. I dread the day she feels too mature for the silly muppets with their quirky personalities, multicultural community, easy jokes, and advanced vocabularies. Watching it with her brings back many innocent childhood memories, and I love sharing that with her. Over the years, she has received countless Sesame Street books. We … Continued
General / If you're a parent and...
If you’re a parent and… you need inspiration to inspire
I went to the Vermont AfterSchool Conference on October 24 where I was inspired by the variety of programming available for out-of-school-time programs. Surprisingly, I was even more inspired by the keynote speakers. The conference kicked off with Rebecca Holcombe, Vermont Agency of Education Director, sharing her four key values: show passion, create partnerships, be innovative, … Continued
General / If you're a parent and...
If you’re a parent and… you dread the 28-part nonfiction series
Sarah Stewart Taylor, a CLiF presenter and author, interviewed CLiF’s founder and executive director Duncan McDougall for a recent parenting piece. Sarah summarizes the aspects of reading supported by our programs – relaxing and enjoying the moment, modeling by reading yourself, repeating books, and letting kids choose. I know this is true, and I feel like … Continued
General / If you're a parent and...
If you’re a parent and… you’re raising a problem solver
Countless studies analyze to what extent kids take their cues on how to react and how to behave from their parents. A devotee of the PBSKids show Wild Kratts, my six-year-old has absorbed an astonishing amount of animal facts. When she calmly and with interest told me there was a snake on the swimming ladder, … Continued
General / If you're a parent and...
If you’re a parent and… you’re teaching kindness
New research from Harvard’s Making Caring Common Project offers suggestions on how to raise kind children. I read this with interest because recently, in a deep conversation about our strengths and weaknesses as parents, I shared with a friend that my biggest hope for my child is she be kind. As parents of only children, these hopes are … Continued
General / Book Recommendations / If you're a parent and...
If you’re a parent and… your toddler is toying with naughty words
…then you are quite familiar with “the look. It’s no longer the oblivious, “Gee, climbing on top of the couch is such fun!” expression. At least that one carried pure ignorance to the actual danger or unlawfulness of the behavior. No, this “look” is a new level of testing, of pushing boundaries of which he … Continued
General / Book Recommendations / If you're a parent and...
If you’re a parent and… making up stories doesn’t come naturally
I love a good story. But making them up on the spot doesn’t come naturally to me. I dread when my child asks “tell me a story.” She usually asks when I feel least creative – driving to school, waiting in the doctor’s office, or sitting in her bed in the middle of the night after … Continued
General / Book Recommendations
March 14 Friday Links Library
Happy Friday! We’re digging out after Vulcan dumped two feet of fresh snow over Vermont. Which means all this weekend we’ll be doing our two favorite activities: reading and skiing. Here are some clips from the last two weeks. Meredith found a lot happening in Ohio to help third graders pass reading tests: When more … Continued
If you’re a parent and…you need to do the dishes
Photo Credit My only child celebrated her 100th day of kindergarten in February. As a parent new to public school, I was surprised that this is a milestone…and reminded that I have a lot to learn! Being new to CLiF, I have even more appreciation for how inventive schools, teachers, and parents are in designing … Continued