On March 3, 2020, I stood on the stage of the Ciccone Theater on the campus of Bergen Community College in Paramus, New Jersey and delivered a TEDx talk entitled “A Compassionate Approach to Building Resilience.” Little did I know that later that week, the College would shut down to become a COVID-19 testing site.
Read moreSavor the Moments of Joy and Appreciation
Four years ago on Mother’s Day, my one and only child graduated from college. Other than the day he was born, this was the happiest day of my life. Not only because I was exceedingly proud of his great accomplishments and the man he turned out to be, but also because he expressed his heartfelt appreciation to us...
Read moreFire Child Water Child: Book Review
As I was reading Stephen Cowan, MD’s Fire Child Water Child, a book that Deepak Chopra called “groundbreaking work,” I kept thinking to myself, “I wish Dr. Cowan had been my child’s pediatrician, and wouldn't it have been great if this book was available when I was raising my son.” The perspective that Dr. Cowan presents does indeed break through our commonly held assumption that when it comes to helping children learn and focus “one size fits all.”
Read moreKindergarten in Perspective
I had the opportunity to meet with a group of preschool parents recently to see what topics they might be interested in for parenting workshops. I asked them what they wanted to know more about, what was on their minds as parents and what was keeping them up at night. Since our meeting I’m the one getting up at night, concerned about them. I don’t worry as much about their kids, because as we all know children are resilient. But the fear and anxiety in these mothers’ eyes and postures haunts me in my dreams.
Read moreYou Know More than You Think You Do
Still looking for the instruction manual that you expected to come with your child? You already have it, but don’t know it. “You know more than you think you do,” was the theme of one of the best selling books of all time The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care, written by Dr. Benjamin Spock. Millions of parents of “baby boomers” (my generation) relied on Dr. Spock’s book for advice in the late 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s. But with all of the “how to’s” from the good doctor himself, his main message to parents was to trust their instincts and have confidence in their own abilities.
Read moreAllow me to introduce myself. I am you.
Let me introduce myself. I am you. A well-intentioned parent who’s often overwhelmed with the awesome task of raising a child to become a happy, healthy and successful adult. With a little luck, a lot of hard work, many sleepless nights, and a carefully selected community of support, I can proudly say I accomplished that mission with my now 23 year old only child. (Read my parenting story here).
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