The world is run by adults. Some of the adults are dictators and monarchs, some are politicians, and to varying degrees, the rest of us adults get some power to affect what goes on. But just about everyone who has significant power has a certain amount of seniority in common; we’ve all grown up. I…
When a child complains “I have nothing to do,” a parent’s reaction is often something less than sympathetic. Parents and other adults (but especially parents) often long for some time with nothing to do. To them, that’s what a good vacation is. In fact, “vacation” comes from the Latin word for “empty.” Of course, many…
I can’t think of anything better than friendship. For some people, a friend is one special person, and if there are too many more than one, the friendship starts to seem thinner. For others, the more, the merrier. There are people who feel that they can speak about just about anything with one or two…
It’s a fact of life that there are people who are especially good at some things. Often, they’re people who aren’t so good at other things, and they cling to their specialties for the sake of their self-esteem. There are some people who don’t seem to be good at anything, and that causes problems. And…
I grew up in comfortable suburban homes. I taught mostly children who were doing so, too, and my own children did, too. As we live in our “comfortable” homes, we do find aspects of our homes to complain about; it’s easy to forget about how uncomfortable things could be and focus on the problems we…
All of us adults have been teenagers, and if all goes well, all of our children will be teenagers. But sometimes, when we’re caught up in some of the difficulties teenagers go through, we may start thinking they’re a different species. Our children may see them that way too, either out of loyalty to us…
When I first started writing these articles, I told you that I hoped to build bridges with them. I hope that’s been happening. But it occurred to me that I may also be burning bridges with them. I’ve let you know, for example, that I am an atheist, that I’m not the patriot you may…
I don’t quite have the reading habit. I read often, for information, inspiration, and/or entertainment. When I was a student, I sometimes read because I was supposed to. But for me, putting down a book is rarely difficult; it gives me a chance to rest my eyes and brain, and it enables me to write,…
The statement “Everyone is a racist” can annoy, offend, even infuriate people. Sticks and stones may break bones, but words can do damage, too. When people hear someone say that we’re all racists, they may take it quite personally. They may be quite proud of their heart-felt belief that we’re all equal, all deserving of…
There’s been a gradual change among teachers’ approaches toward correcting children’s writing. It’s been based on sound thinking and research. Like most changes, it’s been disorienting for people who are used to the old ways. Some teachers cling to old ways, some parents are glad they do, and some wish they wouldn’t. Some teachers don’t,…