Child

Summer and sunscreen: what’s your plan?

by Robin (noteverstill) May 1, 2012 Beauty

My second daughter enjoying Bethany Beach in last summer’s sun. With the strange spring we’ve been having, we’ve already had quite a few hot days, and today is supposed to be another one. Our conversations about sunscreen have become more commonplace, as have my concerns. Let’s start with this: none of my kids has ever [...]

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The Spring Break Juggling Act

by Sue Wagner April 3, 2012 Child

In 48 hours, my kids will be on Spring Break. Normally, by this time, I’m looking forward to a break. I’m tired of packing lunches and helping with dioramas and book reports. I’m weary of ironing uniforms at 1am and searching for misplaced water bottles. I’m ready for some lazy mornings and evenings spent lingering [...]

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My magic bean buyer

by Robin (noteverstill) March 6, 2012 Child

Shel Silverstein quote in the window of The Annapolis Bookstore. (Photo credit: me.) Whenever we go downtown together, or to anywhere new at all, my husband prefers to drive. That’s because I will be craning to see the ornamentation at tops of buildings and marveling at the sunsets and filling my eyes with period signage. [...]

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When to call it quits

by Sue Wagner February 28, 2012 Child

It’s one of those tough parenting calls — when to let your child quit an activity. How do you know when you should make him stick it out or when it’s ok to let him quit? I’ve let my kids quit things. Am I teaching them to be quitters? I don’t think so. In fact, [...]

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Area School Best Practices: Rhyme and Cheese Night at Glebe Elementary

by Elaine February 21, 2012 Child

A few weeks ago, my first grade son participated in Glebe Elementary School’s “Rhyme and Cheese” Night. Modeled after the always-fun Open Mic Night at Busboys and Poets, members of the PTA invited students of all levels to read their prose. In the words of more than one parent in attendance, the night was a [...]

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Not Even Wrong

by Jean, a.k.a. Stimey November 15, 2011 Child

I am always apprehensive about parent-teacher conferences. Nothing bad ever happens. Sam has never gotten anything but glowing reviews. Quinn is Quinn, which is wonderful and charming. And Jack? Well, I always hear that he is very smart, that he is “making sufficient progress to meet goal(s).” In fact, I never really hear anything that [...]

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Adhering to the dress code (or, when rules do and don’t matter)

by Robin (noteverstill) November 8, 2011 Child

My daughter’s school has a dress code. She’s only been there for a bit over two months, as she’s just in kindergarten, but the dress code is something that we’ve heard about for years. We’ve shopped end-of-season clearance in anticipation of the dress code. We’ve saved hand-me-downs that were passed on specifically for purposes of [...]

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What a Difference Two Months Can Make

by Dawn Mooney October 25, 2011 Child

Two months ago, I was grappling with a new image of my middle child as a kindergartner. You know the old cliche of the mom standing on the side of the road, tears in her eyes, as her not-a-baby-anymore child boards the school bus? Well, our first day didn’t look anything like that, but the [...]

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Halloween habits: Must treats be sweet?

by Jessica Haney October 18, 2011 Child

What is Halloween without the candy? Plenty of fun! Granted, it was easier to keep my son in the dark about the relationship between Halloween and candy when he was two and a half. Now that he’s in kindergarten, he knows the score. But that first major year of celebrating—candy-free—in my community taught me that [...]

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Community Building, Social Media, and Children

by Robin October 11, 2011 Child

Early elementary social studies curriculum includes learning what a community is. Children learn about community helpers; the meaning of school community and neighborhoods; town, farms, cities, states, countries. They learn how to participate in groups. They learn about laws of society. They learn about themselves, family, and community. They learn how to learn about their [...]

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