Fairy Tales and Myths
I referred to the value of fairy tales in my most recent blog, and I wanted to add a few comments here to state my case for why that is so. There is a reason …
The Value of Fairy Tales
As I read the recent stories about women who are trying to manage both a top-level career and their home-life, I am reminded of the lessons contained in many of the traditional fairy tales like …
LEAN BACK, NOT IN!!!
“Don’t lean back, lean in. Put your foot to that gas pedal and keep it there until the day you have to make a decision, and then make a decision. That’s the only way, when …
THE FAMILY iPAD
I saw a girl in my office recently who demonstrated a new phenomenon. During our hour-long counseling session, we discussed issues she was struggling with related to friendship dramas. But what struck me was how, …
“I THINK I’M WEIRD!”
I was struck with something the actress Leslie Mann said in an interview in the December 21, 2013 issue of Entertainment Weekly. Here is a quote from the article: “When I was little, my family …
SULTRY SUPER BOWL
I watched most of the super bowl on Sunday, and I became extremely plugged into all the sexual content of the commercials and Beyonce’s half time show. And I worried once again about the effects …
Middle Schoolers and Instagram Don’t Mix
There was another new story recently about someone at a local middle school misusing a social networking site to bully fellow students, this time Instagram. Which begs the question, at least for me: why are …
Toys and Gender
I recently read with interest a few articles about parents and toy companies pushing gender-neutral toys on us again. There is a Barbie construction set and pastel colored Lego sets to name a few. And …
TRAVELLING AS A RIGHT OF PASSAGE
Listening to my sons, ages 27 and 23, describing their recent adventures in South America to a friend reminded me of why such trips are so valuable for young people. The 27 year old was …
DELAYING MARRIAGE
As I sit here in my new snoopy PJ bottoms given to me by good friends at Christmas, I’m not quite sure what to make of the fact that so many young people in their …
Why Kids Love Boxes More Than Presents
It’s an old adage that little kids often end up playing more with the present boxes and wrapping paper than the presents themselves. And I think that is true for some very important reasons. First …
Are Teachers Harder On Girls?
The old logic held that teachers were harder on boys and that boys got into trouble a lot more than girls. I ran a weekend retreat recently for middle school girls and they had a …
Girls Need Sacred Spaces!
I have a weekend retreat coming up in a few weeks for middle school girls, and it reminds me of how important it is for all girls and women, but perhaps most importantly for girls …
Dads and Daughters
I just finished facilitating a 3 day retreat with 25 father-daughter pairs at a horse ranch in California. The girls were ages 7-9 years and one was cuter than the next. I was struck with …
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
When I told people I was about to embark on a one week all girls camp for grade school and middle school girls, I heard the usual litany of dire predictions about overwhelming amounts of …
