Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Coding is Learning How to Think

We don't teach programming at our elementary school yet. I hope we do someday. Being able to break down thought processes and manipulate the pieces is crucial for problem solving, project managing, etc. I remember my daughter learning a little HTML because she wanted to design something on NeoPets; that hobby developed her thinking and enhanced her confidence. Wouldn't it be great if we could expose our children to a little computational thinking? Any good April vacation or summer camps out there?

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Love, Love, Love

Parenting.com's recommendations for books about love. Books About Love – Childrens Books - Parenting.com. Velveteen Rabbit is a favorite for our family. So is this one even though it did not make the list. This book does a good job of honoring the boy for who he is and showing the narrator's unconditional love. If we wish to be able to influence our children, to guide them through life, unconditional love is the link that will enable us to do just that.

 

Monday, February 4, 2013

Tulips on the Fence

It's a rare occasion - being home in the middle of the day, having a reflective moment.  The flu may have its perks after all!  Looking at the "new" fence, which has been about 4/15 finished for 3 years brought on a chuckle.  For a number of very good reasons, projects don't always get completed quickly at our home.  For 98% of the time, we don't fight about it because we both know that we both do things that drive the other one batty.  (But I get to pick which ones gets blog about.)  Being able to laugh at these things have proved better for the family, once we get over being concerned about what other people think.  After all, other people do not get to enjoy the haven that is our home, to which each of us gladly return at the conclusion of our day in the outside world.

It did get me thinking though about advise for our daughters.  Perhaps they should do projects with their significant others before making any permanent decisions, you know,  just to see if they work well  together. Projects seem to be what people do so much of nowadays.  We could administer the Myers-Briggs or the Compass Protocol to assess the match in their personalities or work approaches.  Or they could each marry her best friend and figure it out from there.  After all, if we knew too much about each other, or if we knew too much of what was to come, perhaps very few would take the leap.

As we approach Valentine's Day, let's celebrate the leaps of faith (or hope) many have taken.  Let's also remember that a marriage is about two people finding their way through projects, sometimes parenting, and almost always painful times.  As a wise woman (a lovely Mrs. Tapia) once told me, when the children are launched, only the two of us will remain.  Let's always be building our marriages with that in mind.

Finding a Therapist


Parents and guardians sometimes asks about finding "good" clinicians for their children.  In the February 4th, 2013 Boston Globe Article "Finding the best therapist can be confusing", Patricia Wen explains the reality of looking for the right counselor.  In summary - it is advisable to always start with the primary care physician, to rule out any medical issues which may be related to the concerns.  Determining what the family's insurance will pay for is also important.  Sometimes, it takes calling a few names down the list before a family will find someone who has an opening for a new client.  But perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle is whether the child and his/her family connect with the clinician.  I often explain to families that just because one counselor is very effective with a particular child, it does not guarantee that (s)he is a good match for theirs.

The companion section - "Caregivers: Who they are and what they do" is super informative.  Please take the time to read both!  Thank you Ms. Wen!