Do you think your son needs a little help making friends? Perhaps he is a bit shy, or not very interested in meeting new people? Does he have a small group of friends and you want him to widen his circle? Parents know that learning how to make friends is an important skill, one that their children will need [...]
It's the last Thoughtful Thursday of 2018! (Never mind that it is making its appearance on Friday; in 2019 we will do better.) Today's Thoughtful Thursday features New Year's poems. We begin with "Song for the New Year" by Eliza Cook, which reminds us to be thankful and hopeful as we move into a new year. Next we have [...]
Winter is on its way, and if you are on the East Coast, baby, it's cold outside! Today's Thoughtful Thursday ushers in December with a group of great winter poems. First up is "Winter Trees", by William Carlos Williams (1883-1963), an ode to the beauty of a winter forest. In "Those Winter Sundays" Robert Hayden (1913-1980) reminds us that [...]
Hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Today's Thoughtful Thursday (yes, it's the Friday edition) celebrates Thanksgiving in all of its family and food-filled glory, with poems from two of our most celebrated African-American poets: Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906) and Langston Hughes (1901-1967). We begin with Hughes' classic "Thanksgiving Time", a wonderfully vivid celebration of the day. We then [...]
Have a little one who will soon start school? Or an older student who wants/needs to make a change? Then you should check out the Parent #ToolKitTalk, "Helping Families Navigate School Choice" TONIGHT (11/13/18) at 7pm EST. You can be a part of the conversation with the Managing Editor of GreatSchools.org and the Executive Director of FamiliesEmpowered.org, who will [...]
It's Thoughtful Thursday, time to turn away from all the worries of the world and let a bit of poetry soothe the soul. As the first full week of November comes to an end, and the trees here in Central Park are putting on a colorful autumnal display, let's celebrate the fall season with a couple of poems. First [...]
Late yesterday a gunman walked into a Southern California bar populated with college students and opened fire, killing at least 12. Less than 2 weeks ago, a gunman walked into a Pittsburgh synagogue and started shooting, killing 11 worshippers and injuring 7. We can barely absorb the horrific news of one shooting before another takes place. It is hard [...]
This week's Thoughtful Thursday offering comes a day early and is courtesy of the African-American poet George Van Amson, a talented newcomer to the world of published poetry. Enjoy, and have a Happy Halloween! A Halloween Thought Autumnal spirits flit as a host Summer now hides from this chilly ghost Central arbors burn orange and bright A Jacks’ toothy [...]
Halloween is tomorrow, and scary movies are everywhere. From the "Halloween" reboot and "Venom" in the theaters to countless horror movies running on TV and available on demand, it will be pretty easy for your children to get their fill of frights over the next few days. But can they handle it? Common Sense Media offers a guide to [...]
Halloween is less than a week away, so today's Thoughtful Thursday features some Halloween poems for you to share with your sons and daughters. This assortment includes the celebrated African-American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar's scary tale of a hanging from the tree's perspective, the classic witches chant from Shakespeare's Macbeth, and a silly poem about a Halloween party by [...]