As we hope everyone knows, last night the state of Alabama elected Doug Jones to the U.S. Senate. Jones, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama who prosecuted the Klan, beat Judge Roy Moore, former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama, who was twice elected to and then ousted from that position for refusing to [...]
As a seemingly endless stream of public figures are being fired for sexual harassment these days, the time is NOW to talk with our children about this topic. But how? There are two conversations to be had here: we need to have the "What is sexual harassment and why is it all over the news now?" conversation with all [...]
We know it is important to teach our children to be polite, to say "thank you". But are we teaching them to be grateful? A recent Wall Street Journal article found here suggests that the act of being grateful is more than just knowing when to say thank you. As noted in the article, “The word ‘thanksgiving’ means giving [...]
The school year is in full swing now. Children have settled into the work, and there are still a few solid weeks left before the holidays hit. In case you've been on autopilot, it is time to check in and see how things are going at school. Here are some tips and advice on how to check in: Connect [...]
Today's terror attack on New York City has left 8 people dead and more than 15 injured. We mourn yet another attack on innocent civilians, and we send our thoughts and prayers to the victims of this senseless attack. Usually a GCP post after a horrific event like this focuses on how to talk to your children about it. But [...]
With Halloween a week away, scary movies are all around. From "It" and Boo 2!A Madea Halloween" 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 [...]
Success Academy Charter Schools in New York City have had an impressive track record of helping students achieve impressive results on statewide reading tests. Their website boasts that this year 84% of their students (their "scholars") passed the mandatory English Language Arts (ELA) tests and 95% passed the math tests, making them the #1 school system in New York [...]
Another mass shooting, this time at an outdoor concert in Las Vegas. How do we talk to our children about this tragic event? GCP has discussed this issue before, after Newton and Charleston . And now we must talk about Las Vegas. But what should we say? Experts say it depends on how old our children are: Preschool:Discuss only [...]
Today's Thoughtful Thursday brings poetry of the resistance. Generations of African American poets have given us clarity, purpose and direction in times of political crisis. Here are poems from three of our great poets: Claude McKay (1889-1948), Langston Hughes (1902-1967), and Nikki Giovanni (1943-). We need this poetry now more than ever. Share with your children and enjoy. I [...]
We are raising the next generation of thinkers and problem solvers in this increasingly polarized world. How do they become independent thinkers? Are we making sure that they have the tools to think their way through problems of the future? What are those tools and how do we help our children develop them? Let's hope that their schools are [...]