So here we are in February, Black History Month. As I have noted for many years in this space, parents should celebrate Black History every month. We should regularly talk with our children all year long about the the critical roles that Black people played in the shaping of America. Our bookshelves at home should provide easy access to information about [...]
Do you have a high schooler in the college hunt? Here's important news from a recent article in the Wall Street Journal: Some colleges are tracking students' online interaction with their websites and factoring this into their admissions decisions. Those of you familiar with the college admissions process may have heard that some colleges look at students' "demonstrated interest", [...]
Now that our children are back in school after the holidays and settling back into the routine, it is a great time to check in with their teachers to see how things are going. If your son is in elementary or lower school, why not send a simple email to his teacher to ask how he is adjusting to [...]
Happy New Year, GCP’ers!! Hope you had fun welcoming in 2019 and that it will be a healthy and fulfilling year for you all. 2019 will bring a fresh look for www.groundcontrolparenting.com (coming soon, I promise!), a more concerted effort to grow the blog, and a recommitment to staying focused on how to be the best parents we can [...]
News of mass shootings at concerts and bars are occurring with horrifying regularity. These are places where our teens and young adult children are likely to frequent. What should we tell them about how to prepare themselves for the worst case scenario? Here is some advice from security experts (via this Washington Post article): Prepare an Emergency Action Plan: [...]
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 [...]
In "The Hate U Give", a movie that opened in wide release this past weekend, Starr Carter, a young black girl who walks the fine line between her poor black neighborhood and her wealthy prep school, witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend by a police officer. She gets pressure from all sides to be quiet about [...]
A recent story about a white woman falsely accusing a 9 year old Black boy of sexual assault sends chills down my spine. If you haven't heard, here's what happened: a white woman in a Brooklyn deli claimed that a 9 year old Black boy sexually assaulted her (by grabbing her backside) in the store. She confronted the child [...]