By Tanni Haas, Ph.D. Parent-teacher conferences are one of the best ways to communicate with your kids’ teachers about how they’re doing at school. But what’s the best way to prepare for these conferences? Based on the advice of such well-respected institutions as the National Parent Teacher Association, the National…
Tanni Haas, Ph.D. | Contributor As a professional educator for more than 20 years and the parent of a 15-year-old, I’ve learned a lot about what it takes for kids to succeed in middle and high school and what parents can do to support them. Here are some of the…
By Alicia Thompson I recently ran across a note in the back of a drawer, written in red crayon by a child who was obviously just learning to write that said, “we are not Kis ine mor. We are Big.” (Translation, if it’s been a while since you last deciphered…
Tanni Haas, Ph.D. In my family, school-day mornings used to be really stressful, with everyone running around like chickens with their heads off as we rushed to get ready and out the door. Things have changed. Through trial and error, and conversations with other parents, we’ve come up with six…
By Cheryl Maguire | Contributor I feel like I never see my 17-year-old twin teens anymore. School, sports, activities, work, and friends all call them away from home. I try to convince myself that their packed schedules help ease me into the transition of them going to college next year,…
By Tanni Haas, Ph.D. | Contributor A lot of kids feel anxious at back- to-school time, after a long summer full of fun. They’re often the most anxious when they’re about to go to a new school, are going through a transition year from elementary to middle school or middle…
By Alicia Thompson | Staff Writer, GoodLifeFamilyMag.com It’s probably apparent to you more so during the laid-back days of summer. When your teens have fewer demands on their time, what are they doing? It’s likely your kids are spending a lot of time on their phones, and if they are like…
By Cheryl Maguire | Contributor “It’s time for karate class,” I said to my 13-year-old son. “Do I have to go?” “Yes.” This has been a common exchange between us for a variety of activities over the past 10 years. He has tried everything from baseball to cooking class—yet nothing…
By Cheryl Maguire “You’re going to hit the car in front of us!” I shouted at my 16-year-old son as I tried to slam on the imaginary brake from the passenger side of the car. As the parent of twin teens, my fear of my kids being in an accident…