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How to help kids develop a healthier mindset 750 words by Michele Ranard A few years back, my first-grader stepped off the school bus in tears. The words he squeaked out between sobs cut me to the soul. He said, “My teacher hates my reading ‘cause I’m stupid.”It was the start of the school year, and he had been placed in remedial reading—a...

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Sharpen math skills this summer without a workbook! 600 words by Michele Ranard I can see it now. That first morning of summer vacation, my sons will come rushing down the stairs for breakfast pleading, “Math! Sweet, dear, fractions and decimals! Please, mom! CAN WE SOLVE EQUATIONS ALL DAY?” It could happen! Or not. Funny thing about math—it doesn’t elicit quite the same...

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Tips for preventing sports injuries 440 words by Michele Ranard Pain. Swelling. Bruising. Even the mildest injuries can throw a wrench into your child’s fun this season. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reports that 3 million kids get injured in sports each year. Most injuries occur as a result of falls, being struck by an object, collisions, and overexertion. So if they...

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Tips for parents when kids call school the b-word 1,550 words by Michele Ranard All of us can recall moments we felt bored beyond belief in school. Maybe it was when your long-winded fifth grade teacher read aloud with a monotone from the earth science textbook. Or during that math unit on measurement conversion – you know – convert sixty-seven thousand kilometers to...

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1120 words Understanding middle school math angst by Michele Ranard As a math tutor, I once received a phone call from a mother feeling so desperate for help, she held the phone out so I could hear the shouting match ensuing as her husband attempted to help their tween son, Chase with math homework. It sounded more like the chaotic bedlam of a...

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Things were not always rosy way back when by Michele Ranard 1. No more diaper rash, nighttime feedings, or teething. 2. Time for conversations with adults and leisurely dinners. 3. Barney has left the building! 4. No one expects you to look young, unlined, or happy. 5. Ability to shave TWO legs, as opposed to one half, in the shower. 6. Naughty chairs...

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3 Secrets When Your Kid Applies to College by Michele Ranard That’s me reaching for the Ambien. See the man over there with the glazed over eyes smacking his head against the wall? That's my husband. We are in the throes of helping our college-bound son with the application process. We're losin' it. We know firsthand how “getting in” can feel like a...

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Simple Suggestions Combat Procrastination by Michele Ranard If you have a tween or young teen at home, chances are you sometimes sound like a broken record reminding your middle school student of the importance of studying well before the day of the math test. You find yourself preaching endlessly about allowing adequate time to rehearse that persuasive speech for English and how she...

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Helping Kids Learn the Art of Apology by M. Ranard 750 words I’m a broken record lately with my middle-school-aged son, John. No matter what dramatic social dilemma he happens to recount after school, I hear myself respond “If you had just apologized, you could have saved yourself some grief.” His English teacher unduly scolds him for omitting the date on his assignment. A...

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