My 7-year-old son, Nate, loves airplanes. He has folded hundreds of paper airplanes. He built a large cardboard airplane out of our recycling. We have bribed him for good behavior with airplane toys. His grandparents have bestowed on him a wide range of airplane gifts. At his last birthday party, which had an “airplane art”…
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Parenting
Parenting
Apples and honey, back-to-school, and pressing reset
I love how the new school year aligns so closely with the new Jewish year. And as summer winds down, in our house, we begin to get ready for both. The…
Parenting
Summertime parenting can be magical — and miserable
I unrolled a scroll of butcher paper, tore off a piece and drew 10 empty boxes in a line, under the heading, “Nate and Harvey play nice together.” Each…
Music
Spotify’s Jewish music makes me feel like a kid again
When searching for songs for a playlist I was putting together for my kids on Spotify, I came across a tune — “Pana HaGeshem” (“The Rain has Gone Away”)…
Parenting
Our family mitzvah: picking fresh produce for those in need
Gleaning is one of our favorite family volunteer activities, though few people seem to know about it. The concept is pretty simple — and pretty old. When…
Parenting
2019 Brooklyn is not the kids’ paradise of my dreams
Every year, a few kids from my son’s grade at his Brooklyn public elementary school move away. Some relocate to other parts of the country, but a good…
Parenting
I taught my kids everything I know. Except for the stuff they taught me.
Fortunately, our kids have mastered some basic life skills. They know their way around a grocery store and the kitchen. They know how to make eye contact,…
Parenting
I’ve made peace with my teens’ clutter, and I think I’m going to miss it
My hubby and I live with teenagers — which means we live with a lot of stuff. Our kitchen table is not used as a place to gather for meals (that happens…
The Matzo Chronicles
‘Adulting’ is not for the tender-hearted, at any age
As a teenager, I saw the Barbra Streisand movie “The Way We Were” and cried. As the theater lights went up, my mother looked at my tear-streaked face and…