20 lessons learned in New Jersey
Leaving the classroom and becoming a “former teacher” is scary. Two years ago, I did it anyway. Since then, more than a few times, I’ve questioned the sanity of getting back into business after such a long time away. I’m now in a completely different industry and again reminded that learning a whole new set [...]
Whip the parents instead: End the exploitation of children like Willow Smith
Apparently, while in New Jersey ready to kill the next person who honks at me, I have been missing out on some interesting news. For example, the web has been blowing up over someone named Willow Smith. She’s a 9 year-old with a record deal. Her parents are rich and famous and coming under fire [...]
How to say you’re sorry – apologies before Yom Kippur
For me, the high holy days this year sorta suck. I can live with the reason, though. I got a great new job. Still, Rosh Hashanah came quickly and I couldn’t take time off. Now I’m in Jersey as Yom Kippur approaches and tomorrow will spend The Day of Atonement in Philadelphia, surrounded by goyim [...]
The joys and sorrows of being away from home
From nine to five, I can usually be found in downtown Tampa and surrounding areas, unruly mop of hair fashioned into a semi-unruly bun on top of my head, curls cascading down to mask an unusually large forehead. I wear suits and wedge heels, all the while cursing whoever invented suits and wedge heels. I [...]
Remember when our kids were cute and adorable and almost bit each other’s faces off?
Cause the good old days weren’t always good, and tomorrow ain’t as bad as it seems All it takes is a stubbornly independent preteen and easily accessible photo albums or home movies for moms and dads to slip into the warm tub of nostalgia. Parents often find themselves thinking back and reminiscing about when their kids were [...]
Apples dipped in honey, what’s not to like?
The holiest days of the year are approaching and you know what that means! Every year before Rosh Hashanah, synagogues send tickets to members for High Holy Day services. Non-members in the Tampa Bay area usually pay around $200. That’s right. Local Jews pay that kind of money for tickets to a show that doesn’t [...]
Explaining 9/11 to kids
Back when my boys were six years old. Parents prepare for certain questions when their children begin elementary school. My husband and I were no different, role-playing routines for the inevitable “Where do babies come from?” and “Who is this Santa character?” However, nothing prepared me for last week’s inquiry. “Mommy, do you know what [...]
Tween this
When I first heard the term, I thought, “What the hell is a tween?” Then someone explained that tweens are kids who find themselves in that crazy stage between sippy cups and wine coolers, cartoons on Saturday mornings and unprotected sex on Saturday nights. Back in the dark ages of the early 1980s, when I [...]
Disproportionately blessed...
Catherine Durkin Robinson
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