FULL COLUMN: Turning twelve
…from last week’s Creative Loafing. My children turned twelve in the beginning of January. We celebrated small since big parties stopped when they turned ten. We always thought maybe we’d do something for the “major” years like 13, 16, 18…Jesus, I’m going to need a sedative. Twelve doesn’t seem monumental. Yet it is. The amount [...]
FULL COLUMN: Giving thanks
…from last week’s Creative Loafing. In a sluggish economy, during a birthday month that means I’m one step closer to adult-diaper-wearing years, it’s easy to focus on the negative. All I have to do is watch our leaders happily ensuring that everything gets worse, in order to make the president’s re-election that much more difficult. [...]
FULL COLUMN: 5 things to think about regarding the Penn State tragedy
…from last week’s Creative Loafing. My family is from Pennsylvania, and includes several Penn State graduates. When I first heard that former Assistant Coach Jerry Sandusky was charged with sexually abusing eight boys, and the abuse seems to have been ignored and/or covered up by Head Coach Joe Paterno, and other administration officials, I immediately [...]
FULL COLUMN: Raising Radicals
…From Monday’s editorial section of The Tampa Tribune. I couldn’t believe my ears. After walking into an event recently and greeting a few acquaintances known to be quite religious, I caught the tail end of their intense conversation. “Children shouldn’t be taken places where their minds are manipulated,” an older gentleman was saying. “Children shouldn’t [...]
FULL COLUMN: Spies like us
School has begun, usually my favorite time of year, yet my kids are handling it pretty well and I’m about ready to fall apart. During orientation, a student walked the halls with braided back hair and five tattoos. Husband insisted he was a parent. Like that’s good news? The whole idea of my kids moving [...]
FULL COLUMN: Back to school for bullies, too
It’s back-to-school time and my children are filled with the usual apprehension, wondering if they’ll have time for basketball amidst all the studying, writing, and reading that’s required. They also worry about cafeteria food and if middle-school girls are nice. These are normal concerns. What about kids who have these worries on top of more [...]
Healthy Kids Lunch Program from EVOS
My favorite fast-food place, EVOS, announced today that it will continue to further the growth of the EVOS Healthy Kids Lunch Program at public and private schools in all markets this school year. Launched only two years ago, the company expects to double the number of great-tasting, healthy lunches served in the first three [...]
Florida peeps: Please get involved
Contact your legislators and help us change the world – one parent at a time.
FULL COLUMN: If it’s organic, don’t panic
Anyone who’s been to an elementary school cafeteria cannot help but notice, after the meds wear off, that too many children are fat and eating badly. Boys weigh more than small cows and girls are embarrassed to wear shorts. What a shame. Kids should be at least eighteen before suffering from body-image issues. This is [...]
My guest column for The Washington Post: Holding parents accountable
Legislators, groups, and school officials across the country are trying to change No Child Left Behind and make the law, along with our schools and education in general, much better. They stress the importance of teachers, administrators, and community leaders, and bemoan our students’ lack of knowledge when compared to the rest of the world. [...]
Disproportionately blessed...
Catherine Durkin Robinson
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