Tag Archives: parenting

Must Read Picture Books for the Fall of 2015

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

Since we know there is no such thing as “too early” when it comes to reading to young children, telling stories and promoting literacy, even in very young children, by allowing them to listen to language, here is a great … Continue reading →

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Annabel Monaghan: My teenage sons are the smartest people I know. And sometimes, the dumbest too.

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

This is one of the most true statements about teenagers, and especially boys. I am forever leaving lists on the kitchen counter, mostly with lists of things that could be perceived as almost always “stating the obvious,” to me, while … Continue reading →

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Parenting looks pretty different in many cultures, but mostly it’s parenting here that is the odd practice out…

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

This post on TED IDEAS underscores many ideas about different cultures’ parenting priorities. Is ours really focused on happiness? Or is it that we are constantly trying to predict what the future will hold, rather than just prepare our children … Continue reading →

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Families and the talk about alcohol and teens

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

This scares me as I think back to some of the stories we have heard about students in high school and college.  All things in moderation. This we must address head on. Is there a family history of substance or … Continue reading →

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Great New Yorker piece on teenage brains!

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

This very well written article in The New Yorker, by Elizabeth Kolbert, coalesces some great research and opens up the conversation about WHY teenage brains are so different from adult brains. Fascinating reading, and “sobering” (pun intended!) The Terrible Teens

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Advice for Parents re: Happiness

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

What I like about this TED Talk by Jennifer Senior is that she reminds us that Happiness is not a permanent or natural state. Her work is connected in some ways to things I have heard Dr. Rick Weissbourd say … Continue reading →

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Working Mother Guilt?

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

There has been a lot of attention to this (relatively) new Harvard study on the impact of working mothers on their children, and specifically on their daughters. There is also a respite, at least for now, from the worry about whether … Continue reading →

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As we gear up for a new school year, I find this post is helpful to me, as an educator AND as a parent…

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

There is no denying, in the world of a 24 hour news cycle and social media opinions everywhere, that the ability to doubt one’s own parenting skills is never ending. I love this piece in the Motherlode blog because it … Continue reading →

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Technology and Screens and Children, oh my!

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

Since it was published a week ago in the New York Times Well Blog, this article has generated a lot of debate. As with so many things re: parenting, we each have to decide for ourselves what we can and … Continue reading →

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Grief & Resilience

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

Starting the journey of grief after the recent illness and death of my mother, I saw a clip of Madonna Badger talking about loss. She lost her three daughters and her parents in a Christmas morning fire three years ago. … Continue reading →

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