Children 5-12

  1. Pure Bliss and Other Thoughts on a Train...

    Posted Wed, 01/13/2010 - 11:06 by Nisa Sharma

     

    Pure Bliss.

  2. If parenting were as easy as advising my client...

    Posted Tue, 01/12/2010 - 22:11 by Briefcase Mommy

     

    by Julie Chen Allen

    If parenting were as easy as advising my clients, I'd begin with a letter like this:

    Dear Child of Ours,

    As you may be aware, we represent your best interests in the lovely State of Texas until you turn 18 years old or graduate from high school. We regret to inform you that our relationship is governed by precedent heavily in our favor as parents. Therefore, all requests for privileges must be pre-approved and stamped with our official seal of approval. You may not leave the city limits without consent of all legal guardians.

    Unlike the 9th Circuit parents, we 5th Circuit parents are unwilling to grant the same liberties. You have the right to move for a change in venue but it is highly unlikely we will find that your interests have been prejudiced. Moreover, our disciplinary measures have been upheld as constitutional in light of your allegations of cruel or unusual punishment.

  6. Dream Come True: An Amusement Park for Special Needs Kids

     
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    By: 
    Hannah Diller

    Imagine a theme park where a family of four could get in for fifteen dollars – for the entire day. Imagine arriving by public transportation or enjoying free parking right outside the park’s entrance. Imagine bringing your own food and drinks through the gate, rather than paying extortionist prices for less healthy options. Imagine never waiting longer than ten or fifteen minutes to board a ride, and never worrying about losing a child in the crowd. Imagine a place where people of all levels of physical and cognitive ability are welcome and even celebrated.

    Open your eyes. You’re at Morgan’s Wonderland.

    About: 

    Hannah Diller is the Parent:Wise Sizzle Sights columnist (although she took a break from that this month to write this article). She and her family live in Austin.

  7. You Are What You Eat: Kids & Behavior Modification Diets

     
    By: 
    Sugandha Jain

    He was always the worst-behaved child in the room. It didn’t matter where he went. Or when. Three-year-old Cameron* simply couldn’t control himself — ever.

    “He was bouncing off the walls all the time,” recollects his mother, Susan*. “I loved him dearly but couldn’t bear to be around him because he was so obnoxious, in-your-face, he could never sit still, never stop moving, couldn’t control his impulses—he was always hitting, kicking, jumping or touching.”

    Desperate to figure out what was going on with her son, Susan stumbled onto an article about a little girl whose behavior seemed nearly identical to Cameron’s and who was “cured” through a special diet.

    About: 

    Sugandha Jain is an internationally published journalist and a part of the management team at Kids R Kids Child Development Center. She and her family live in Austin

  8. The Dyslexia Diagnosis: Better Readers, Happier Kids

     
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    By: 
    Julia Ramirez and Kim Pleticha

    If anyone should have noticed her daughter had a learning disorder, Liz Green figured it would have been her. As a kindergarten teacher, she had been specifically trained to spot learning difficulties. But since her daughter, Hayleigh, was an excellent student and an enthusiastic reader, the subtle clues went unnoticed.

    “Each night we read, Hayleigh made more and more substitution errors,” she says. “She read ‘rampant’ for ‘repellant’ and ‘habitat’ for ‘hatchery’.”

    It didn’t make any sense. Ms. Green asked her daughter’s teachers about the errors, but nobody seemed particularly concerned. Until second grade.

    About: 

    Julia Ramirez is a former associate editor of Minnesota Parent magazine. Kim Pleticha is editor of Parent:Wise Austin.

  9. From the Editor

     
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    By: 
    Kim Pleticha

    I just found out that my daughter’s school isn’t making Adequate Yearly Progress as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act.
    This is somewhat of a shock, given that the school routinely ranks among the top in the state.
    Confused, and more than a little concerned, I started digging for information. What I found was, frankly, even more puzzling.
    It seems that, overall, the school’s students did just fine on the test—indeed, they scored roughly15% above the state average on all standards. So how in the world did they end-up sanctioned by the feds?

    About: 

    Kim Pleticha is the publisher and editor of Parent:Wise magazine.

  10. Cut Costs This Year, Starting with the Tooth Fairy

     
    By: 
    Lela Davidson

    If you’re stinging from the pain of ‘this economy’ or suffering nasty paper cuts from your post-holiday credit card statements, consider cutting back on child-related costs this year.

    About: 

    Lela Davidson has negotiated a strict one-dollar rule with the Tooth Fairy and that’s that. Her work has appeared in Parent:Wise before, but for more observations, opinions, and personal pet peeves, visit www.afterthebubbly.com.  

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