Verbal ability is one of the best, if not the best, predictors of a child’s future academic and life success. What does that mean? If a child hears lots of words early and often, he will be much more likely to think clearly and creatively, do well in school, hold down a job, get better jobs, and enjoy the world… Read more →
Many mornings I stand in our upstairs bathroom and watch my husband poke around the backyard with one or both children orbiting. He checks the bedraggled garden, pulling weeds and harvesting vegetables. Sometimes I can hear him talking: “These are tomatoes, Ransom. No, don’t eat. It’s not red yet.” He keeps the ragamuffins busy each morning so I can shower… Read more →
I cried at the DMV today. It was all the Maryland Communists’ fault. Last Friday, after 15 months of not switching my driver’s license to Indiana from Maryland, where I have the misfortune to hold it, I went to the apparently renowned Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. It took me three minutes to get to a pleasant lady who informed… Read more →
My almost-two-year-old can already name several colors, count to three, and draw lines and circles, all with no obsessive Tiger Mothering. I take a rather dim view of preschool for most children because I’ve read so many studies that indicate it’s not programs but rich exposure to language that “prepares a child for school” (I have critiques of that phrase,… Read more →
One of the greatest moral challenges living in Washington, DC posed to me was the “card check.” Whenever you met people, inevitably the first question after names was, “What do you do?” and your erstwhile correspondent would evaluate how long to talk to you by your professional status. Since I was there on my first job after college, my status… Read more →
Last week, though it feels like a year ago, I spoke at a conference to mothers and their daughters about modesty. It was a surprise topic for me. In coming up with what I would say, I had a lot of assorted thoughts that did not end up making it into the talk. Here’s one set. It’s my list of… Read more →
Last week, my mom was in town, graciously helping me handle the kids through several traveling engagements. One night, like grandmas do, she took me and the babies out for ice cream. There’s a little, extremely popular local stand about a mile from our house. So I got there and strategized how I would get Ransom, the almost 2-year-old, as… Read more →
Teacher in America, Jacques Barzun (1946). This summer (and probably beyond), I am sashaying into Hillsdale College’s recommended reading list for those studying education. I thought it would be helpful both for my memory and a benefit to some others to take notes as I read. I’m not going to publish them in note form, but in short essay form,… Read more →
As we have just moved house in the past few weeks, we have been cleaning, organizing, and tossing things out. I like to use Freecycle to hand off perfectly usable stuff without sending it to the trash. We’ve also posted things on Craigslist, like one of our two microwaves and our old lawn mower, which is basically usable only for… Read more →
Several days ago, in the throes of one of Ransom’s purgatorial downswings, I was bouncing Esther on my knee, just happy to have and hold her smiling round pink self. “You are such a little gift!” I told her. “Ransom is a gift, too,” Nathaniel said, “But he’s like that thing people give that makes the recipient say, ‘Thaaaanks.’ Ransom… Read more →
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