We wish each other peace, joy and love this time of year. Seems like a simple way to happiness. Why is it so hard?
At Christmas Eve dinner with friends someone asked the question, “If your life could be any movie you wanted, what would it be? Who would play you? Who would play the role of your true love? Would you change the ending? What would the new ending be? Continue reading
Meditation on Solstice Peace
You have family. You have conflict.
–Bobby Richman
On December 21 many years ago, my thirteen-year-old son arrived in the kitchen as I was having my morning coffee. Rather than greeting me with, “Good morning, Dad” he went straight to the refrigerator, took out a carton of orange juice, grabbed a large glass from the cupboard and filled it to the brim.
“Wow. That’s a lot of orange juice,” I said. (I don’t know why. “Good morning, Peter,” would certainly have been a better opener.)
Standing in the middle of the kitchen floor in bare feet with the glass of orange juice in his hand and looking squarely at me Peter flew into a rage with: “You are always on my case! Why are you always on my case? Nothing I ever do is right!…” and went on in that vein for a minute or so. Continue reading
Love
When I was nine and my father asked me what I wanted for Christmas I said, “Something I can build and then when it’s built I can play with it.”
Fifty years later, when my wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas I said, “Fifty pieces of rebar two feet long.” Continue reading
“How Do You Use Blocks? An Excellent Interview Question” was the 100th post on “The Genius in Children.” Looking back on the postings of 2011 I am reminded of many great discussions that some of the posts triggered, and I am enormously grateful to all of you who participated. To celebrate, I am stepping back to ask you about your favorites and ask if any of these discussions need to be continued or if there are topics you would like to see pursued in the new year.
Here are a half-dozen of the most active from 2011, but please feel free to find your favorites. I would love to get your thoughts.
Why Mathematics is a Foreign Language in America and What to Do about It.
JUNE 21, 2011
JUNE 15, 2011
How Parents and Teachers Can Get Bad Results with “High Expectations” for Children?
MAY 11, 2011
Parents as Teachers in the Academic Achievement Race
APRIL 13, 2011
MARCH 2, 2011
“Superior Parenting?” That’s Crazy Talk. Children Need Only 3 Things.
JANUARY 19, 2011