It is that time of year again. Chanukah, one of my favorite holidays. Of course, for most children, the focal point of the story of Chanukah is the brave and daring Maccabbis. This is a great opportunity (after you’ve lit the candles, fried the latkes and eaten your donut) to highlight the character trait of

As Jews we are familiar with the trait and acts of gratefulness. Being grateful means noticing the good in your life, in the world around you and being thankful for it. We are called Yehudim- The root of the Hebrew word is Hodah- thankfulness. It is ingrained in us. Most of our prayers involve some

It’s that time of year again. Rosh Hashanah, the time we, as Jews, reassess our values and goals is right around the corner. This is the perfect time to create a mission statement for your family. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen Covey, is one of the most popular self-help books. In

The second temple in Jerusalem was destroyed because of sinat chinam, baseless hatred of one another. It is during this time of year that we take extra care with one another and try to shower each other with chesed, kindness. By doing this, we are making an effort to move to the other end of the

It is that time of year again. Summer is here! It often strikes dread in the hearts of parents. However, we can enjoy our summers. We can keep it simple and fun. So don’t despair, get out the sunscreen, your lawn furniture and grill and enjoy your summer. Here are 8 super simple ways that

So often, our parenting seems to happen in a blur. This seems to be even more true now, in the midst of the winter. We are tired, our kids are tired, and then we say the wrong thing and find ourselves embroiled in a power struggle, yelling or just totally exasperated with our kids. As

“For a righteous man can fall seven times and rise…” (Proverbs, 24:16) Teaching all kids to persevere and keep trying aids them in all areas of life. However, the ability to keep trying when we don’t initially succeed is a must for children who struggle in school. We all know stories of successful people who

When my children were small and my parents would come visit, their suitcases was usually full of gifts. Embarrassingly, as soon as they walked in the door, my children would dutifully give a hug and kiss and then promptly ask, “Where’s my present?” even before my parents coats were off. I am not the only

The pandemic continues, far longer than we have imagined it. We are spending a lot of time with our families. A lot of togetherness can be hard. One mom wrote the following. I love my child but I feel like I have a hard time liking her. Her personality clashes with mine and I feel

Everyone is a little bit nervous about money these days and feeling the pinch. Budgets are being revamped and regular shopping habits are being curbed. If we are concerned, then it goes without saying that our kids are feeling it too. They might even ask us some uncomfortable questions: “Do we have enough money?” “Are