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What about the Children of Tomorrow? Report from the President’s Conference

June 25, 2012 by 11 Comments
Me trying out blind navigation with innovative equipment

Last week I pretended to be a celebrity, thanks to an invitation to the President's Conference--Tomorrow 2012 at Jerusalem's Convention Center. The conference brought together world-class experts in politics, finance, publishing, technology, communications, and Jewish thought from all over the world. Ayaan Hirsi-Ali was one of the most focused and self-possessed speakers I have ever heard. I enjoyed learning about economic decision-making from Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman and poor medical judgment from Dr. David Agus. I loved talking about Jewish writing at a special session for bloggers with Alana Newhouse, the editor of Tablet. But when choosing sessions I was disappointed to find … [Read more...]

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Sending Sick Children to School: New Guidelines by Israeli Pediatric Association

November 4, 2010 by 24 Comments
redheaded child with spots

Mazal Tov to Jendeis on her new baby! She's extra lucky this week because she also won the giveaway of Kosher by Design for Teens and 20-Somethings. I used Random.org to pick the winner. Thanks so much to everyone who participated. The Israeli Pediatric Association has issued new guidelines about sending kids to school or daycare when they are sick. We all know there are some parents who let their sick kids infect everyone else. There are also gananot (kindergarten teacher) who send children home over minor issues. With their report, the pediatricians hope to make "seder" (order). Here are the new recommendations. Send children to school with: A runny nose, a sore throat, … [Read more...]

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The Safety Class

November 18, 2009 by 29 Comments

A number of years ago Emunah, a women’s organization with charitable projects including a chain of daycare centers, offered an 8-session course in child safety to its employees and volunteers. Since I had small children and worked with new mothers, I decided to try it out. Like many programs in Israel the class started at 5 PM. My teen was willing to supervise the younger ones, including my two-year-old. But I knew things could get rowdy, and left the house with apprehension. The instructor, a doctor who worked for the child safety organization Beterem, started on time. She raised her cell phone in the air and pointedly turned it off, instructing us to do the same. I tried not to think … [Read more...]

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Tips for Helping an 18-Month-Old Adjust to Daycare

October 27, 2009 by 24 Comments

Thank you to readers, old and new, for your thoughtful answers to my question about Israeli parenting. If you haven't been following the discussion I suggest taking a look. Now I'd like help with ideas for a reader and mother of four returning to the working world: Any tips on how to make this transition [back to work] least traumatic on my very attached 18 month old? She has always been home with me and I'm now getting her used to the daycare setting. I'll start off: Remember that all transitions are stressful, even if things go smoothly. Your baby will likely demand more of your time, as will your other kids. Even without the concern for your daughter, having to compress or … [Read more...]

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Over-Parenting and Daycare Dilemmas

April 23, 2009 by 35 Comments

The Over-Parenting Crisis by Katie Allison Granju, author of an influential book on attachment parenting, complains about parents who obsess about every aspect of their children's development. This over-parenting has become an epidemic. Legions of well-intentioned mothers and fathers, urged on by popular media and the marketplace, are frantically striving to create an endlessly controlled, bubble-wrapped childrearing environment. From neuroses with regulating our babies' sleep habits, to insistence on antimicrobial everything, to the attempt to continue "babyproofing" our homes until our babies are well into elementary school, our current parenting zeitgeist is competitive, market-driven . … [Read more...]

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