Happy French Language Day! French Language Day was established in 2010 by the United Nation’s Department of Public Information to honor multilingualism, cultural diversity, and the equal usage of its six official languages. There are also special days for the other official languages–English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and Russian. But, due to the fact that my oldest daughter has been studying French for six years (and my husband also studied the language for a while), I thought it was fitting to set aside time today to consider how families could celebrate French Language Day. Some reports about the French language indicate it is one of the most studied languages, as well…
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Three Ways to Think Outside the Box This Christmas
Do you get overwhelmed driving from store to store to find the most popular gifts for your loved ones during the Christmas season? Has hosting that big dinner every year become even more overwhelming than it used to be? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, please keep reading to learn about a few ways you can think out of the box this Christmas and help your family celebrate the holiday without you–or your bank account–getting exhausted. (If you answered “no” to the above questions, I still hope you’ll keep reading. The ideas may help you discover a new tradition your family will want to adopt this year.)…
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Concerts Can Keep You in Tune With Your Kids
My husband and I love listening to music and have exposed our children to our favorite genres since they were very young. Because of this, their musical interests are quite varied. In fact, it would not be unusual for us to listen to urban contemporary gospel, pop, jazz, and classical music all on the same day. And, since they’ve been performing in musicals for the past four years, we also like listening to show tunes together. Our willingness to support and foster our children’s appreciation for such a significant part of American culture is one of the reasons we did something when they were only seven and four years old…
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Tricks for Easing New-School Jitters
I always become reflective when school starts back because I remember how shy and anxious and shy I felt when I was younger and a new school year was about to begin. I’d look forward to more advanced class work–and to wearing the new outfits my parents bought for me. But, I’d also spend a great deal of time worrying I’d do or say something to get the attention of the two girls that bullied me for a few years. However, since the house my parents bought right before I started high school was in a different school district, I started high school feeling like the proverbial new kid on…
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Parents’ Involvement Crucial to Teens’ Adjustment to College
When the time came for me to decide where I wanted to go for college, I didn’t know where I wanted to study. Even though I’d started my own little collection of college and university brochures, it wasn’t until the counseling staff at my high school began announcing certain college application deadlines were approaching that I actually thought about what my life after high school would look like. I asked myself questions like, “Should I go away to college or stay in Illinois?” and “Should I enroll in a large, public institution or a small, private one?” The only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to go…
