by Shannon Popkin | Sep 15, 2011 | Parenting, Wisdom
Occasionally, when I’m around my homeschool friends, one of their kids will do something charmingly naive. Like, they’ll assume that the dog on top is hugging his friend. Or they’ll suppose that the man meant to say ‘You pitch!” and look...
by Shannon Popkin | Sep 13, 2011 | Kids' Perspective
When Lindsay was two, we were at the beach one day and she tipped her little head back to peer up at a teenager on his lifeguard chair. With great veneration, she announced in reverent tones, “That’s the king, isn’t it, Daddy?” She had gathered all the information...
by Shannon Popkin | Aug 10, 2011 | Differences, Parenting, Teens
Last time, I posted about feeling rather ‘Ugly Duckling-ish’, as a parent. When my kids were little, I honestly didn’t worry all that much about being different from other parents. I figured I was doing what was best for my child, and trying to...
by Shannon Popkin | Aug 9, 2011 | Friendship, Media, Parenting
My kids were three and one, the year we joined a neighborhood play group. The moms in the group would alternate hosting, and I looked forward to the weekly social interaction for both my kids and me.One week, however, my kids weren’t interacting. They were...
by Shannon Popkin | Jul 27, 2011 | Compassion, Differences, Jesus, Kids' Perspective
On vacation a couple of years ago, while I was checking into our hotel, five-year-old Cade wandered over to the lounge area. I could see him talking to an older man sitting there. If you had surveyed all of the men in Chicago, searching for the one who least wanted...
by Shannon Popkin | Jul 20, 2011 | Communication, Kids' Perspective, Mistakes
I brought my friend’s little boy, Matthew, to the bathroom while his mom was occupied. After I got him settled on the potty, he said, “I need piy-cee.”I said, “You need a potty seat?”He said, “No. I need piy-cee.”I said,...