Grasshopper New Media Presents...

I’ve written before about my selectively shy son. And today my mind is once again wrapped up in his reticence. My middle child often offers us only one word answers unless we really focus on drawing him out.
Don’t get me wrong- at playtime at the Hatches my boy would give […]

Two years ago, when we opened our first photos of the toddlers we were considering adopting, we saw a grinning blond boy with merry eyes and an auburn-haired girl who looked like she was trying not to smile. We noticed that both had smooth skin, clear eyes, and chubby hands. We noticed that the girl […]

We are on vacation with my family this week.  It’s been largely lovely, but we’ve had moments where we put both the "fun" and "diss" into dysfunctional.
My younger sister, in her late 30’s had a serious brain injury a number of years ago.  This has left her with some cognitive problems, and it causes a […]

With apologies to Robert Frost, I find myself at a crossroads - My daughter is slowly turning into a teenager and I wrestle with this eternal question: Do I do my best to turn situations and experiences into learning sessions, or do I let her do what she wants and fully support it? Where’s the […]

Even though this will post after “Independence Day”, I thought it was important to talk about the hardest part of being a parent- walking the line between dependence and independence.
One of our jobs as parents is to take small people and gradually prepare them to be independent people, just like us. Yet when you […]

This is a time of deep introspection and intense reorganization for me. When things get tough, I tend to look inward to see what I can do differently or better - and mainly, for strength. While I am surrounded by family and friends who are wonderful and supportive, the truth is that I find my […]

About six months ago my husband and I decided it was time to add a pool to our backyard. We live in Arizona so outside activities are limited during the summer when it’s 115 degrees in the shade! Our twins are just shy of four years old so they are not quite ready for museums […]

The Poo has entered what may very well be my least-favorite phase.
The crying phase.
Every time she commits an infraction and I reprimand her - however gently - she bursts into loud, wailing sobs before I can even finish my sentence.
Yesterday she demanded that we turn the TV on for her, quite rudely. Her manners are […]

My kids are taught in the public school system, which means that summer vacation is soon to arrive.
Now, most kids would want to use that time as a vacation from *all* learning. But just like a car that’s not being used, you need to start the engine every once in a while or it’ll […]

You may have heard of the management strategy known as The Sandwich - tell them something they got right, tell ‘em what they did wrong, then finish by telling them another thing they got right.
Well, I’ve found that it works with the kids as well. If my kids mess up, I first tell them something […]