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Why Homework? And How? by Stephanie Rafanelli

As ‘Back To School’ evenings are being held across the country, I know that homework has resurfaced as one of the most hotly debated topics among all constituencies – students, parents, teachers, and...

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Busywork Blues

This was written by a student (and friend) involved with Challenge Success. We appreciate his wlllingness to share his personal story with us. In the living room of my parent’s house there is a table...

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College Applications Made Simple(r)by Maureen Brown

It’s nearing the deadline for early applications to colleges, and that can mean anxiety over whether your son or daughter is really “sure enough” to apply to his top choice, badgering him to get the...

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App Season(No, not those apps, college apps) by Stephanie Rafanelli

The college application season is fully underway and seniors across the country are madly collecting recommendations, gathering information about schools, and crafting essays about the meaning of life....

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COURAGEOUS PARENTING by Madeline Levine, Ph.D.Admissions Anxiety: It’s Not...

It’s early admissions time and parents across the nation are teetering on the edge of a full-fledged nail-chewing, staring-at-the-ceiling-all-night anxiety attack. Yes, you read that right. Parents....

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Reinvention by Alex McNeil

Decked out in robes and hats, my 200-something graduating classmates were arranged in rows on the lawn below the stage. Beyond them their family and friends sat waiting for the joint speech that was to...

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From Strategy to Authenticity: Writing Your Perfect Essayby Nate Klemp

Here’s one way to think about the college admissions essay. The task of the essay is to sway admissions officers. Writing a good essay is like marketing a product. It requires that you appeal to the...

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COURAGEOUS PARENTING by Madeline Levine, Ph.D.Regaining Gratitude This...

Ever notice how ironic it is that the holiday that’s designed to make us feel serenely grateful for all that we have—our family, our friends, our prosperous life here in the land of turkey and maize...

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Why Cheat? More Importantly, Why Not?by Stephanie Rafanelli

Reports of academic dishonesty – within prestigious universities, on high school exit exams, by authors of bestselling books – have been widespread this fall. In the wake of cheating, academic...

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COURAGEOUS PARENTING by Madeline Levine, Ph.D.When Abundance Can Feel Like...

The season of giving is here. And whether it’s due to Christmas, Hanukkah or any of the other holidays that coincide with the winter solstice, families everywhere scurry around trying to figure out...

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Lingering, Lights and Longingby Rabbi Patricia Karlin-Neumann

In this holiday season, too much of our lives are determined by desire. We are bombarded by the newest toys we must have. We obsess about the plans we painstakingly make. We long for friends and family...

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COURAGEOUS PARENTING by Madeline Levine, Ph.D.Put On Your Own Mask First: A...

Put your own mask on first, then assist children with theirs. Anyone who has ever flown has heard this bit of wisdom. It’s also a familiar analogy for how we should approach parenting. We can’t help...

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COURAGEOUS PARENTING by Madeline Levine, Ph.D.Second-Hand Performance...

Welcome to the season of parental anxiety. As surely as winter melts into spring and Uncle Sam demands his yearly tribute, we start worrying about end of semester tests, registration deadlines for the...

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Giving Our Kids the Best Practice Years of Their Lifeby Harriet Cabelly

The taxi number was up on the refrigerator. She knew the time had come. She had missed the bus one too many times. I was upstairs biting my tongue. I had rescued my daughter enough times by driving her...

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BEYOND A WAITRESSby Shoshana Wineburg

Five months ago, I started working nights at a restaurant. Though the restaurant is cozy and well-attended, I noticed something peculiar: many diners were not communicating with each other. They were...

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In Defense of Occasional Dullnessby Laura Pochop

We’ve hit the heart of summer, a season that conjures up sepia-toned memories for all of us grownups....

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Should Teachers Return Graded Tests?by Dr. Denise Pope, Challenge Success...

Jay Mathews, education writer for The Washington Post, wrote a recent column about teachers who refused to give students back their graded tests. Some of these tests were the standardized tests that...

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COURAGEOUS PARENTING by Madeline Levine, Ph.D.Six Things That Matter More...

Well, actually, this piece could be entitled seven hundred and six things that matter more than perfect grades. But hey, I needed to pick a number and there is a word limit for blogs. While there is...

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Living the Dreamby Nicoletta Heidegger

I would be lying to you, parents, if I told you I wasn’t having fun working at summer camp. Glassy, calm, blue lake, rowboats, sailboats, hiking, yoga, improv, and even disco bingo- these are a few...

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“We’re” Not Going To Collegeby Julie Lythcott-Haims

A human unfolding into adulthood is an ugly, beautiful thing. I should know. As Stanford’s freshman dean for ten years I had a front row seat as thousands of teenagers emerged into their adult selves...

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In My Travelsby Maureen Brown

This week I headed to Maine for a 60th birthday party. Long cross country flights almost always provide an interesting array of parenting choices and this trip was no different. On this entirely full...

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The Mental Block on Mental Healthby Moriah Kreeger

What comes to mind when we hear the term “mental health”? Many people might be unable to give a straight answer. Ambiguous terms like “happy” or “stable” might pop up, but it’s likely that the average...

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What I Learned About Why Kids Cheat:A Parent's Perspectiveby Siah Fried

“Well, I’m not saying I cheat all the time but I do feel the pressure to get straight A’s."“I am willing to stand up at a school board meeting and explain to them why, we, as students would like to see...

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So You Wanna Be a D1 Athlete?by Maureen Brown

Having read the thoughtful and accurate series on youth sports in the SF Chronicle, I thought I would chime in on what it means to get “the prize” — a highly coveted spot on a Division 1 team. One of...

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Illicit Attention by Anna Peare

One SAT Saturday in mid-September, between frantically cramming vocabulary and mathematical formulas, my friends and I started the typical pre-SAT complaining: how we should have studied harder and...

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