By Nathalie Kunin
Although schools consider various factors when reviewing applications, none seem to cause parents more undue stress than the ISEE. Parents always want to deflect attention away from ISEE scores and ask me: Don’t the child’s grades and extracurricular activities count? What about the interview? How about legacy and sibling status? Schools do look at each applicant as a whole, but ISEE scores are the best indictor if a student will be able to succeed academically at their school and they are often the first measure considered when evaluating candidates. This doesn’t mean that students with lower scores will not be accepted to an academically rigorous school, it just means that they will have more hurdles to overcome. ISEE scores cause parents anxiety because they are hard, cold numbers and the rest of the application is subjective. (more…)

By Larry Hohl
“You can be anything you want when you grow up!”

This familiar phrase has been passed down through the years to children as a way to empower them to dream BIG.

Are you ready for a reality check?

Take a moment to ask yourself, “Do I really mean it when I tell my child they can be anything?”

If you answered “YES,” kudos! Given today’s evolving workforce, more parents need to be open-minded to a multitude of careers for their kids. (more…)

By Marissa Hutter
Today’s Kindergarten curriculum has advanced. Whether you attend public or private school, children are expected to be reading and writing stories by the end of Kindergarten. They have a certain number of sight words to be memorized. They take written tests and get graded. The transition from a play-based preschool, to an entirely academic day has challenged our children in new ways. The curriculum has changed, however, children’s developmental needs have not. Children today still require the same social, emotional, and cognitive foundational skills that were once offered over the course of Preschool and Kindergarten.

Yes, the transition into kindergarten can be difficult. But ultimately, building a foundation of confidence and resiliency will equip children with the mindset, motivation, and capability to succeed in school. (more…)

By Lauren Schneider
In the United States, 1:20 children experience the death of a parent by age 15. Other children face the death of siblings,friends, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. With such a high occurrence of this major life cycle event it behooved parents, therapists and educators to learn how to support grieving children. Children experience a range of intense emotions including sadness, anger, fear and guilt. They feel isolated and ill equipped to talk about the death of a loved one with peers, and often are reluctant to share their grief with surviving family members for fear of upsetting them. (more…)

Here’s why increasing numbers of parents are choosing this flexible, affordable alternative.

By Jamie Gaddy
An estimated 2.3 million children are homeschooled in the U.S. right now and the number continues to rise. Many parents consider homeschooling, but they fear that their children will be isolated or worry that they themselves will not be adequate as teachers. Yet they know that the schools available to their children are not giving them a positive experience. If this sounds familiar and you’re considering homeschooling, here are some things you should know. (more…)

By Jill Levin
“The greatest things we can give our children are roots and wings.” – W. Hodding Carter II.

As parents, we want to hold our children close and help them establish their roots. Yet equally as important is to give our children wings to explore, experience the world around them and create new relationships. Going to an overnight camp is the perfect way to do this! Camp is not just a place for your children to spend a few weeks out of the summer; it’s something they will hold in their hearts forever. (more…)

Anxiety or Bliss?

By Shirin Yadegar
The anxiety of traveling without the kids for a week is overwhelmingly stressful and all consuming. A mother’s first instinct is to stay home and plan to get away when it’s more convenient, but it’s never convenient. One of your kids will undoubtably have a game, performance or life altering crisis while you’re gone. There is no “perfect” time to travel without the kids except for now. Now is the time to do everything we want to do because tomorrow will be filled with even more responsibility. (more…)

By Sarah Bowman
The American Academy of Pediatrics has just updated their recommendations around screen time (again), easing slightly their caution around use of screens for children younger than eighteen months as a way of keeping up with the reality of parenting in the digital age — reiterating their focus on the importance of quality content and parent supervision. (more…)

By Shirin Yadegar
In an era when EQ is just as important as a person’s IQ, we must weave it into our children’s lives. Everything from school admissions interviews to standardized tests are starting to question a candidate’s emotional intelligence.

So how do we make sure we are raising emotional intelligent children? The Q Wunder app is a great place to start. The app is the world’s most comprehensive parent and kid-friendly emotional intelligence curriculum. (more…)

By Nathalie Kunin
Applying to an independent school in Los Angeles often tops the list of parents’ most stressful tasks. It can feel like facing a towering wave, about to topple you. Although it all seems overwhelming, the tips below will help make gearing up for the school application process more manageable. Embrace the journey toward a new school! The application process really can be both exciting and empowering, especially for students who are ready to make a change. With the right tools and attitude, parents can avoid anxiety and better focus on what’s best for their son or daughter. (more…)