The night before I was leaving for San Francisco to attend the BlogHer Conference, my kids broke down, urging me not to go or, better yet, to take them with me. They couldn’t bear the thought of my being away for so many days. They made the point that I had never been apart from them, so it was unbearable to even imagine. I expected them to miss me a little, but they’re responsible, confident kids. I didn’t expect a complete meltdown.
I wasn’t sure how to react. Over the years, I’ve learned that it’s always best to remain calm and resist any emotional reaction to anything our kids tell us. So I breathed deeply and just listened to them. I thought that if I just gave them a little time to share whatever they were feeling, they’d feel better. But the tears kept coming.
So I gave them hugs. And more hugs. And loads of sympathetic words.
I reminded them of other trips I took with some of my girlfriends. They quickly replied, “But those weren’t as long … and those were in the same state!”
Have you ever started talking, then lecturing, then ranting to your kids and later regretted it? That’s what happened to me today.
Here’s the story.
My kids are learning to play tennis. I should probably mention that I love tennis. I’m disappointed by our country’s poor showing in Wimbledon right now (and disappointed by Ana Ivanovic’s loss).
Ana Ivanovic
I felt sad when Federer lost to Nadal (again) at the French Open. But I am hopeful that he’ll win Wimbledon.
Accomplished author, food critic, and mother of three, Julie Halpert was my guest on Soapbox Radio - recorded live today.
Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she’s been a journalist for twenty years with articles in the New York Times , Newsweek , the Washington Post and many other publications. Halpert is currently teaching a course on environmental journalism at her alma mater, the University of Michigan (go blue!).
What’s she doing now? She’s touring the country to talk about her new book (which she co-authored with Deborah Carr, Ph.D.) and she made a stop on the Soapbox .
I’ve been Twittering about how much I wanted a WiiFit and guess what?! I have one!
Even better than that simple fact, though, is the story about how I managed to snag one of these treasured new Nintendo gems.
After a long, exhausting day entertaining 30 people at my home while a couple of sick kids sat in my playroom all day long, I remembered that this day was the day the game would be released for sale at all of our local game stores. Rats! I had been so caught up in my party that I forgot my plan — because I did not pre-order the game, I intended to go to the store when it opened to try to get one of the extra games. I had been advised by one of the game store guys that they usually get a couple extras (beyond the number of pre-orders). But I blew it. Forgot to go. By the time I remembered, I was not at all in the mood to go out and drive to the store (and I didn’t think I had much of a shot at getting one so late in the afternoon anyway).
It was a mess, but we look back on it and laugh because - here’s the good news - he agreed to another interview!
I love second chances. I give them to my kids all the time. So, let’s just consider the first podcast a dry run and the second show the real thing. Download either one (or both!) by clicking here .
My husband is a brilliant man. Very knowledgeable. About many things. I don’t say that to brag, rather to highlight his ability to answer our kids’ questions in many areas, including obscure historical facts and tidbits. But when it comes to math? He’s not their go to person. I am.
And I have to admit…it feels pretty darn good.
Sometimes I feel pretty inadequate when I don’t know the answers to questions about Greek mythology (was never a passion of mine) or ancient Rome (ditto).
But math? I love math. I tutored Calculus in college. I probably should have majored in Applied Mathematics. It’s exciting to me. Magical. Actually, I’ve been known to lecture the kids about the magic of math and to do so with a sparkle in my eyes and a smile on my face.
And you know what? My kids love math. I don’t mean to be smug; I mean, I’m not giving myself all the credit for that fact. But I bet it doesn’t hurt that I can get pretty excited about thePythagorean Theorem . Or that I’ve told them about the navy t-shirt (I even remember the color) I used to have when I was around ten with a sketch on it that looked something like this:
Yeah, I’ve always loved math. In fact, when I was around my daughter’s age, special time with my dad consisted of his teaching me about the Base 10 system and slide rules . Woohoo!
So…why not celebrate it? I don’t shove it in their faces or insist that they learn about the slide rule before ever using a calculator (which is what my dad did with me). But they’re well aware of my passion for math. And they don’t hesitate to come to me with any questions that arise as they tackle daily homework.
If you’ve read the terrific blogs, Busy Dad Blog and BusyDad Tales , you’ll understand why I express such excitement about his guest spot on my new podcast. Here’s the promo video for the show, Soapbox Radio .
Want to know what that big announcement was? You’ll have to listen to the show!
Walking around the streets near Columbia University in Manhattan on a beautiful spring day, I stopped abruptly when I saw the sign. It said “Tom’s Restaurant” on one side of the building and “Restaurant” on the other. I stared for a moment or two, then grabbed the arm of another chaperone and said, “Wait. We have to stop. Do you recognize that place?” As soon as she saw it, she knew.
