Category: growing up

Family Cell Phone Contract and Technology Use Policy

Family Cell Phone Contract and Technology Use Policy
Our middle school daughter just received her first phone.  I searched across many awesome websites to find a cell-phone contract that I wanted to use.  In the end, I decided to create our own family cell phone and technology use contract, drawing on my own expertise in the area of digital citizenship as well as the... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
August 28, 2015 at 11:07 am • 

To My Last Baby On Her Last Year of Preschool

Dearest C, Today you visited your “new” preschool classroom.  I say “new” with a smile, because you have already been a student at your school for the previous two years. And before that, you were a baby who came to this school every day to drop off and pick up your big sister Annie Rose... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
September 7, 2014 at 10:32 am • 

Masterminds and Wingmen: Rosalind Wiseman's Exploration of Boy World

Masterminds and Wingmen: Rosalind Wiseman's Exploration of Boy World
Rosalind Wiseman knows boys.  Not just because she is the mother of two boys, but because she has immersed herself in boy world.  Two hundred boys, representing a variety of life experiences and perspectives, have shared their truest feelings and experiences with Wiseman and worked closely with her in the creation of Masterminds and Wingmen,... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
September 23, 2013 at 1:25 pm • 
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Homesick at Summer Camp: A Tale of Resilience

Saturday marked two weeks since we left our 9-year-old at camp, another two weeks until she returns home.  When we first returned home, I missed her with an intensity that startled me.  My knees buckled a little when I opened the dryer and found some of her favorite clothes tangled among the rest of the... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
July 29, 2013 at 8:53 am • 

The Antidote for Helicopter Parents? Sending Your 9-Yr-Old Away to Camp

The Antidote for Helicopter Parents? Sending Your 9-Yr-Old Away to Camp
I don’t think of myself as a helicopter mom.  Or at least, I didn’t until today.  And I guess the diagnosis is coming at the right time, because I’ve found the antidote to helicoptering. It’s called sleep-away camp. Yes, I just left my 9-yr-old at camp for a month.  And every hour that we drive... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
July 14, 2013 at 9:52 am • 

I Couldn't Understand Why They Got to Go Home and I Didn't.

I Couldn't Understand Why They Got to Go Home and I Didn't.
In honor of November being National Adoption Awareness Month, Portrait of an Adoption is running a special series called 30 Adoption Portraits in 30 Days.  Designed to give a voice to the many different perspectives of adoption, this series will feature guest posts by people with widely varying experiences.  By Amy Guimond: My name is... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
November 9, 2012 at 8:23 am • 
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I had no one to eat lunch with and no one to play with at recess.

“How was your day?” I asked K as we walked home. Okay,” she answered automatically and then retracted, “Well, sort of not okay.” “What happened?” I asked very casually. “I had no one to sit with at lunch and then I couldn’t find anyone to play with at recess.  Everyone ran away from me.” Of... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
February 23, 2012 at 8:33 am • 

Sexy Superstars -- Age Five?

Eden Wood, child beauty queen TLC has a new commercial out announcing the return of their show Toddlers & Tiaras.  If you listen to the announcer, he refers to the 5-year-olds as “sexy superstars.”  Some viewers are interpreting it as “sassy superstars” but I studied it with my husband, and we both agreed that it... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
June 6, 2011 at 8:21 pm • 

Why do I have to be tall with blonde hair? It's not fair.

Ahh, how strong our desire is to belong, to fit in, to be the same as those around us.  For the very youngest kids, that translates into a desire to look like their family members.  As Katie enters the tween years, she will probably age out of a desire to be just like us, but... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
May 23, 2011 at 9:31 pm • 
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It's Never Too Early to Start Talking about Sexting

Katie and Annie Rose had a banner day on Saturday.  First, Andrew found them in the basement bathroom with the door locked. “Girls, let me in,” Andrew said firmly. He found Katie, Annie Rose and a giant Star Wars Wampa rug in the bathroom.  Katie was huddled in a corner, hiding something behind her back. ... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
March 28, 2011 at 1:48 pm •