The spirit of the holidays shows itself in unexpected ways. It's all around us, just waiting to be noticed in the midst of the hustle and bustle of last minute errands, cooking and cleaning. It's at Stop and Shop on an early Saturday morning, where perfect strangers smile at each other and say "Happy Holidays" as they pass in aisles. It's at the Dunkin' Donuts drive-through when the car in front pays for the order behind them, and it's even at the Benny's in North Smithfield where they have had anonymous "elves" paying off lay-aways for perfect strangers.  I hear from a lot of parents at this…

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.   –Melody Beattie We've all gotten it — the "basic" thank-you; the thank-you that made you say "you're welcome," I think; The "Dear Mom, thank you for making my bed;" or the "Thank you for the gift card" — impersonal, and pretty boring. Sure it's still a thank-you, …

A Dolphin Tale, which released last Friday, is an important movie for parents to see.   The lead character is a boy whose father left five years ago. He is struggling with low self-esteem, shyness and is flunking school. This movie is really a story about what is possible when a child finds something to connect with and realizes that he "matters." His connection to Winter, the ailing dolphin, helps him to realize his own worth and we get to witness his transformation into someone who is not afraid to dream, who takes charge and makes things happen. His mother sees the positive effect his …

Has stress reared its ugly head in your home yet this school year? Maybe the kids are misbehaving more than usual, seeming irritable, acting clingy, or suddenly wetting the bed. These are all signs of stress. Start a family conversation using the the seven questions below, and together, brainstorm coping techniques. Often, just giving your children techniques and a vocabulary for expressing stress will decrease feelings of despair and hopelessness. 1) When you get up in the morning do you look forward to the experiences your day will bring? A: Yes B: Sometimes C: No   2) Does getting ready …

The tenth anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, is this Sunday. Most of our younger children were toddlers or younger when our country experienced this event. Regardless, this anniversary presents an opportunity to come together as a family to serve the community and uphold the values our country stands for.  I often hear parents share that they would like to implement a volunteer project with their children, but don't know where to start. Family volunteerism is an effective way to connect as a family while helping the community. Involvement in community projects help children develop compassion and…

Kids are not always forthcoming with their thoughts and feelings. As parents, we can sense that something is on their minds, but when pushed, they just clam up. This cycle of non-communication does not help anyone. If you are seeking a new way for your family to communicate consider this re-vamped version of the good ol' company suggestion box: The Family Talkbox: Nothing fancy — just a shoebox, decorated if they wish. The intent is for everyone in the family to put suggestions or comments throughout the week. Then one day a week, the family gets together to read the comments. This concept is…

Some parents love this time of year; a time of opportunity to get our kids (and ourselves) off on the right foot for a new school year. Others dread the schedules, commitments and general craziness that back-to-school brings after a summer of downtime. I'll admit that although I'm (mostly) in the first category, I don't look forward to the craziness that the first few weeks of school will bring. I'll try to minimize the chaos this year by "preparing for battle" early with the following things I wish I'd done last year:  Organize the homework area: This gets kids off on the right foot while …

The dog-days of summer are upon us. Has the "I'm bored!" chorus begun in your home yet? Take the family down memory lane this August with some "retro" family activities from your own childhood.   Water Balloons: Water balloons appeal to toddlers, teens, and grown-ups, too! Laugh, have fun and keep cool with these games: Water Balloon Toss, "Balance the Balloon" game, and "Duck, Duck Goose" (using water balloons.) Put all the games together for an epic, water balloon themed Olympics. Pet Rocks: Introduce your kids to this childhood craze circa 1975. Take a walk through the neighborhood and …

Since 2005, students in New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont have participated in the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP). This program measures student proficiency in three key areas: reading, mathematics, and writing. According to the February 2011 NECAP Report, Rhode Island students seem to have an edge in writing: "60% of Rhode Island students in grades 3-8 achieved proficiency or better. By comparison, 60% of their peers in New Hampshire, 57% in Vermont, and 48% in Maine achieved proficiency or better in writing. At the high school level, 51% Rhode Island students …

Running away to join the Circus may sound like a cliche, but for the kids of Circus Smirkus, it's the stuff dreams are made of. Circus Smirkus, the nationally acclaimed youth circus, visits Rhode Island on July 25 and 26 at Washington County Fairgrounds to benefit the Meadowbrook Waldorf School in West Kingston. What began as a small Vermont show 20 years ago has grown into a two-month summer tour throughout New England. And this circus is run almost entirely on kid power. Kids ages 10 to 18 are the stars of the show, as well as the crew and concessions staff. Their summer with the Circus …

The activities and suggestions in the following books are sure to inspire kids to start some fun summer projects.  These are all available for purchase at www.amazon.com, or check in at Marian J. Mohr Library to borrow the titles below.  How to Build Your Own Country by Valarie Wyatt This book shows kids how to build their very own country from scratch. From choosing their country's language and designing a flag, kids won't even realize they are learning about government, elections, geography and global issues. Camp Out! The Ultimate Kid's Guide by Lynne Brunell This book is packed with …

Fun Fact: My daughter does not have her ears pierced. Over the years, many parents have asked me "why not?" — and I've had a simple answer: All in good time. My parents allowed me to have my ears pierced for my 11th birthday. I'm so glad they waited. I remember their smiles as I opened a pair of tiny diamond studs and realized they were pierced earrings. That moment will always stay with me. If my parents had given in and had my ears pierced when I was younger, or a baby, they would have missed an opportunity to create a very special rite of passage to help celebrate my transition from …

We all know school is about more than straight academics. Classrooms are an important part of a child's social development. Consider it a "lab" where they have opportunities to practice numerous types of social negotiation: sharing, listening, empathy and conflict resolution are just a few. So when you celebrate your child's end of year growth, don't forget about giving some attention to what they learned socially. Here is an idea for how to do this: A Social Snapshot Pull out their class picture and sit down with your child. Ask them to go down the line and talk about how they interacted …

I'm sure my daughter is not the only child to bring home piles of paper every week: Art work, tests, random scribbles, coloring pages, and various construction paper projects pile up throughout the house all year long. I recently had to confront the fact that all this paper was adding up to a lot of extra clutter in the house — and really, did I need absolutely every piece? Throwing everything away just didn't feel right to me, but at the same time, all the paper in our house was becoming a fire hazard. Something had to change. I know some moms who keep everything and have sophisticated …

What do we do when life throws us curve balls? How do respond when the dreams we have for our children change, or are not possible? I recently had an opportunity to speak with Priscilla Gilman, author of The Anti-Romantic Child: A Story of Unexpected Joy, a memoir that reflects on these very questions. When her older son, Benj, was diagnosed with a variety of special needs — including a rare disorder called hyperlexia — around three years old, she saw her vision of a romantic and carefree childhood for Benj change. As Gilman writes: “Benj rebuffed and defied every expectation I had about …

Did you ever notice that some of our most important parenting moments happen while in the car? This is certainly the case for me, and those moments aren't always pretty. Take for example the startling discovery I made the other day when my daughter exasperatedly yelled, "Come ON!!!" while we were idling at a red light. Whoops... yea, she got that from me. It was a poignant reminder that parents are on display every waking moment of our childrens' day. Those eyes are watching, those ears are listening — and they are taking notes. Our kids are learning how to "be" in the world, and following …

Steamy summer days are not far off, and now is a great time to start your family's summer activity "wish list." Simply keep a piece of paper on the refrigerator and add ideas as you or your children think of them. By the last day of school, you will have a list of fun activities to plug into your summer schedule. Summer means something a little different to everyone, so over the next few months, look for summer suggestions from a Johnston parent in this column. This week, we asked Brian Iafrate, a health/physical education teacher at Nicholas A. Ferri Middle School to share share his top …

Thanks to Easter last week, I am faced with a surplus of plastic eggs. They seemed like a good idea at the time, but I really can't justify throwing them away, where I know they will make the short journey to the Johnston Landfill. So I asked the parents on the Familytopia Facebook page to share their ideas for how to re-use the eggs and I am so inspired by their creativity. Enjoy! "I save them and reuse them. Use them for clues to a surprise family vacation/getaway. Or use them for the kids to collect their vacation money to spend." "Here is a fun idea from FamilyFun - A herd of eggimals." "…

We know what happens after April school vacation: the rest of the school year flies by, and before we know it, summer is here. I don't advocate scheduling every minute of our children's summer vacation — and encourage parents to leave ample time for kids to initiate their own self-directed activities. With that said, summer is the perfect time to re-connect with our kids, especially if you've had a hectic school year. I look forward to sharing some summer activity ideas over the next few months — maybe you will even discover a new summer tradition. Who doesn't love an opportunity to get VIP …