Welcome to PEPTalk! This blog is all about parenting – including tips, great articles and updates on our class offerings. The conversation is for parents and others who want to raise healthy, cooperative, thriving children. Raising children to thrive isn’t easy, especially when those children regularly mess up our plans for their success. We learn the art of parenting from each other, and our PEPTalk blog is here to help—with tips, tools, talk and encouragement—as well as updates about PEP’s many educational programs.
Our bloggers are like our class leaders (many of them are class leaders)—parents who have found at PEP support, inspiration and a sensible road map for the journey. They’ll share their unique perspectives and experiences, connected by their deep commitment to helping you be the parent you want to be. We invite you to join the conversation.
I recently listened to Brené Brown’s new podcast, Unlocking Us. If you haven’t checked it out yet, I highly recommend it. There were a few key takeaways in a recent podcast that I thought are worth mentioning here as they are timely, meaningful, and dovetail with our philosophy here at PEP. “We Have Collectively Hit Weary” I don’t know if you’ve felt it this past week,... read more>>
These are difficult days. Families everywhere are reeling as we rapidly have to adopt social distancing and other measures to slow the spread of the Coronavirus. While it’s still in its early days, it is becoming more and more clear that our personal lives will be disrupted by the Coronavirus for months to come. While parents are faced with rapidly rearranging their work and family logistics, they are also trying to figure out how to help their children deal with these new circumstances.... read more>>
Yesterday I had to go back to bed at 1:30 pm and start again after a nap. I’m moving through being optimistic, despair, working out, eating carbs, complaining to friends, catastrophizing, seeking out silver linings, coming up with a ‘plan’ – all in the span of say 40 minutes. Over and over, multiple times a day. You with me? Suddenly parenting and organizing are on the front lines of the Coronavirus. The way out of this pandemic turns out to be US.... read more>>
Robbye Fox is a PEP Certified Parent Educator and Educational Consultant with The College Lady... read more>>
Between the time I am writing this (early March) and you are reading it there will have been countless scary headlines about the coronavirus, and some new useful facts, discoveries, and policies, too. It feels like a crazy time and adults and children alike are anxious, confused, and unsure what to do or to believe. So how do we parent our children through all this? It turns out that familiar common-sense parenting guidelines still apply,... read more>>
With all of the news about the Coronavirus, the turbulent stock market, and the ongoing presidential primaries, it’s not surprising that many of us are feeling just a wee-bit stressed. Over the years, when parenting in stressful times, I found myself pondering, “When did I become the adult here? Can I give back the keys to the car?” Alas, there is no putting that genie back in the bottle! Whether your child is 2,... read more>>
” The US Constitution doesn’t guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself .” – Benjamin Franklin “I just want them to be happy!” That’s what many of us say when we talk about raising our kids. But how exactly do we achieve this goal? The pressure to get kids into college has resulted in academics being introduced at younger and younger ages,... read more>>
A cornerstone, and often overlooked, part of parenting is the simple (but not easy) task of encouragement. I can never remind parents enough to encourage their kids and encourage themselves. Often we spend so much time trying to get them to stop doing things that we forget all about the art of noticing and appreciating all that our kids (and WE) do well.... read more>>
When we are parenting in an anxious time, whether it be anxiety due to our personal problems, our kid’s problems, our work problems, problems in the community or even world problems, we can become debilitated by stress and worry. Sometimes we soothe ourselves with sugar, or booze, or the internet, or over-talking, or over-sleeping. And don’t get me wrong, little doses of all of the above are excellent and can be a form of self-care,... read more>>
“Get outta my room!” (cue door slam), screamed 12-year-old Lily to her brother. “No!! I want my earbuds back! NOW!” Jacob responded while pounding both fists on the door so hard that the floor quivered. When Lily finally opened the door, she whipped the earbuds at her 10-year-old brother, hitting him in the eye. “Moooommm!” Fighting is a natural and normal part of family life. But, for some parents, there is a nagging concern that their children will never get along and will hate each other for life.... read more>>
