Happily Stranded on Pip’s Island

Happily Stranded on Pip’s Island

Entertaining your kids isn’t easy. Ask any parent getting barraged with “I’m bored!” two days after Christmas.

Even here in New York City, where there are a hundred activities, events, outings, and experiences at every turn, kids can be hard to please. My 9-year-old likes going to movies and the occasional play, but he doesn’t really like to participate or join things. My almost 4-year-old wants to interact and engage with everyone and anything, which makes movies and plays impossible. That gap – in age, interests, and attention spans – can be hard to navigate, and finding fun things to do that everyone can enjoy is a challenge.

That’s why I can’t recommend Pip’s Island enough.

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ADHD and Me

ADHD and Me

Last year, I shared a post about my son’s ADHD diagnosis, and the relief it brought.

Finally, we had confirmation that our 9yo wasn’t intentionally ignoring us, willfully misbehaving, or somehow a bad kid. His brain is just wired differently, and with his diagnosis, we’ve been able to view things from a different perspective; hopefully, a more patient and understanding one.

Of course, understanding the big picture is one thing and managing my everyday reactions to his behavior is another.
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Couple Time

Couple Time

Last weekend, my wife and I got a babysitter and went out to celebrate a friend’s birthday.

This picture was taken on the subway on the way to dinner. That’s my decidedly less glittery hand holding up Mom and Buried’s phone so she can properly apply her eyeliner (I assume it’s eye liner? Don’t @ me!).

For the record: she swears she didn’t realize the scarf matched her iPhone case, and I believe her, because she impulsively grabbed the scarf as we rushed out the door. She had to do her makeup on the G train; we weren’t working with a lot of time! But we’re parents.

We’re never working with a lot of time.

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Spread Too Thin

Spread Too Thin

Today, instead of putting my son on the bus and going straight to work, I took him to school so I could visit his class for “First Fridays.” First Fridays are a monthly occurrence on which parents are allowed – and encouraged – drop in on school and find out what our kids are working on.

Afterwards, on the train – in the middle of wondering WTF common core is all about – I suddenly realized I’d completely forgotten to do something I was supposed to have done first thing that morning.

Maybe it’s because I’m 42. Maybe it’s because I’m tired. But I think it might be because I’m spread too thin.

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