June 26, 2013

The Lesson of the $5 Fries: Money, Kids and Envy

Denise Schipani / 3 Comments / family finances, kids and friendship, summer /

Getting toward the end of the WordCount Blogathon here! I was thinking about my boys starting daycamp again in a week and a half, and I’m already anticipating the Battle of the Concession Stand, wherein I dissaude them from spending their own money on crap food, but also tell them that, no, sorry, I can’t […]

March 1, 2013

It’s Okay Not to Share: A Q&A With Author Heather Shumaker

Denise Schipani / 42 Comments / bullying, education, family life, guest posts, kids and friendship, play / Heather Shumaker, It's Okay Not to Share...and Other Renegade Rules for Raising Competent and Compassionate Kids /

I have to say, when I read the title of Heather Shumaker’s new (and terrific!) book It’s Okay Not to Share…and Other Renegade Rules for Raising Competent and Compassionate Kids (Jeremy Tarcher/Penguin), I breathed a sigh of relief. Because to be honest, when my kids were very little, I couldn’t bear the sharing emphasis. Good […]

May 17, 2010

Mean Mom’s Question Time: How Much Do You Meddle in Your Kids’ Friendships?

Denise Schipani / 5 Comments / kids and friendship, Mean Mom's Question Time / friendship, neighbors, playdates /

Just this weekend, I was talking to my sister, who had recently attended a mini-reunion of her high school class. She told me she talked to a girl who used to live around the corner from us, whose older brother, Charlie, was The Tormenter of the Bus Stop. (I recall that I actually mentioned our […]