Author Archives: Suzita

Motivating Tweens and Teens

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Suzita

My daughter Annie’s orchestra class was a middle school highlight. Anyone with a middle schooler (or who’s been one), probably knows that highlights are hard to come by in that phase of life. Annie had only learned to play the … Continue reading →

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Benefits of Saying “No” to Adolescents

Posted on November 7, 2019 by Suzita

“He’s wearing me down. Maybe he’ll go to law school someday and use those debating skills to make a living!” My mental musings after hearing our 12 year-old’s impassioned appeal for an iPad of his own. We’d just returned from … Continue reading →

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When Your Child Won’t Practice

Posted on September 12, 2019 by Suzita

  When my friend Jessica’s son Alex was in elementary school, he loved soccer. Alex would spend hours in their backyard “shooting on goal,” only coming in when it was dark and he was spent. I envisioned his tired soul … Continue reading →

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Happy to Announce My New Book!

Posted on June 15, 2019 by Suzita

  As many of you are aware, I’ve been working on a book project for the last few years based on this blog and much additional research. For those of you who’ve offered feedback and suggestions to my blog posts … Continue reading →

Posted in Active Kids & Families, Education, Family Travel, Life Skills, Parenting, Teaching Social/Emotional Skills | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Escape Outdoors

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Suzita

I remember the day the I hit the wall. It was in the middle of a long summer of what we referred to as “Mom camp,” and at the peak of our two-playgrounds-a-day phase—one in the morning, another in the … Continue reading →

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Do You Have a Sensitive Child? You May Be Luckier Than You Realize

Posted on December 7, 2017 by Suzita

My friend Katherine and her husband adopted two foster siblings at ages 1 and 2.  It was a big change—going from a 2- to a 4-person family overnight.  They had so much to learn about parenting and about these particular … Continue reading →

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People Are the Priority

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Suzita

It was clear early on that my friend Christina’s daughter Ava was a bright girl.  She was one of those toddlers who spoke in eloquent sentences when my same-age son was struggling to put two words together.  Her parents were … Continue reading →

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What Getting a Puppy Taught My Tween and Teens about Parenthood

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Suzita

As a family we fall on the late-adopter end of the spectrum.  This is challenging for our kids when it comes to owning the newest technology which I’m pretty sure we have none of in our home.  It’s been similar … Continue reading →

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“I Got My First Paycheck!” The Value of Work in Kids’ Lives

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Suzita

  At breakfast one morning last summer, Stephen, our 15 year-old suggested, “Let’s all go hiking this weekend.  I have a trail I want you to see.  It’s the one we’ve been working on all week.” Stephen’s comment was notable … Continue reading →

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One Solution to the High Price of Big Kid Activities

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Suzita

A little over a year ago, Todd and I were having one of our monthly check-ins about family finances, and we came to the unfortunate realization that our family had more money going out than coming in. Ouch. The previous … Continue reading →

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