NRM

There are certain things I got tired of saying 400 times a day. “Did you pack your backpack?” “Where are your shoes?” “Did you do your homework?” “Did anyone feed the dog?” And, of course, “We have to leave NOW.” With four kids, I’ve learned that the more everyone knows what they’re supposed to be doing, the less I have to remind them. That doesn’t mean our house suddenly runs like a well-oiled machine (it definitely doesn’t), but having a few simple systems in place really does help. That’s...

The sky over Long Island on the morning of September 11, 2001, was a flawless, piercing blue. I was 15 years old, sitting in my high school classroom in Nassau County, entirely consumed by the trivial, ordinary anxieties of a teenager. Then, the world broke. It began with a sudden, suffocating shift in the hallways. The teachers’ faces turned completely pale. Whispers turned into an eerie, heavy silence, punctured only by a sound that remains permanently etched in my mind: the metallic,...

Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission—at no additional cost to you—if you purchase through one of these links. As the cold months quickly approach, the days are getting shorter, the afternoons get a little less interesting, and parents face the daily dilemma: How do we keep the kids entertained inside without another screen time battle? Btw, I'm really starting to hate...