Parenting

When our children grow up, we lose control. How do we react when our adult children make poor choices? Perhaps we need to take a breath and let kids learn from their own mistakes.

I was blessed to grow up listening to my grandmother’s family stories. Nana Evelyn told me about her sister’s plans to open her own hat shop. Aunt Ida eagerly prepared for this venture; fear of failure held her back. My aunt persevered thanks to the wisdom of a special lady. Process is often more important than results.

Caleb is one of The Torah’s unsung heroes. His positive attitude and courageous spirit make him a great role model. Caleb’s willingness to try sets a great example for our children.

Have you ever been blindsided by a dinner guest who shows up with an unexpected dish? Unforeseen culinary offerings can be problematic. Do I have the right serving utensils and enough table space? Does the food harmonize with my menu? Sometimes even the best planned festivities go off script. And isn’t that true of our kids? Despite our best efforts, kids can take off in unexpected directions. What does the Torah say?

Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. Joseph, his father’s favorite. Joseph, Pharoah’s adviser. Joseph, who teaches us how to forgive, even in this time of social media.

Sometimes I felt my teenage children spoke a different language, and I wondered, should I try their language or stick to my own?

Many parents in The Torah show tremendous favoritism among their children. Not only does favoritism do damage on its own, it’s a hard cycle to break.

Every mother has experienced Embarrassing Mom Moments, those times when we screw up and feel the eyes of the world upon us. But sooner or later, we need to ignore the eye-rolls and move on.

Mrs. Kleinfeld was the scourge of my father’s neighborhood. Unpleasant and unfriendly, she was obsessed with cats. When my father accidentally broke some of her flowerpots, he forgot to say “I’m sorry” to Mrs. Kleinfeld. And my grandmother reminded him of the importance of those words.