How to Enjoy the Santa Story Without Lying to your Child
By presenting the “Santa Story” as fiction, you can still celebrate the fun traditions of the Christmas season while avoiding the downsides of deceiving your child. *This post was updated on 12/11/18 to include an FAQ section and some quotes from other parents. Every December, a few articles circulate with titles like, “How to Tell Your Kids the Truth About Santa Without Breaking Their Hearts.” They encourage parents to tell children they get to “become Santa” and thus “the Santa construct is not a lie that gets discovered, but an unfolding series of good deeds and Christmas spirit” (quote attributed to an anonymous Facebook post, which has been widely shared).…
Everything I Need to Know About Grit, Perseverance and Frustration, I learned from Soccer
Soccer is one of the most frustrating sports, which is why my husband and I hope our kids choose to play someday. You might wonder why on earth a prospective parent would actively desire that their child experience frustration. My reasoning is simple: frustration is an unavoidable part of life. By being chronically exposed to frustrating situations and learning to persevere through them, you develop grit and perseverance, which will be more beneficial long term than being sheltered from negative experiences. Additionally, recent research suggests that grit and perseverance are more correlated to lifelong success than traditional measures such as IQ or grade point average. Of course, all sports help…