by Rachel DeMille Beginning Again A favorite movie has a scene where one of the characters has lost his way, and, following the counsel of a trusted advisor, he goes "back to the beginning." It is there, he knows, that he will find his guide [...]
by Michael Platt, PhD “A TEENAGER--I’M SO SORRY!” “We have two teenagers,” I sometimes hear parents say. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” I sometimes reply. Although I say it with a smile, the truth is sad. Teenagers are not inevitable, natural, or God-given. The Teenager was [...]
What is FEC? In the past few years, we have witnessed a groundswell of people wishing to work on their fathering, mothering, manliness and femininity. The conveyor belt has stripped our society of clear understandings of our basic roles as men and women, and it [...]
It’s hard being little. I remember keenly wanting to fit in with all the older people around me. I was the youngest of six kids—and quite a bit younger, at that. The closest in age was four years older, and they went up from there [...]
There is a widespread myth that feminism came about in the 20th Century, that—along with Civil Rights and Environmentalism—feminism is one of our great modern advances. The truth is that feminism has a much earlier origin. In the Beginning... Adam and Eve left the Garden [...]
by Kelli Poll It was the early 1960s. In Grosse Point, Michigan a bold experiment was carried out. Applicants were tested to find those who had intellectual and leadership potential. The parents whose children were turned away became bitter and resentful, while those of accepted [...]
This baffling behavior continued for several weeks. It was the only abnormal quirk he exhibited. He acted much like any typical toddler in every other respect, so we weren’t overly concerned, but we were certainly curious! We often made comments like, “He’s YOUR child” or “He must take after YOUR side of the family”, and would just laugh it off, knowing he would eventually grow out of it. But I’ll be forever grateful that he didn’t grow out of it before I learned the powerful message he was bringing me.
By Heather Hansen One night I had a dream. In my dream, I saw a figure skater with her fluid and graceful movements in an unusual costume that mirrored the quintessential 50’s housewife. She was performing her routine in an over-sized kitchen on a [...]
by Shanalei Anderson For those of you who love and embrace the educational philosophy taught in Oliver DeMille's A Thomas Jefferson Education, here are some ideas for homeschooling children in the "Core Phase" (up to around age 8 or so)--the years in which children [...]
By Angela Baker Recently I was meeting with my children and outlining the structure of our summer schedule. My 12 year old daughter, our second child, was visibly disgruntled about something during our meeting. I met with her afterward and we had an enlightening heart-to-heart [...]
