By Kakie Fitzsimmons

When I was a kid we we spent alot of time with other kids in the neighborhood outside playing tag, kick the can, having snowball fights, etc. I recall days of laying down on the fresh lawn looking at the clouds slowly roll by and identifying what the figures looked like. We would climb trees, pick clover flowers or dandelions. Sometimes after a rain we would scour the neighborhood to catch frogs or salamanders. Unstructured play is an essential element of childhood development yet it seems as though it is happening less and less. Kids are spending a majority of their time in front of television sets, the internet or text messaging.

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By Audra Jones

When I was younger, I belonged to a club that did community service work. There was one specific event that was memorable for me. We spent three or four hours handing out warm dinner to the homeless out in the streets. After that we went to a homeless shelter not far from the Bay Bridge. (more…)

Before the 1970′s, the topic of women’s history was largely missing in our k-12 educational system and from general public consciousness. To address this situation, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women initiated a “Women’s History Week” celebration in 1978 and chose the week of March 8 to coincide with International Women’s Day. (more…)

We recently interviewed Mark Hyman, who has written a book called “Until it Hurts, America’s Obsession with Youth Sports and How It Harms Our Kids.” In this book, Mark examines the power of youth sports in our culture today and how it has reached a problematic state. The book will be released on April 1 and prior to its debut, it can be ordered at Amazon or at the Beacon Press Web site. We recommend this book to parents, grandparents, teachers and coaches everywhere. (more…)

When a child misbehaves, putting them in a time out is not fun, but it is necessary. Those few minutes are priceless for me becase they teach me to be a better mom. During this quiet time, I ask myself: “How can I make this a teachable moment and respond calmly? “I have learned some great lessons and sometimes even amazed myself. (more…)