Hot Topics This Month:

What to say to a well-meaning but distracting friend; being recognized as an individual and not as an extension of an older sib; and dealing with a desire to visit someplace far from home.

Cameron asks for help finding a polite way to tell a chatty classmate to stop distracting her. We advised her to tell her friend, in a nice way, that she should wait until after class to talk, and not to respond to her friend’s chatter during class.

Q’s for your kids:
Describe a time a friend diverted your attention from a teacher or an assignment. Did you ignore the interruption or get distracted? How did you get back on track? What types of things intrude on your concentration at home? How could you limit those distractions?

Ella is concerned her older brother’s reputation for causing trouble at school will affect teachers’ opinions of her. We told Ella most teachers would not make assumptions about her based on her big brother’s behavior, as long as Ella remains respectful and works hard.

Q’s for your kids:
What do you have to do at school to make sure you maintain a good reputation? How would you get a shady one? Do you think people judge you by the company you keep?

Ayanna has never seen snow and she yearns to build a snowman. But because she lives in the Bay Area of California, that’s not going to happen. We suggested that she speak to her parents about taking a trip to see snow and build a snowman. If that’s not possible, she can always have a winter-themed party and pretend she lives in her very own West Coast winter wonderland!

Q’s for your kids:
If you could move tomorrow, where would you like to live? Why do you want to live there? What do you like best and what do you like least about the house and town you live in now? Do you prefer warm-weather activities or things you can do when it’s cold?