school
When my daughter, now 9, started kindergarten, I was very surprised that her school asked parents to take time off from their busy schedules to help in the classroom, during field trips, or at special events like book fairs.Coming from France, I was accustomed to a different approach. There, schools…
As the back-to-school season approaches — or, in some states, has already begun — students, teachers, and parents are preparing for another year of hard work and focus on school.But the extent to which children care about learning varies across US states, according to a 2023-2024 study by the National…
Back in 2018, I was finishing my final year of college.It had been far from the best chapter of my life, so I did everything I could to graduate a semester early. I abandoned my plans to apply for a Fulbright scholarship and moved in with my parents temporarily.Now that…
An hour ago, Colt was leaning over the side of a Zodiac boat in Icy Bay, Alaska, lowering a Niskin bottle into glacier-fed water.”The things we’re gonna be looking for are salinity, clarity, temperature, depth,” he told me as he collected a sample. “We’re also going to be looking at…
When my son was in sixth grade, he looked at me one afternoon in our garage while I was unloading groceries and said something I never expected to hear. He said, “Mom, you’re not going to make me go to college, are you?”I paused, unsure of the answer.He was 12…
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ari Rosenson, the vice president of food and beverage for the Los Angeles and Maui operations at Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining. It has been edited for length and clarity.When I was in the fifth grade, we had to write a biography…
My two youngest kids are entering 11th grade. The recurring theme in my head is, How did we get here so fast?I have misty memories of their younger years: soft, pudgy baby hands, “Doc McStuffins” playing in the background, and the marked absence of deep sighs and eye rolls in…
This story is based on an interview with Carlene Jenkins, 89, a retired personal shopper from Austin. It has been edited for length and clarity.Three years ago, it became time for my husband, Robert, 90, a retired dentist, and me to downsize and move from our house in Austin.A lot…
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tammy Shanklin, who is in her 40s and lives in Illinois. It’s been edited for length and clarity.I’ve been a licensed certified nursing assistant since the age of 18. About a year ago, I became a home caregiver for my grandfather,…
When my children and I lived together under the same roof full time, preparing their lunches was one of my primary love languages.Our family belonged to two community-supported agriculture programs (CSAs) on Long Island’s East End. Our kitchen was always filled with fresh produce, eggs, jams, sauces, specialty foods, and…
