We all are very diligent in trying to help our children choose the right spouse. If we are arranging a shidduch for our child, we investigate very carefully, questioning the shadchan, calling whoever might be able to provide information, and trying to decide if it’s worth meeting the person. If they do meet, we try to get as many details as possible about how the

Maybe it’s not only teachers who get a headache from their students’ lip smacking, bubble popping and gum cracking. Dr. Nathan Watemberg of Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba, Israel has evidence that gum-chewing teenagers, and younger children as well, may be giving themselves a pain in the head. His small study focused on child and adolescent gum-chewers

We are not allowed to hit our children—even if they deserve it. When we punish them, it needs to be politically correct: Time outs, taking away their electronic devices, no TV, etc., etc. My kids will tell you that I am not so good on the follow through, surprise, surprise. Though, I will confess that after being totally fed up with finding open water bottles

Several months ago, I wrote a column about my daughter wanting to get a pet as a birthday present (although I did not want one), and after weighing much of our options, we ended up with a low-maintenance guinea pig.

The conditions for having this pet were: I do nothing, she does everything. You want to enjoy this pet? You also need to care for it.This

A recent article in The Jewish Link entitled “Unconsummated” addressed the prevalence of unconsummated marriages in the Jewish world and some of the reasons that contribute to this unfortunate start to new marriages. In reading the article, what becomes evident is that proactive intervention is critical both to preventing the issue from happening to begin with and

When our children are little and their teeth begin to fall out, they learn about the Tooth Fairy. The Tooth Fairy is a magical creature that gently flutters into their rooms when they are sleeping; retrieves the tiny tooth and replaces it with some sort of monetary compensation. What the Tooth Fairy leaves under the pillow usually depends upon what the Tooth

Sometimes life deals us great difficulty. For people who are very sensitive about certain things, they would probably have a great deal of trouble handling even things that are not so challenging. Most of us, however, would handle it the way we handle most things. For people who are functioning well, that means looking at the situation, trying to figure out what caused

A recent bill spearheaded by a Dyslexia Advocacy group to test elementary school children for dyslexia and other learning disabilities has been making significant headway toward passage by the New Jersey legislature.  The bill has changed significantly over the past months in order to reduce costs and gain votes by the Assembly.  Originally it had proposed testing

The popular band Shlock Rock will be appearing at Temple Emeth on New Year’s Day from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. The concert, which is a fundraiser for the Early Childhood Center, is appropriate for all ages and features their best known hits. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Sponsorships, which include four preferred seating tickets, a program listing, free

According to police, a suspicious box was left in front of Congregation Beth Sholom in Teaneck on December 23 to create a scare. A bomb squad was called in, but neither they nor the explosives detection dog found any bomb components in the box or in the surrounding area.

I am not sure who invented marriage. You take two people from two different families, two different backgrounds, two different ways of being raised and, somehow, they fall in love and vow to spend the rest of their lives together. When you are dating this person, you spend lots of time together to get to know them. What their hobbies are. What kind of food they like.

I seriously dread Parent-Teacher conferences. And I say this as a teacher (I teach high school English at a local mesifta.) As a parent, I really don’t mind them so much. I want to know how my kids are doing, and my kidssure aren’t telling me.

A lot of parents hate conferences. You have to schlepout, wait in line, talk to a