dents Project (now called Challenge Success) in 2007. The
national organization teaches parents and teachers how to
minimize academic stress.
The first step, she says, is for parents to clearly define
their own vision of “success” for their child. Is it really at-
tendance at an Ivy League school? Or, is it participating in an
enjoyable college environment that enriches their life?
“People have this vision that their child has to get
straight As and involve themselves in every extracurricular
activity in order to get into a good college: Not true,” states
Pope. “There is a college out there for every student who
wants to go to college.”
If a parent gets the sense that their child’s homework
levels are excessive, they need to be proactive and call the
teacher, says Pope. As a general rule, kids should have no
more than 10 minutes of homework per grade level (10
Look 6-20 Inches Slimmer minutes for first-graders, 30 for third-graders, two hours for
in an Hour–Guaranteed!
high school seniors, etc.). Pope asks her child’s teachers to
send work home in advance in weekly packets, so they can
Our all natural mineral body wraps will help
jump-start your plan, and motivate you to stay
distribute it over the week around other commitments.
on it, succeed and live a healthier lifestyle.
“I know kids who do different, multiple sports each sea-
son after school, then come home every day, eat dinner and
$15 OFF Your First Wrap
start in on homework at 8 or 9. We are asking them to put in
WiTh This Ad. VAlid Thru AugusT 31sT.
longer days than most adults do,” Pope remarks.
Suddenly Slimmer “The Wrap that Works”
99 North Broadway, Tarrytown NY 10591
let kids be kids


r
4VEEFOMZ4MFOEFSDPN
Honoré, a London author who has made a living writing
books about how to slow down and lead a less frenzied life,
says he too, found himself falling into the “hyper-parenting”
trap. When his son’s art instructor suggested his 7-year-old
might have a gift for art, he found himself sifting through
catalogues, looking for just the right afterschool course or
summer class to nurture his budding Picasso’s special talent.
When his son got the news, he looked at his father, dum-
founded, and asked, “Why do grownups have to take over
everything?”
“I realized I had lost my bearings as a parent,” Honoré
says. He backed off and ended up writing a book about it.
He now takes care to ask himself what his motives are before
guiding his son toward an activity: Is it for me, or is it for
him?
Meanwhile, this grassroots researcher is optimistic that
“The pendulum is beginning to swing back,” and that a back-
lash against hyper-parents and stressed-out kids is upon us.
In 2008, Toronto became one of the first jurisdictions in
North America to crack down on excess homework, all but
eliminating it in elementary grades and banning it during
weekends and holidays. Meanwhile, communities across the
United States have begun to host “Ready, Set, Relax” days,
where all homework and extracurricular activities are can-
celed.
On a smaller scale, experts say the revolution toward
less stressed-out kids can begin when parents look at their
kids in a new light. As Pope puts it: “We need to love the kid
before us, not the kid we want them to be.”
Lisa Marshall is a freelance writer and mother of four in Colo-
rado.

Westchester/Putnam Counties
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48