Jennifer L. W. Fink

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Taking Time Off

Raising boys is a lot of work! And if you’re like most parents I know, you probably feel likely overwhelmed right now. Winter holiday + already busy schedule + tight family budget = stress. My question to you is, What are you doing to deal

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Supporting Families and Education

Finland is doing something right. At least, that’s the basic premise behind a recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article, “All Eyes on Education.” Finnish students excel on international measures of academic achievement; they consistently receive high scores in reading, math and science. Finland also has one

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Homeschooling Boys

Do you homeschool your boys? If so, I’d love to hear about some of your favorite books, games, resources and activities. Leave me a comment with some of your favs. I’ll do a round-up post of your favorite resources. (And if you have a lot

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Sexual Abuse and Penn State

By now, nearly everyone has heard the story of Jerry Sandusky, a former Penn State football coach, has been charged with molesting eight boys over a 15-year period. Sandusky denied molesting anyone, though he admits to showering and “horsing around” with young boys. Sadly, the allegations

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In Praise of Free Play

It’s a typical toddler birthday party. The gifts are quickly unwrapped. While his parents ooh and aah over the wonderful toys, little Evan is enthralled with the discarded colorful paper and ribbons. If he’s really lucky, the gifts came in big boxes – and we

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Raising Resilient Boys

It all started because I had the wrong breakfast cereal. No, back that up. It started because I didn’t wake the boys up early. Actually, it started the night before, when Boy #1 noticed that our van’s front passenger tire was saying, “Psssssssssst.” The tire

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Get Ready for Veteran’s Day

I know it’s not even Halloween, but Veteran’s Day (November 11) is fast approaching. Want to mark the day in a meaninful manner? Check out my blog post, Honoring Our Vets, at The Homeschool Classroom.

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Is Your Son a Picky Eater?

None of my sons are a gourmand’s dream. Each will hesitate at the sight of new food — and by “hesitate,” I mean “politely (or not-so-politely) refuse to try.” None of them are big fans of mixed foods, like casserole, even if they like all

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Keeping Boys Busy in the Fall

As a parent of boys, you already know that keeping boys busy is a must — boys with too much time on their hands tend to find trouble. But “busy” can vary from boy to boy and home to home, and while organized activities (sports,

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How’s School?

How is school going for your son? Whether you homeschool or send your kids to a public or private school, it’s a good idea to periodically take stock and see what’s working — and what’s not — regarding your sons’ education. Some things to look

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Is SpongeBob a Bad Influence?

He’s just a made-up cartoon character, a squarish-sponge in shorts who lives under the sea, flips burgers for a living and interacts with a squirrel in an astronaut-like helmet. But a 2001 study in the esteemed medical journal Pediatrics released a study that showed that

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Building Boys

You can purchase the newest book from Building Boys at the following websites: