January/February 2012
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Dear Readers,
The last couple of months have been a parenting adventure in my household. As an early childhood professional I have always felt well armed with information and experience, and ready to handle almost anything that came my way when dealing with our three young children. This year everything has changed. Our family grew from four to five and my oldest daughter moved completely out of the early childhood realm and started dipping her toes in the tween years. I have to admit, I have been at a complete loss when it comes to the swift mood changes and sassy one-liners. While I find myself in awe of the beautiful girl blossoming before my eyes, I simultaneously feel a deep ache as I sense her losing interest in the ways in which we used to share closeness. The other day, as I nursed my 6-month-old son, I realized how easily and naturally the connectedness comes when mothering a babe. It seems almost effortless compared to the struggle of bridging or avoiding a growing divide with a tween or teen. Imagine my delight when Connecting With Your Teen by Michelle Pate showed up in my inbox. This article helped me begin to take a new approach to parenting that is already helping my relationship with my oldest thrive. It is a "must read" whether your children are tiny or thigh-high in the adolescent years. Speaking of the passage of time, with summer weather arriving late this year it may be hard to start thinking about autumn and the new school year. Still, the to-do list is slowly stacking up and nagging for attention. While getting the kids prepared for back to school isn’t nearly as fun as hanging out at the pool or weekend camping trips, the True North team had a blast putting together some fantastic fashion ideas to help make "getting in the mood for school" just a bit easier. Whether your children are starting preschool or moving on to college, this issue has something for you. Enjoy browsing through the Back to School Fashion Guide for clothing ideas and perusing the pages for simple and nutritious breakfast and lunch options as well as extracurricular activities and classes that will help start the year off right. Sincerely, Annette Benedetti Editor in Chief |
