Wisdom from Vermont
One of the stops I made on my book tour this summer was Phoenix Books in Burlington, Vermont. There, next to my poster on the bookstore window, was a poster for another parenting book by Vermonter Vicki Hoefle. Vicki and I never met, but I felt a kinship since we shared the same space on Bank St. Not long after, Vicki reached out to introduce herself and her book Duct Tape Parenting.
Modern Memorization
When my grandmother was losing her memory, she still remembered the poetry she had memorized as a girl. She had no idea who I was (“this is my great friend…(pause) tell me again how we met?”), but out for a walk together she would stop and gaze with joy at a tree. From the depths of her memory she would recite:
Starting an Allowance
An allowance is given to teach a child about money. It should be separate from chores. Pitching in at home is part of being a family. It should not be “paid” for. Some families like to offer money for extra big, once-in-awhile tasks as a way for a child to earn some money; that’s fine.