50 Jewish Things To Do Before 13

By Lenore Skenazy for The Jewish Daily Forward

Bucket lists are kind of sad, focused as they are on the stabbing regrets we’ll feel on our death bed. As if dying weren’t enough of a downer.

On the other hand, the lists do present a nifty, compact way to remind ourselves that the time to enjoy life is now. That’s why I was so excited to hear that Britain’s National Trust had compiled a list of “50 Things To Do Before You’re 12.” What a great way to remind kids — and their parents — that what looms for all tweens is adulthood. Pretty soon it will be too late, or at least more awkward, for kids to make their first fort, or mud pie.

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How Our Schools are Screwing Up Recess

Rachel Fadlon for Kveller

I am *this* close to packing up and moving my family to Finland. This close.

The Finns, they just get it. Their health care system works for everyone. They provide educational opportunities for the their citizens. They all take real vacations and appreciate life. They have amazing maternity leave.

You know what else they get right? School. Have you seen their international rankings? They score above the US in every subject. But what intrigues me most about the Finnish system is how often they let their students take unstructured breaks during the school day. At a time when our school system is reducing the number and length of recess time, the Fins are giving their kids 15-minute breaks after each 45-minute session. Think about that for a minute…

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Think You Hate Barbies? You’ll Probably Love Their New Ad

Joanna Valente for Kveller

When you think of Barbie, you probably don’t think of feminism or female empowerment. If anything, you probably think of all the ways Barbie reinforces unhealthy stereotypes about women’s bodies. Mattel, however, is looking to throw that stereotype in the trash, where it belongs.

Like every major company these days, Mattel is rebranding Barbie with a new advertising campaign. The goal is to show little girls that women aren’t just eye candy, but intelligent people who can make a positive difference in any field they choose. Evelyn Mazzocco, global svp and general manager of Barbie, told Adweek:

“We want to remind the world what Barbie stands for. Founded by a female entrepreneur and mother in 1959, the Barbie brand has always represented the fact that women have choices. This ongoing initiative is designed to remind today’s parents that through the power of imagination, Barbie allows girls to explore their limitless potential.”

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‘Sesame Street’ Introduces First Character with Autism

Joanna Valente for Kveller
Well, this makes us totally happy. “Sesame Street” just made history with the creation of their new muppet, Julia, who is the first character on the show with autism. Launched just this morning, “Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children“ seeks to reduce “the stigma of autism,” which we’re all about.

The initiative was created for families with children ages 2 to 5, which includes a free app that incorporates video, digital story cards designed to make daily life tasks easier for those with autism, and storybook materials for organizations and families. These materials are intended to make children with autism feel included and understood. For instance, in the storybooks, Julia describes to her friends how she likes to play a little differently from them.

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Everything That Ran Through My Mind After My Baby Fell Off the Table

Meredith Ginsberg for Kveller

My baby fell on the changing table.

You’re probably already judging me. I’m judging me, too–don’t worry. Yeah, it happened, and it could happen to anyone. Thank God, he was fine. The pediatrician kind of laughed at me when I insisted on bringing him in, and told me that it does, in fact, happen every day. If it does happen to you, watch for vomiting and a change in behavior and eating habits. Unless that happens, however, but your kid is most likely totally fine.

Here’s almost exactly what went through my mind:

1. Oh my God…
2. How did that happen, I was holding his leg…Wow, he is strong.
3. Man, his head makes a loud thump, even on carpet.
4. I am the only mom who has ever done this before, ever in the history of parenting.

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Is It Kosher for Parents to Spank?

Michelle Cove, Editor, 614 HBI eZINE

Spanking was in the news spotlight this year. There was much controversial discussion after a mom smacked her 16-year-old son (on camera) for throwing rocks at the police during a violent demonstration in Baltimore. In June the Massachusetts Supreme Court established guidelines for the use of physical punishment, including spanking, by parents. I was spanked as a child, although only if I’d done something really wrong. The fact that I can’t remember any of the reasons behind getting spanked makes a case for how ineffective, at best, this type of discipline may be. None of the moms I know today spank their kids (I’m told), and yet, as you’ll learn in this issue, the large majority of American parents do spank. We Americans certainly have complicated feelings about the topic, and on whether we are meant to “Spare the rod. Spoil the child.” (Proverbs 13:24). In this issue, we present various Jewish perspectives to help you form or reshape your own opinion. Our name “614” comes from the fact that even though there are 613 good deeds suggested for leading a Jewish life, there’s always room for exploration. No. 614 this month: Be intentional about how you discipline your children.

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Mayim Bialik: The Hebrew Prayer That Brought My Son & Me Together

Mayim Bialik for Kveller

How did it happen? How did he do it? How did we do it?

He’s almost 10 now. He still has so many echoes of his tiny self. Those big eyes. The rosy cheeks. The sweet cuddles and the smile that melts my heart.

But now the eyes have a better-proportioned head around them. The rosy cheeks once porcelain and smooth now have freckles and even a well-earned scar or two. The cuddles are only in private. The smile is older, and it’s wiser.

It doesn’t seem long ago that we hired a Jewish studies/Hebrew tutor. We homeschool our sons, so Hebrew and Jewish education are one of the things we “outsource.” His tutor noted early on how much he loves the structure of learning, how much he wants to do more and more, how astute he is. I was like that in Hebrew school. I remember.

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