Kids to Grinch: Here’s What Christmas Really Means
In my recent talking with kids, Scrooge of London seems to have lost a lot of ground as the definitive morality tale about Christmas...
Blurred Lines?
Teens spend six hours a day in front of an electronic device and over two hours a day listening to music (BBC, NY Times).
That's...
Child Lore Revisited
Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts is an anthology of childhood rhymes viewed through the lens of subversive folklore. Folklore can be defined as stories, customs,...
The Viral Lives of Children
The representation of everyday children in our media-driven society often ignores how parents shape their child’s digital presence long before the child is able...
Strong Demand for Summer Camp Despite Rising Prices
These days deciding where to send your child for summer camp can give parents almost as much anguish as the all-important choice of college.
Is...
Flagged: Children on July 4th
During the years 2005 to 2012, when I conducted research on July 4th family rituals, the United States imported — mostly from China —...
What Halloween Masks
October 31st is America’s curious anomaly. On October’s last day, as trees defoliate and nature ebbs towards the deadness of winter, parents mark the...
Arts Therapies Have Deep Roots, but Still Resonate Today
Creative arts therapies have roots that go back hundreds of years, but now are being used to deal with 21st-century problems.
“The creative arts go...
Reindeer Magic
Mythology is a living entity of culture in which cross-generational discourse can play a lively role. American Christmas and its Santa Claus mythology are...
