My experience handling my six-year-old’s anxiety after COVID restrictions and distance learning. — Fear dared not enter my youngest daughter’s psyche. At the playgrounds, she befriended most any child by opening with, “Hi, I’m Bianca. I’m six. I have a loose tooth.” At the climbing gym, she’d scale 50-foot walls without a glance back. …

Once upon a time, there was a handsome man who often recounted his amorous encounters. After his stories, he would in jest bemoan the burden his beauty bore. “Es una carrera ser lindo.” Don Ernesto my Abuelo passed this month at the age of 100. While fond memories of lechón…

Circling turkey vultures look down as I hang from miniature knobs halfway up a sheer ten-storey volcanic tuff wall. While I’m safely strapped fear climbs alongside. “Are humans intended to scale these walls?” fear asks. Once safely down, each of my children takes a turn completing the 80-foot climb. Unlike…

After years of assimilation, I relearned the importance of loving myself — and my Puerto Rican culture — in full — Once upon a time on a Caribbean island, I would climb palms, knock down coconuts, and sell them for a dollar. But 35 years have passed since my family left Puerto Rico for the States. …

Reflecting on the positives distance schooling delivered. — Distance learning was far from ideal. Who wasn’t angry that public schools couldn’t find a more creative solution to teaching? But, this article does not chronicle my complaints about the school year. …

How I got my kids to think about the five food groups at (most) every meal

A lesson on researching, analyzing, debating, and voting on federal, state and local elections and ballot measures. For better or for worse, my children were consumed by the 2020 election. They peppered me with questions about a candidate or an issue. …

The perils of paying the credit card minimum after unabashed charging Over the years I’ve had friends end up with massive credit card debt. My friends amassed the debt by spending unabashedly and then only paying the monthly minimum. It’s not surprising a person might think it is fine to…

The benefits of asking family to regularly practice drawing and singing with my children — Probably the easiest lessons taught this year were those taught by others in my family. My brother who illustrates for Netflix Animation resonated with the lessons on scale and point perspective. …