J2 Content – Perspectives

A varied collection of thoughts on education and parenting

An Advantage to Irregular Visits from Family

As is the case for most of you, Christmas and Thanksgiving brought my children, wife, and I together with some family members we don’t often see. I’m not proud of or pleased by that fact… but we simply don’t see my uncles, cousins, or even brother as often as I’d like. One advantage is the…. read more

Five Good Role Models for Kids

Since I watch a lot of television with my kids, I often have to point out to them that while a character might be hilarious to watch, they aren’t necessarily a good role model. This inevitably brings up the question, “Why are the funniest characters on television the worst role models?” Well, to disprove that…. read more

In Case You Didn’t Notice, My Son is No Longer on Your Team

For the past four years, my son has been a member of the local swim team. That’s four years of summer, winter, and spring swimming seasons. That’s four $750 checks written for the pleasure of being a member of the team. That’s four years in which the coaches had a chance to learn that he…. read more

TV’s Funniest Substance Abusers

As often happens with children, the topic of drug use came up today and I was forced to explain the distinction between using drugs and abusing drugs. The conversation inevitable turned to all the funny characters on television who are clearly addicted to some kind of controlled substance. Here is a collection of the funniest….. read more

With Apologies to my 7th Grade Teacher

Back when I was in the 7th grade, I had an English teacher (we called it “English” back then, but to you younger readers that is “Language Arts”) named Ms. Miller. Ms. Miller taught the honors students and she was one of the more demanding teachers for our grade level. This being pre-NCLB-centered education, what…. read more

Were Halloween Costumes Always So Provocative?

It’s October which means that it’s yet again time to shop for Halloween costumes for the kids. Given my daughter just turned 14, it’s highly likely this is the last time she’ll be ‘trick-or-treating’. My son, age 10, was easy to shop for. “Mom I want to be an army soldier with a gun! And…. read more

Giving in to Glee

I don’t know how many seasons Glee has been on. It feels like somewhere in the range of 3-5, but to be honest I’m not sure. I do remember when Glee first came on the air. I had no interest in watching it. I’m not sure exactly what it is about the show that turned…. read more

What to Let Them Watch This Fall

Every fall since my children have been alive, I have asked myself the same question, “Would I let my kids watch this show?” It’s a strange question because the answer is rarely a simple yes or no. The answers are usually a mix of the following… “Yes, but I will never watch it because it…. read more

This Aint Elementary School Anymore

Last Friday, my daughter made the jump from a K-6 elementary school into a 7-8 middle school. Her father and I did all we could to prepare her: clothes, school supplies, some summer “school work”, a number of talks about boys, peer pressure, “mean girls” and more. We made it a point to watch some…. read more

The Lying Game

Well, ABC Family has done it again. Done what, you ask? Created another crappy TV show. This one is called The Lying Game. The premise is a twist on The Prince and the Pauper. Twins are separated at birth. One is adopted by a rich family and the other grows up in a foster home….. read more

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