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Traveling in uncertain times is a challenge for most of us adults. So, imagine how many dangers, real and imagined, a young person will face when she travels alone.

Increased Anxiety

Teens may face heightened anxiety due to the uncertainty of travel conditions, such as changing health guidelines and travel restrictions.

Flight Cancellations and Disruptions

Flight cancellations and travel disruptions can be stressful for young travelers, requiring them to adapt quickly to new situations.

Be Streets Smart

Teens should be aware of their surroundings, avoid speaking to strangers, refrain from accepting items from unknown individuals, and maintain situational awareness to stay safe in unfamiliar places.

Technological and Digital Risks

With increased reliance on technology for travel, teens must also be aware of digital safety risks, such as online scams or data breaches, while traveling.

The young traveler

Whether you send your child off to visit her grandparents or send her back to school, you know she has to travel safely.

• After all, you have experienced just about every situation and glitch you can imagine during your travels.
• But remember that you were traveling as an adult.
• You had the financial resources to book a hotel room the minute the airline canceled your flight, and your flight out was early the following morning.
• You knew what to do to comply with TSA requirements as you made your way through airport security.

Most importantly, you were street-smart, aware of your surroundings, and ready with an

Velcro is a hook-and-loop fastener that sticks things together. It also has become a popular term for describing a certain kind of overprotective parent. The other term used to describe such parents is helicopter parent. The term drone is also used. I was curious about the phenomenon as I don't recall that Nancy or I were that over-protective with our children. My research indicates that hovering came into vogue with the advent of smartphones. Today, smartphones, school communication apps, and text messaging make it easier than ever for parents to stay constantly connected with their children. While these tools can strengthen communication, they also make it easier to become too involved. That is not good for your child, and her school will not appreciate your Velcro tendencies. There has to be a balance between hands-on involvement and a hands-off approach. 草榴社区 School Review discusses this partnership between schools and families in Parent Engagement in 草榴社区 Schools in 2026. So, let's approach the issue from that perspective. We will look at how this applies to each grade level as your children progress through their schools.

Pre-school

I was one of those lucky fathers who drove my daughters to their pre-schools. In those days, back in the 70s, I was on the staff of a large Episcopal church on Long Island. Our house was about 2 miles from my eldest daughter's preschool. The preschool was located in the Sunday School classroom wing of the church. The school had just

How to Avoid Summer Brain Drain

The summer 鈥淏rain Drain鈥�, also known as the 鈥淪ummer Slide,鈥� is a term commonly used by educators and parents alike to describe the learning loss that takes place for many students during summer months.

Brain Drain occurs when the extended break from structured learning and scheduled academic work makes the mind lazy and makes it easier to forget material that has already been learned. It is a major concern for American legislators, educators, and parents alike. We鈥檝e paneled some of the top experts in education to get the best advice for parents to help kids avoid summer Brain Drain. From CEO鈥檚 to Technologists to PhD鈥檚 and more, we鈥檝e got the expert advice to help kids of all ages stay sharp all year long.

1. 鈥淲e鈥檙e always learning, but what are we learning?鈥�

First thing鈥檚 first: take time to get to know your child鈥檚 interests. Dr. Alice Wilder, Chief Content Officer at , is a huge proponent of tapping into children鈥檚 interests to maximize their learning potential. Dr. Alice is a leader in children鈥檚 media and research, with senior production roles on landmark franchises and programs like Blue鈥檚 Clues, Super Why!, Speakaboos, and Amazon Kids (to name just a few of her many projects and accomplishments).

Dr. Alice says parents should allow their child to be bored at times to uncover their interests. 鈥淪ee what they come up

The other day I heard about a father bemoaning the fact that his nineteen-year-old son was a mess. The gist of this father's complaint was that he had done so much for his child but nothing seemed to be appreciated. I totally understand the complexities and pitfalls of raising children in the 21st century. It is a scary, very different world from the one I was raised in back in the 50s and 60s, for sure. It is a much different world from where we raised our four children. And, yes, there were times - not many - when I was guilty of being a velcro or helicopter parent. I couldn't bear to see my children fail or make the mistakes I made. Unfortunately, that strategy never produced the results I was expecting.

With all this in mind, let's examine what happens when parents over-indulge and over-protect their children.

What do the terms "velcro" and "helicopter" parents mean?

The term "velcro parent" describes the kind of parent who sticks close to his child to protect him. The "helicopter parent" is constantly hovering around her child to protect him. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines a helicopter parent as "a parent who is overly involved in the life of his or her child". While there is no "velcro parent" entry, one can only assume that it will not be long before there is.

Velcro and helicopter parents have their children's best interests at heart. At least, that's how I remember rationalizing my

If you have children in private school, then you are most likely looking at three months, perhaps even longer, which you must fill with activities of one kind or another during the long summer break. Your children are accustomed to structure during the other nine months of the year. It is a good idea to plan their vacation months. The structure will be there, just much more flexible and adaptable to the needs of the day. Let's look at some of your options for making summer a special time for both you and your children.

Young Children (ages 4-10)

Most schools offer summer sessions. Depending on its resources, a school may offer all-day sessions or just a long morning session running from approximately 9 until 1. If the school has had a summer session for several years, it probably has worked out most of the kinks. But keep an eye out for the quality of each activity. Is the school merely providing glorified babysitting or are the activities well-planned, well-organized, and well-supervised by qualified personnel?

This video offers a glimpse at a summer camp and its programs.

The advantage of sending a young child to a summer session at her school is that she knows just about everybody anyway. Even more important for your wee one is that the daily routine is similar to what she is already comfortable with. My biggest concern with summer