Falling Between the Cracks – The Secret World of Home Schooling! – Revisited

Posted on January 31, 2010 by Bruce Sallan

Falling Between the Cracks is an old column of mine, but I thought I’d resurrect it given a recent tweet I read about home schooling. It was an extraordinary and very valuable experience for my son (and me).

I’ve recently become exposed to a secret world. One in which mere mortals rarely can glimpse. This world is populated by strange, passionate humans who apparently see things in a different light from the rest of us. They also reek of happiness and contentment. They appear to be eclectic in their approach to life and their children are like mini Renaissance Men and Women. No, I’m not talking about a cult, Scientology, or even Hollywood but, gulp, the underground world of home schooling!

Just A Guy Declaring Raising Kids Takes Luck!

Posted on November 14, 2009 by Bruce Sallan

It isn’t just a factor in Vegas. It’s a factor in everything in life. And, I believe it’s one of the biggest influences in how our kids turn out. Yes, every yuppie thinks they will do it better than every generation before and many of us do make parenting a bigger priority, but I assert raising kids takes luck!

Coming from a showbiz background, I saw how luck was a contributor to so many people’s success. Why did one actor “luck out” and get a career-making role like J.Lo in “Selena” while another whose name we don’t even remember got their “break” in what turned out to be a flop? Luck.

Cosmo, the wonderful Donald O’Connor star of “Singin’ In The Rain” sang “Make ‘Em Laugh” in that seminal musical number, but I say “Give ‘Em Luck,” for life and kid success. A little laughter along the way won’t hurt though. In fact, I’d suggest watching that number whenever you need a lift. We all know parents that have done everything “right” yet have kids who are addicts, failures at school, and more. We also know many lazy, lousy parents whose kids turned out great.

I don’t believe we should just rely on luck, but don’t discount it either. And, don’t beat yourself up when your kids disappoints and blame yourself or your spouse, or your divorce, or your own problems. That can make a difference, of course, and we all should do our best job at parenting. Luck is a non-negotiable, uncontrollable factor but, what do I know; I’m just a guy. But I will still assert – raising kids takes luck!

Falling Between the Cracks – The Secret World of Home Schooling!

Posted on May 1, 2009 by Bruce Sallan

This is an old column of mine, but I thought I’d resurrect it given a recent tweet I read about home schooling. It was an extraordinary and very valuable experience for my son (and me).

Tattoos, Rap and Saggy Pants

Posted on February 25, 2009 by Bruce Sallan

The journey from child, to teen, to young adult to parent seems to have similar stops along the way for most everyone. When I was in college, during the “age of stupidity,” as a man I greatly respect refers to the 60’s and early 70’s, as a “love child” and soon-to-be yuppie, I was thoroughly convinced that I would be a different parent to any children I might have than my parents were to me.

Naturally, I had ALL the answers. My parents’ tastes in music, fashion, politics, my Mom’s “helmet” style hair-do which required weekly visits to the hair salon, were all stupid, old-fashioned, and ugly! It was inconceivable to me that they didn’t “dig” or see how groovy The Doors, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, or The Stones were. The fact that most of them died of drug overdoses escaped me at the time (e.g. Brian Jones of The Stones in case you think I’ve missed something). The fact that Mick Jagger and his remaining “crew” still perform when our generation famously said not to trust anyone over thirty is also a lost irony on most of my AARP-aged contemporaries now.