No Need To Fear, The J Is Here
It was March 16, 2020. I got an email from the Florence G. Heller JCC: “School will be closed for the next 3 weeks.” Panic set in. Two full-time working parents with two adorable, BUSY kids and no family in town – how would we survive the next 3 weeks without the J? Florence G. […] Learn More ›
Becoming Miss Barnett
Teachers have always had a great impact on me, but there is one teacher in particular who has had the most profound influence on my life. That teacher is Mrs. Barnett, a preschool teacher from JCC Chicago Early Childhood at Am Shalom – and she just happens to also be my mom. I grew up getting […] Learn More ›
The J is Here for You!
As we get ready for and settle into a most unusual school year, the J is here for you and your family. We’re continually ideating and adapting our program models to serve our families. Whether you need supervised support for your child’s remote learning, safe pod space for your kids to zoom into their classrooms, […] Learn More ›
JUST.NOT.NORMAL.
This is such a surreal experience, isn’t it? As a member of JCC Chicago’s Early Childhood Social Services team, one of my primary roles is to support parents with brand new babies, toddlers and preschoolers through the various challenges that arise in family life. Last week in my JNew to Two (Or More) virtual moms’ […] Learn More ›
What Happens When Two Dads Go On A Playdate
Who knew that a playdate between two JCC Chicago preschool classmates would be the beginning of a burgeoning toy company? That’s what happened when Tyler and Reed and their fathers met at Flick Park in April of 2019. Their moms (both named Lauren and both nurses!) already had a lunch date planned and were anxious […] Learn More ›
Coronavirus Conversations
If there is one thing I have learned while raising children, it is that they are instinctively in-tune with me as their mother, and they pick up on all of my anxiety and fears even when I think they aren’t noticing. Children are smart, capable, and competent, and can almost smell any tension or nervousness […] Learn More ›