Book give-away: how to fix America’s problems

America has a number of problems. Despite what he insists, Donald Trump does not know how to solve them.

I recently discovered a book that contains answers to a handful of our national issues. It unveils how to lower rates of asthma and obesity, how to decrease auto fatalities, how to pull kids away from computers and TVs, how to situate the elderly so they can thrive without assistance late into their lives, how to draw young people and new talent into struggling cities, how to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and how to increase interaction between the poor and the upper classes.

What book could answer all these questions? What single solution could possibly address all these issues?

How to look out for all the kids, not just your own

My first grade twins took a field trip yesterday to a metro-park. The plan was to spend the whole day outside, where the class would “observe signs of wildlife and visit farm animals.” In January. In the upper midwest.

We received detailed instructions from the teacher on how to dress our kids–in two pairs of socks, turtlenecks, long underwear, snow pants, waterproof boots, etc. As I was preparing my kids’ clothes the night before, I realized that not every child in their class would likely arrive at school adequately equipped for the long, cold day ahead. There are children in their class who do not seem to own snow pants and who are often without gloves and hats.

Why we let our kids play with Barbies

You may have been wondering. Why do Laura and Rick, usually such clear-headed parents, allow their girls to play with Barbies? Don’t they know that Barbies and princesses foster body image issues? Can’t they see that these dolls teach destructive things about being a woman?

I am aware of these concerns. Yes, Barbie’s proportions trouble me, as does the way these toys suggest that beauty is exclusively defined as tall, thin, white, and blond. For these reasons, we kept Barbie and princesses out of our home for five years. We were able to bar their entrance no longer than that, though.