If a child’s greatest strength is indeed hidden inside his or her worst quality, as Jewish wisdom tells us about the yetzer hara, then I’m determined to find the value of my daughter Sari’s kvetvching.

Like many little girls her age, my seven-year-old has the tendency to complain about everything from the seams in her socks to the way I brush her hair. I try to be sensitive to her sensitivities, and I respect the fact that she is very intuitive and mature for her age. However, Sari’s persistent habit has become an art form in both English and Yiddish.
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Stay-at-home-moms are much like corporate executives because we problem solve all day long. We all know this by now, but it’s worth repeating. The only difference is that our boss is four foot tall and considers Lunchables a gourmet meal. And another thing—no one recognizes our everyday accomplishments, big or small, such as the many times I salvage artwork from the bottom of a trash can after it’s already soaked in cream of mushroom soup. (more…)

When it comes to prayers, Jews have it covered. We have a prayer for everything—from the morning ritual Modeh Ani, which thanks God for returning our soul to us, to the bedtime blessing Shema Yisrael. In addition to the traditional blessings over food and the holidays, special prayers can be learned for each gift that God gives us throughout the day. For example, there’s a prayer for when we wear new clothes for the first time, hear a booming thunderstorm, smell the fragrant scent of a magnolia blossom, reunite with a long-lost friend, and so on. Even when we notice a strange-looking person or animal, we can say, “Blessed are You, Lord our God, who varies creation…” (more…)