The Blog

Chaos to Calm(ish)

Notes on kids, systems, and calmer homes—a growing collection of articles, including pieces originally written for Hillgrove Avenue Magazine, on executive functioning, parenting, and helping students build skills that stick.

A kid floating on a pink pool ring in a swimming pool, seen from behind
Hillgrove Avenue Magazine July 2026

It's July! Yay?

Four short weeks ago, we were diving into summer, thrilled to not be driving to "all the things," and watching your kids sleep until noon. It was such an innocent time.

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A boy laughing and stretched out in a hammock on a sunny patio
Hillgrove Avenue Magazine June 2026

You Don't Have to Fix Everything in June

The last day of school always feels like a finish line. Backpacks get dropped, alarms get turned off, and everyone exhales. And then, a new thought sneaks in: Okay, now what?

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A young boy lying relaxed in a field of grass and dandelions
Hillgrove Avenue Magazine May 2026

Summer Isn't a Break for Executive Functioning. It's a Stress Test

Summer sounds great in theory. No homework. No early alarms. No nightly battles over missing assignments. And then the structure disappears.

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A student resting her head on her arm over an open book on the couch
Hillgrove Avenue Magazine April 2026

The Spring Struggle No One Warned Us About

Her grades are fine… so why does everything feel harder than it should? If that sounds familiar, here's something important to know: this is not laziness. It's overload.

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A teen typing on a laptop at a desk, seen from overhead
Hillgrove Avenue Magazine March 2026

To Panic or Not to Panic: AI is the Question

When calculators first appeared in classrooms, I imagine math teachers everywhere clutching their textbooks with horror.

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A woman pausing for a quiet moment with a cup of coffee by a window
Hillgrove Avenue Magazine February 2026

February: When Motivational Posters Go to Die

Ok friends, it's February. I'm sorry. The holidays are long gone, spring break nowhere in sight, and why don't I live in California again?

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A boy curled up in a cozy chair, reading thoughtfully with his hand resting on his head
Hillgrove Avenue Magazine January 2026

The Quiet Power Combo

If you've ever watched your kid glare at their homework like it insulted their ancestors, you've seen executive functioning in action—or, more accurately, in struggle mode.

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Three kids sitting on the floor playing a board game together by a sunlit window
Hillgrove Avenue Magazine December 2025

How to Recharge Your Family's Batteries Over the Holiday Break

The holidays can be both exciting and challenging—a mix of magic, mayhem, and maybe a little too much family togetherness.

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Desk with a laptop, notebook, and sticky notes, with a lit Christmas tree in the background
Hillgrove Avenue Magazine November 2025

Finals and Festivities – How to Keep Kids (and Parents) on Track

The holiday lights are twinkling, the cookies are baking, and… your child's backpack is groaning under the weight of study guides, projects, and looming finals.

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School desk with textbooks, a notebook, and a backpack on the chair
Hillgrove Avenue Magazine October 2025

The Mid-Semester Slump

Remember that shiny, back-to-school energy from August? By October, that glow has faded—here's how to help your child get back on track before report cards make their entrance.

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