Tag: nicole j phillips

I saw a post recently from a teacher, reassuring parents that educators will indeed be able to catch kids up on curriculum once September comes.

It went on to say that what teachers need parents and guardians to do right now is help with social emotional learning. We need to talk with our children about their big feelings and continually remind ... Read More


Today, I’m going to do a very scary thing.

I am going to limit my 9 year old’s time on his electronic devices. Terrifying, right?

There will be step-by-step levels of trauma.

  1. My son will surely begin a debate about how more time playing Fortnite is beneficial for his social skills (because he plays with friends online).
  2. My son will lose that debate ... Read More

There is a beautiful unfolding of compassion and creativity happening in our world! I’ve been asking readers to share their coronavirus stories of kindness so we can all see the amazing outbreaks of goodness. Andy Smallman from Seattle wrote about having “Beer with Granddad.”

“The most important thing for my parents, ages 85 & 86, is family. Living in a retirement ... Read More


We have a big calendar on the wall of our kitchen. On a normal April, it is filled. Every single day has something written on it. Baseball games, track practices, Mom’s speaking events, Dad’s recruiting trips — every day is spoken for.

When school was cancelled in March, my youngest son, Ben, took a marker and crossed everything out and wrote ... Read More


Do you know what’s annoyingly contagious? Coronavirus. Do you know what’s delightfully contagious? Kindness.

I’m going to shift this column for a while so that instead of sharing general kindness stories, we can all celebrate the kindness that is happening specifically during this time of crisis.

I’ll need your help. I know you are seeing and doing acts of kindness in your ... Read More


Have you seen the #WeRemember video from @TheSocialCoUK? If you do nothing else today… no shower, no making of the bed, no brushing of the teeth… do this one thing. Watch the video.

https://www.facebook.com/TheSocialCoUK/videos/3653942478011904/

It so perfectly lays out the beauty we will see on the other side of this crisis.

Kindness is unfolding before our very eyes. There are neighbors checking ... Read More


Have you ever gone viral?

Me neither — unless you count winning a car on “The Price is Right,” but that’s not really fame as much as it is a quick brush with fortune (until we had to pay taxes on the car I won).

My friend Don Carter has gone viral. Back in 2017, he met a woman working at a ... Read More


“There is a miracle on the other side of this mountain.”

I was doing a video chat with a friend and her words awoke the hope inside me. She said it’s her daily mantra. It’s the place she parks her brain when her brain wants to idle in the land of what-ifs.

She heard those words from another friend who saw ... Read More


There is a woman who lives in my former town of Athens, Ohio. She makes the most delicious smelling soap and is pretty famous, although she would never admit to it.

Her name is Space and her company is playfully called Space Cadet Soaps. Space recently shared her musings on kindness after receiving an unexpected thank you ... Read More


I was talking to my brother last night. He’s a really great guy and I’m not just saying that because we have the same genes. He has this crazy, wildly biting wit, but in the next breath, he’ll be telling me he loves me. He calls and checks in with me way more than I call him. In other words, ... Read More