2024-03-26 18:06
Five years ago, our world tilted on its axis. The word “cancer” entered our vocabulary in a way we never imagined. Fear collided with a fierce need to protect our children, and a… Read More
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ariyares.com/blog
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A licensed psychologist and parent coach explores the intersection of innovation, parenting, and psychology and provides parenting tips and hacks to support today's busy parents.
2022-04-08 05:01
There are a couple variations on this pie. Most call for Cream of Tartar.
Ingredients:
For crust:
4 egg whites, at room temperature1 cup plus 2 tbsps sugar1 tsp potato st… Read More
2022-04-08 03:53
Passover is right around the corner and I’ve been trying to figure out what we’re serving this year. For us, it’s the first time that we’re hosting a seder in a while… Read More
2022-04-08 03:35
Sometimes the simple meals are the ones that everyone eats. Meatballs are pretty much a hit in our family all year long and this recipe can be used for Passover too!
Ingredients
2 poun… Read More
2022-04-08 03:19
It’s not Passover in our house unless there is sorbet. This simple, yet elegant dessert cleanses the pallet and serves as a delightful lingering taste before the Afikomen is discovered… Read More
2022-04-08 03:07
As part of a recipe exchange at work, my wife came home with this incredible Passover recipe from Rabbi Debi Wechsler. We stopped making it into muffins and started making it as a breakfast… Read More
2022-04-08 02:44
I am a sucker for chocolate-covered strawberries. It’s healthy, right? There’s fruit inside there?
Chocolate-covered strawberries are a great way to add a yummy dessert to you… Read More
2022-04-08 02:23
This chocolate cake recipe is so good that you will be tempted to make it when it isn’t Passover. It’s moist and yummy and everything that you expect a Passover cake recipe to no… Read More
2022-02-25 03:31
Grounding usually evokes images of kids sent to their rooms having lost a long list of privileges from screens to socializing for some challenging behavior. Generally, it’s something o… Read More
2022-02-20 02:07
Some nights, it’s tough to put dinner on the table. Between after-school activities for the kids, evening meetings, and other commitments, it feels like there is barely time to eat, le… Read More
2022-02-13 04:13
Growing up, I didn’t have a lot of exposure to Mexican food. Sure, we occasionally had tacos, but it wasn’t a cuisine that we went out to eat. In fact, my idea of a Mexican meal… Read More
2022-02-07 02:07
I didn’t think that we were going to be one of those houses that was going to get an Alexa. I was wrong. We now have one in almost every room of the house. The voice-controlled speaker… Read More
2022-02-06 19:03
Breakfast for dinner?! Can you really do that?
The answer to that is a resounding yes! Maybe it’s my Jersey upbringing and my fascination with diners where you can get breakfast fo… Read More
2022-01-30 02:37
Chinese New Year is right around the corner, so what better time to share some yummy Asian-themed foods? Personally, I love Chinese food and simply cannot get enough Chinese takeout. The mix… Read More
2022-01-28 01:11
Amy Morin likes to count to thirteen. I’m not sure why, but she’s now counted to thirteen four times, once for each of her popular books. Morin’s books are based upon her e… Read More
2022-01-23 02:30
I love diner food. Growing up in South Jersey, the diner was a ubiquitous part of my childhood. Every community had at least one diner, often two. Naturally, you developed a favorite diner o… Read More
2022-01-16 03:12
When we think about meal planning, one recent trend has been the idea of meatless Mondays. Essentially, this means skipping a meat-based main course in favor of a vegetarian entree. Thankful… Read More
2022-01-13 03:00
A school administrator that I recently spoke with jokingly shared that at least the school isn’t worried about lice spreading anymore since the kids aren’t allowed to be close en… Read More
2022-01-09 02:13
Our house has been chilly all week. The thermostat settings haven’t changed; it’s more like our bodies hadn’t adjusted to the drop in temperature from a weekend of 50 degre… Read More
2022-01-04 17:54
This past weekend, we watched the latest release on Disney+, Encanto. It’s a spectacular story of a family’s fight to survive mixed with a sweet coming of age story for an adoles… Read More
2022-01-02 04:56
A New Year means New Year’s resolutions. Many of the most common New Year’s resolutions are related to our health: losing weight, improving diet, and exercising more.
Simply m… Read More
2021-12-31 01:28
2020 was rough and while 2021 entered with a lot of hope, it brought its own parenting challenges as we struggled to return to something that felt like normal. Instead of a smooth exit from… Read More
2021-12-26 03:03
2021 is coming to a close. I’ve been sharing meal plans now for six months. I’ve enjoyed hearing about how meal planning works in your home and I’m looking forward to shari… Read More
2021-12-22 02:57
As we got ready for winter break, we had yet another cold weather, outdoor playdate over the weekend. It lasted longer than expected but still ended the same way that most of these outdoor p… Read More
2021-12-20 03:59
Picky eating feels like one of those universal challenges that all parents deal with. And even if you don’t have a classic picky eater at home, odds are that someone at the dinner tabl… Read More
2021-12-20 03:17
This is a delicious variation on a sushi salad. Instead of haphazardly piling the ingredients on top of one another in a bowl, they are layered in a pie tin or 8×8 baking pan. This rec… Read More
2021-12-14 04:45
Getting kids to do chores can be a pain in the neck. It can become a power struggle even when dealing with the most compliant of kids. Sometimes, it becomes so frustrating that we just throw… Read More
2021-12-12 02:58
Feeding a family of six each week can feel a bit intense. The logistics are complicated as we try to balance afterschool activities and seeing patients at night. The last thing that I want t… Read More
2021-12-09 01:46
Oh, robot vacuum! How I love thee! Thine drunken meanderings around my kitchen doth make swoon.
As I write this, I’m still a little flabbergasted at the impact that a small, round r… Read More
2021-12-06 02:37
Sometimes you just need to dial back the cooking and make the week as simple as possible. Often, I use menu planning as an excuse to try a new recipe or to push my kids to try out flavors an… Read More
2021-11-28 04:50
Ingredients
1 cup Kodiak Cakes mix
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 banana, mashed
1 cup of milk
1 egg
1 TBSP oil
Mini chocolate chips like Enjoy Life
Heat your waffle iron.Mas… Read More
2021-11-28 02:39
It’s Hanukkah on Sunday night which means a week filled with fried foods! Well, sort of.
The tradition of eating foods fried in oil dates back to one of the miracles connected to H… Read More
2021-11-21 23:27
It’s another unusual Thanksgiving in our home. We’re not traveling and we’re not hosting because of a combination of factors. The pressure to cook an intense, typical Thank… Read More
2021-11-21 22:52
Ingredients
3 large sweet potatoes
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mini marshmallow (optional)
Place the unpeeled sweet potatoes in the… Read More
2021-11-14 22:01
Most families have at least one – someone who eats to the beat of their own culinary drummer. A picky eater can be the bane of your existence if you have limited time to prepare altern… Read More
2021-11-10 20:49
Nobody enjoys a temper tantrum. Not the kid, not the parent. They often end with everyone feeling more miserable than when they started. And that’s just the best-case scenario.
Our… Read More
2021-11-08 03:54
We had a birthday in the house for one of my kids and part of our family tradition is getting to pick the menu for Shabbat dinner. Naturally, I forgot about this when planning last week, so… Read More
2021-11-03 11:45
When I flew for the first time with my oldest, I remember hearing the flight attendant give his shpiel and reminding those of us traveling with young children to put on our oxygen masks firs… Read More
2021-11-01 01:44
This is an old family favorite. It’s a yummy mixture of eggs, cheese, and tomato sauce. The bonus is that you can prep it in advance and freeze it.
1 cooked pie shell
1 cup Itali… Read More
2021-10-31 02:56
I wish I could tell you that I had an amazing trick-or-treat-oriented menu but I just don’t. Mostly because the theme of dessert for the rest of the week is going to be dolling out pie… Read More
2021-10-24 19:58
When I get stuck putting the menu together each week, I’ll often start thinking about themes. Just like themes help writing (shout out to my English teacher friends out there), themes… Read More
2021-10-24 19:58
When I get stuck putting the menu together each week, I’ll often start thinking about themes. Just like themes help writing (shout out to my English teacher friends out there), themes… Read More
2021-10-22 11:50
Cancer is the hardest thing that I have ever needed to explain to my kids. Probably because we struggle to understand it ourselves. The truth is that I have a hard time understanding it myse… Read More
2021-10-17 02:01
My best cooking weeks (from a parenting perspective) is when I can get the kids in the kitchen to help out. For me, this has always been tricky. I like cooking and it creates an escape for m… Read More
2021-10-14 03:29
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I don’t think that I can ever play another round of Candy Land. The game has its merits, like being a great way to introduce your preschoo… Read More
2021-10-13 01:59
With the school year underway, it’s time to talk about the school lunch again. One unanticipated benefit of virtual learning was the reduction of stress around lunch. Generally, the ki… Read More
2021-10-10 02:41
Last week, I was worried that our routine was so new that I didn’t know how to plan for it. This week, I’m feeling rushed, even though the week hasn’t even started. The fre… Read More
2021-10-05 02:07
This is a question that I have gotten a lot lately. And they are right. Menu planning seems an odd choice of topics. I’m not a chef or a nutritionist. What could I possibly have to say… Read More
2021-10-03 01:27
We haven’t had a normal week in almost a month. And, to be frank, there really wasn’t anything normal about that week since school was starting. This week marks the kids’ f… Read More
2021-09-26 20:35
Cooking for individuals with specific dietary needs is no joke. I’m not talking about your dislikes of specific foods – those are more preferences (e.g. not liking raw vegetables… Read More
2021-09-19 02:54
The onslaught of fall Jewish holidays continues this week with the start of Sukkot. The exciting part of this holiday is the opportunity to gather with friends in our Sukkah (think non-perma… Read More
2021-09-19 02:48
Our friend Isaac introduced us to this recipe from his Bubbie’s catering business. It’s a simple zucchini broth chock full of nutrition and yumminess.
4-5 lbs. zucchini or… Read More
2021-09-13 02:49
This is a hard week to plan, prep, and cook for. Shortened weeks for the Jewish holidays compacts the available time. Throwing a fast day (Yom Kippur) into the middle of it makes it even mor… Read More
2021-09-09 15:32
The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur is right around the corner (this year, it starts on the evening of Sept. 15). This solemn day for Jews to focuses on repenting and turning back to a path of… Read More
2021-09-01 03:37
The arrival of the Jewish high holidays each fall means lots of cooking. While aspects of the holidays reflect themes of justice and repentance, there is also a theme of joy and happiness at… Read More
2021-08-30 02:42
The start of the school year and the quickly approaching fall Jewish holidays means simpler meals and raiding the deep freezer. There will be plenty of cooking this week, just not for eating… Read More
2021-08-25 11:19
In a household with two professional parents and four kids, planning and time management are incredibly important. Knowing who needs to be where with what and when as well as what needs to g… Read More
2021-08-23 02:12
For a busy family, leftovers are a necessary and functional part of our meal planning. Guaranteeing that there are leftovers is usually relatively easy as meal prep often includes doubling r… Read More
2021-08-08 02:46
If you have been looking at these meal plans for the last several weeks, you have probably noticed that lunch is not included on them. The absence is intentional. It isn’t that we don… Read More
2021-08-01 03:32
Someone once said that no plan survives encounter with the enemy. While this was probably intended as a reflection on the challenges of planning for war, I’ve frequently noticed that t… Read More
2021-08-01 03:23
Ingredients
Mexican rice – we make our using this recipe in the Instant Pot.
Refried beans – also an easy dish to prepare in the Instant Pot. No overnight soaking of the be… Read More
2021-07-26 18:35
This week, when I asked my kids for input into what we should eat, I was met with a table full of blank stares. Needless to say, this wasn’t encouraging.
Clearly, a dose of inspira… Read More
2021-07-26 03:01
Ingredients
2 tsp chopped garlic
6 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
5 tablespoons chili powder (add more if you like it spicier or reduce for a milder flavor)
2 cans diced tom… Read More
2021-07-21 02:36
What does HALT mean and why is it so important to parent self-care and parenting?
The post HALT – No, Really. Stop and Think about These Questions appeared first on Dr. Ari Yares… Read More
2021-07-19 03:36
Menu planning requires a degree of flexibility. Our plan last week made it through to the end of the week with a few minor changes. This week’s plan changed several times from when I w… Read More
2021-07-19 03:33
1 package of frozen butternut squash1/2 cup of sugar1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powderA splash of vanilla2 tablespoons of flour3 eggs1/4 pound melted margarine or 1/2 cup of canola oilCinnamon… Read More
2021-07-11 03:45
One lesson I’ve learned from trying to be an innovative parent is the importance of meal planning. It makes shopping and prepping easier and sometimes cuts down on how many times I&rsq&hell…Read More
2021-07-11 03:13
This dish is a staple of our friend Linda’s table. It combines delicious blintzes with a yummy eggy souffle’. Our go to is to combine cheese blintzes with cherry blintzes but you… Read More
2021-05-20 21:15
With the warmth of the summer building, we’re starting to think about the fun of summer. Whether it is camp, vacation, or afternoons by the pool, summer usually means a slower, more re… Read More
2020-12-22 03:05
It can be difficult in the best of years to weather the winter months and this year with its COVID-19 restrictions is going to be even harder. Join Dr. Ari Yares, psychologist and parent coa… Read More
2020-12-17 20:20
Guest Post: From time to time, I share posts from colleagues and other contributors who have meaningful advice to pass on to parents and families. Please enjoy this post from Alexandra Eiden… Read More
2020-12-10 04:27
It’s cold outside and time to start thinking of warm drinks and sitting by the fire. While you are sipping your hot chocolate, take a moment to use it to practice breathing calming and… Read More
2020-11-25 03:09
Holidays can be stressful and anxiety-provoking. 2020 will be no exception and with the challenges of COVID-19, probably even more stressful. Watch as Dr. Ari Yares shares ideas on how to cr… Read More
2020-07-30 03:58
This presentation was hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington at the start of the stay-at-home order in the DC metropolitan area. You can watch the video on the Federation webs… Read More
2020-07-24 15:56
School districts are announcing their plans for the upcoming school year. Unlike the end of the prior school year, we’ve had time to think about how remote learning will impact kids, p… Read More
2020-07-22 18:16
How we see the world, think about our surroundings, or view ourselves can make us interpret and see the world in a certain way. Some of these work really well. Others make us fall into think… Read More
2020-07-08 22:47
It’s been exhausting staying at home with our kids. Juggling work, distance learning, and keeping a household together has stressed everyone. How we approach this challenge and how we… Read More
2020-07-08 19:24
Sleep is so important, yet, we often neglect it. As parents, we also frequently set a bad example for sleep habits for our kids, yet we wonder why they have problems sleeping. Here are a few… Read More
2020-07-08 19:04
One of the challenges of re-opening is the requirement that face masks be worn in a variety of settings. Sending kids out in masks is going to be more complicated than getting them to put on… Read More
2020-07-08 04:04
With our kids at home all the time now due to COVID-19, helping them build better executive functioning skills is incredibly important. These skills will help them build more independence an… Read More
2020-06-17 17:00
At this point, school is out across the United States. After the initial wave of relief of no more remote learning, a sense of dread is building in many parents’ stomachs as they reali… Read More
2020-06-17 01:59
How we talk to our kids can impact how they respond to us. Praise is important, but kids are great at detecting when we aren’t authentic. Here are some ways to up your verbal praise ga… Read More
2020-06-11 02:07
Like many over the past few weeks, I have been doing a lot of listening and learning. Topics like race, racism, and diversity are fraught with complexity and mired in decades and decades of… Read More
2020-05-22 18:07
Any meeting at school can be intimidating. Each of us comes to school with her own baggage, good and bad, from our own education which can make serving as our child’s advocate just a l… Read More
2020-04-30 03:56
There is often a fine line between tattling and telling. And our kids don’t always realize where that line is. Helping them understand the difference between tattling and telling can h… Read More
2020-04-22 16:27
Let’s face it. With almost everyone impacted by stay-at-home orders, getting a babysitter to help make date night happen is going to be a bit tricky. In fact, it’s probably impos… Read More
2020-04-21 02:24
Having brothers and sisters in closer quarters can make for lots of tense moments. Kids don’t always know how to resolve conflict and things can escalate pretty quickly. Learn some str… Read More
2020-04-19 03:07
Getting our kids to do things can be tricky. But remember how difficult it is to start a new habit for yourself? When we want to do something new, we create reminders, incentives, and commit… Read More
2020-04-13 03:41
Being at home can be stressful for parents and kids alike during the COVID-19 stay-at-home. It’s tough being in close quarters all the time and stress levels can get elevated. Calming… Read More
2020-04-06 03:20
The post New Online Parenting Webinar! appeared first on Dr. Ari Yares - Licensed Psychologist Read More
2020-04-01 03:51
Here’s a Mental Health Minute to help you with your self-care during the Coronavirus stay-at-home period.
The post Mental Health Minute: Creating Routine appeared first on Dr. Ari Y… Read More
2020-03-27 04:11
There’s not a lot that’s memorably about 1996’s Muppet Treasure Island film unless you are a fan of watching Tim Curry chew up the scenery while talking to Kermit the Frog… Read More
2020-03-22 16:23
The coronavirus has hit everyone hard during these last several weeks. But aside from those actually infected or suspected of being infected, the most severely impacted might be those with u… Read More
2020-03-17 03:05
As I write this, my community is just ending day 1 of the #flattenthecurve quarantine and I’ve already read for panicked messages and posts about challenges having any structure in the… Read More
2020-03-16 03:21
Dealing with life in quarantine, with schools canceled and jobs moved to telework, is something that most of us never expected would occur. Getting through the next few weeks (or longer) wil… Read More
2020-03-04 15:39
No matter how strong the routine, nothing seems to withstand the whirlwind of a tween or teen arriving home after school. Bookbags are dropped (usually in the wrong place) and things begin e… Read More
2020-01-31 13:05
Having an adolescent in the home isn’t always a joy. In fact, it can be a regular challenge to deal with the emerging adult who has taken the place of the small child you thought of as… Read More
2020-01-21 04:09
Sometimes, you don’t know the power of a practice until you’ve had the opportunity to really use it yourself.
I’ve written and talked about the power of gratitude on thi… Read More
2020-01-02 01:27
Another year is in the books and it’s on to 2020! Give all of the jokes that I’ve heard in the last 24 hours about 20/20 hindsight and 20/20 vision, I thought it was time to look… Read More
2019-12-17 21:37
Helping a young child learn and grow means encouraging their scientific thinking – how they ask questions and express their curiosity and wonder at the world around them. The activitie… Read More
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