Chalna
Chalna is a native Texan born with Jedi reading and writing skills and an inability to add or subtract. She’s married to her favorite pilot and has two fabulous sons, 9 and 4. Her oldest suffers from GAD and OCD, and her life’s mission is advocating for children with mental health disorders. She is a freelance writer who loves wine, carbs and Amazon. She shares life with pediatric anxiety on her blog, She Shines Her Light , and writes professionally in the middle of the night. Find her at Chalna Writes.
How We Can Fix the Bullying Problem in Elementary School. For Real.
Solution: GO GET SOME DANG GROWNUPS for lunch and recess. Put them EVERYWHERE. Call them “social skills ambassadors” or something else fancy.
How to Stop Bullying in Elementary School. For Real.
Because humans aren’t perfect and children can’t possibly know what they haven’t been taught, it is entirely plausible that even the best kids are unknowing contributors to the bullying problem at large. THIS is the secret spot where the solution lives.
How to Be the Best Elementary School Mom Ever
Public school might be the first time your kiddo experiences a cross section of society and has to navigate getting along with people who live a completely different life than he does. This little window of time can change absolutely everything.
Can We Please Fire the STAAR Test?
Our teachers spend the entire year teaching to a test. This makes it incredibly hard for them to adjust to different learners, change their pace as needed, or be creative in their lesson plans. They are boxed in completely. Their worth as teachers -- and in turn, their school -- is measured by one test given on one day. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.
Deep in the Heart of Texas Daddies
Most of what makes Texans awesome is already well known. It’s not like we’ve been shy about telling everyone. But if you pull away the layers of our story and find the quiet places where our roots meet the earth, you’ll find the reason behind our strength. You will also find out why people shouldn’t mess with Texas women: Texas daddies.
That Time I Quit Facebook
I needed space. Maybe I wanted to see other social media. I never said we were exclusive, and Facebook was always making me feel bad about my existence and humanity as a whole. I needed to find myself. It’s not you, Mark. It’s me.
Don’t Touch My Boobs :: An Open Letter to New Dads
You know that thing where the woman you love has your baby and then proceeds to forget every naughty thing she ever whispered in your ear? She’s the same person who used to send highly inappropriate text messages in the middle of dinner with your parents, but this version no longer wears cute underwear, occasionally takes showers with wet wipes, and doesn’t want you to touch her boobs.