by Ari Yares | Jun 23, 2026 | Jewish Time & Structure
I didn’t grow up going to a Jewish overnight camp. My first real exposure was a summer when a college roommate talked me into being a counselor at his camp. I came back different in ways I still find difficult to fully account for. My wife grew up immersed in...
by Ari Yares | Jun 11, 2026 | Preventive Parenting
Most families find this arrangement without looking for it. The child comes home from school and it’s after school screen time. Then the after-school meltdown stops. Nobody designed it. It just works. For about forty minutes. Then the screens come off. And...
by Ari Yares | May 31, 2026 | Parents as Systems
A parent recently described it this way: the mornings are “consistently inconsistent.” Some days everything works. On other days, the same child, the same routine, the same checklist produces complete chaos. What changes isn’t the child. It’s...
by Ari Yares | May 19, 2026 | Preventive Parenting
A child gets off the bus, walks through the door, and falls apart. Not because anything bad happened. Not because of the homework that’s coming or the sibling who said something wrong. It just happens. The child who was reportedly fine at school is now crying...
by Ari Yares | May 12, 2026 | Emotions without Chaos
A parent asks: “How was school?” “Fine.” “What did you do?” “Nothing.” “Did anything interesting happen?” A shrug. Most parents who wonder why teens give one-word answers worry about the same things: Is...
by Ari Yares | Apr 1, 2026 | Jewish Time & Structure, Preventive Parenting
About twenty minutes into the Seder, a child leans over and whispers: “When is dinner?” This is not a failure. It is information. The child has been sitting, listening, and watching adults read from a book for twenty minutes. And they are a child. Planning a Passover...
by Ari Yares | Jun 28, 2017 | Emotions without Chaos, Preventive Parenting, The Innovative Dad Blog
A parent described a moment many families will recognize. Her daughter came home upset about something that happened at school. Before the daughter had finished the first sentence, the parent had already said, “It’s not a big deal. She probably...
by Ari Yares | Mar 22, 2026 | Jewish Time & Structure, Menu Planning, Preventive Parenting
Passover planning for families starts the same way every spring. Someone opens a notebook or pulls up a notes app and begins the list. Chametz to clear. Kitchen to kasher. Menus to build. Guests to confirm. Haggadahs to locate. The Seder plate that has somehow...
by Ari Yares | Sep 18, 2021 | Menu Planning, Recipes, The Innovative Dad Blog
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 yellow summer squash 1 large onion 2-3 carrots 2-3 cups chicken broth or consommé...
by Ari Yares | Apr 7, 2022 | Recipes
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. It works well with any fruit juice, but our favorite is mango. If you...
