A New Jewish Question: Is My Daughter Asian?

This morning I registered Sasha for pre-K—partly as a hedge, since we’re still somewhat on the fence about her going there—and among the many, many forms I had to fill out was one that asked about her race. That’s a pretty normal thing, I suppose, but I was disappointed to see that I was only …

What Made Sasha Cry Today: Toy Story 3

On Saturday, we took Sasha to one of those birthday parties that really reminds me where I stand in the hierarchy of New York City. Held in the family’s home apartment tower in the Financial District, it involved a swimming pool long enough to do laps, a basketball court, multiple platters of bánh mì, “cake …

To Pre-K or Not to Pre-K, That Is the Question

So, we got the letter: Sasha has a spot in a free pre-K program starting this fall! This puts us in a bit of a quandary—since we never thought she’d get in, we didn’t really figure out how we’d respond to an acceptance. Let me back up a bit. Universal pre-K, for those of you …

My Child Will Bother You Now

This past weekend, Jean, Sasha, and I made a courageous trip out to our local playground, two whole blocks away. Jean and I were tired, it was hot out, and while we wanted Sasha to get some running and playing in, we weren’t about to participate. Instead, we sat on a bench in the shade …