Tracy Leonard
Tracy is a Lead Instructor for Darkness to Light, a child sexual abuse prevention organization and serves as a College and Career Advisor for Students Rising Above. She grew up in northeast Ohio, and has lived in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Arizona, and Northern Virginia and has worked in the arts, in education, in non-profits and in ed tech. Her husband's job brought them to the Bay Area and there's no looking back! Tracy is mom to a 17-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son. Self-care includes pedicures, reading, cooking, crafting, and just being with her family. She also serves on the Citizen's Bond Oversight Committee for the Dublin School District and on the Advisory Council for the Transformative Leadership in Disruptive Times Certificate Program at Cal State East Bay.
Helping Your Husband Through Grief
About a month ago, my husband discovered that a dear college friend of his was in the hospital. He quickly reached out, only to discover that his friend had stage 4 pancreatic cancer —a...
Raising a Momma’s Boy
My son is 12 years old, and by no fault of his own, he is a momma’s boy. I didn’t raise him that way on purpose; we simply have this connection that is like...
Children’s Books That Build Resiliency
We all know that books are powerful. They can transport us to new places and times and allow us to meet new people. They are informative and inspirational, thoughtful and therapeutic. Children’s books are...
What Do Teachers Really Want for Teacher Appreciation Week?
May 6–10 is Teacher Appreciation Week. Do you have anything planned to give or do for your child’s teacher? Are you just doing their homeroom teacher? What about specials teachers? Having taught elementary school,...
Compass High School, An Innovative Option for Students Who Learn Differently
This post is in partnership with Compass High School.
I recently had the chance to visit Compass High School, an 8th–12th grade private college preparatory school for students with learning differences. As a former educator and school...
What Is a Child Advocacy Center?
This is part 4 in a series that recognizes April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
My hope is that you never have to use the services of a child advocacy center, but if you should,...
When Is My Child Old Enough to Stay Home Alone?
This is part 3 in a series that recognizes April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
In my work as a child abuse prevention educator, I found many parents and caregivers had no idea that depending...
What to Do if You Witness a Public Display of Aggression Toward a Child
It has all happened to us—we are in a store, at the park, or any number of places where parents take their kids (so EVERYWHERE) and our attention is drawn to a parent yelling...
April Is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Editor's Note: April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. We will be sharing a series of articles on the topic this month written by our contributing writer Tracy, an expert in this area.
Child abuse...
Kitchen Wars: Instant Pot vs. Crock-Pot vs. Air Fryer
I LOVE to cook, bake, can, mix, and create in the kitchen, so I am all for trying new products to keep food interesting. So, when I saw other friends posting about their Instant...
