Succah Lessons

Succos provides a rich menu of parenting opportunities. All we have to do is look beyond the decorating, meal planning, cooking and baking, table setting, guest list management, singing, serving, eating, clearing and other succah-related activities to see what’s so clearly in front of us: the children.

Ashi: Mommy, there are bees in the succah. Can I eat in the house?

Mom: Okay.

There’s a lot going on right now. Mom is very busy managing the meal. There’s certainly no time to work on this child’s phobias — so yes, go eat in the house. But then there’s also this from the bee-phobic’s nine-year-old brother.

Nine-year-old: Mommy, I don’t want to go outside. It’s too squishy in the succah. Can I just eat in the house?