Are you one of those parents with one child applying for private school and another applying for college? It's tough to stay calm, isn't it? As if reassuring them and guiding them through the process isn't difficult enough, you need to keep on top of all those deadlines and application forms and somehow maintain your own equilibrium too. Add to that all the extra hustle and bustle of the holidays, and, well, it does make you wonder at times how you will get through it.

Staying calm under pressure is a real test of any parent's strength and abilities. Showing your children how to organize a major project such as applying to a school or college is one of the great opportunities you have to parent your young adult. After all, they would like you to think that they know how to do everything. Your advantage is your age and experience. You have been there. Done that.

Use your few days off from your normal routine to take some time for yourself. Read. Listen to some music. Call an old friend or relative. You will then be able to stay calm under pressure and be there for your kids.

Thoughts? comments? Please share them by tweeting me at PRIVATESCHL.

This week's spotlight takes us to The Hockaday School in Dallas, Texas. The Hockaday School is a girls' boarding/day school located on 100 gorgeous acres in northwest Dallas. Hockaday was established in 1913. The facilities are stunning. The curriculum is solidly college prep. The school's graduates go on to some of the best universities and colleges worldwide.

Read Hockaday's profile. If you went to Hockaday, tell us about your experiences and what you thought of the school. Please post your response here.

You can follow me on Twitter at PRIVATESCHL.

It's almost time for students to head home for the holidays. Most schools will close their dorms and send boarders home this coming Saturday. If your child has invited an international student to spend the Christmas break with you, then take a few minutes to review my Travel Tips for Students with your children before they get on the plane.

The economy has brought about major changes for the airlines. Not only are air fares expensive with few bargains available at peak travel times, but the baggage allowances have changed. All sorts of restrictions apply. The security screening can take an hour or more at some busy airports. Make sure that your teen understands where things can go wrong and how to cope when they do go wrong.

If I sound like a worrier, I am guilty as charged. One of my children was flying the short hop on a small commuter plane from Providence, Rhode Island to Martha's Vineyard. The tiny plane was struck by lightning and had to make an emergency landing. This was in the days before cellphones and flight tracking. So, when the airline called to say that our daughter was in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and that she was safe, we were astonished to say the least. On another occasion one of my sons was making the supposedly routine flight from Miami to Raleigh. That 2 hour flight turned into a 12 hour ordeal because of a freak spring snowstorm. You have similar stories. Share them with your child.

Update on Monday, December 21: The enormous winter storm which slammed through the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states over the weekend disrupted travel plans for thousands of people. I honestly didn't see that one coming but it proves my point. If you have a story about your experience with this storm, please share it with us.

Comments? Please tweet them to me at PRIVATESCHL.

I have read about how difficult it is to get an infant into certain preschools in New York City and other major metropolitan areas. But, honestly, I tended to discount it as so much hype. Not any more. Last week I received an email from a parent who asked me to vet the draft of her Parent's Statement. It was in support of her 18 month old child's application to preschool. The letter read like the sort of thing I might have written when my own daughter was applying to Harvard. But this wasn't for admissions to Harvard. This was for admissions to a Manhattan preschool.

I have two reactions to this situation: first of all, make sure that the school is really worth all the effort to get in. Secondly, early childhood education is being recognized at last for the incredibly important foundation laying time in a child's life it really is.

Comments? Tweet them to me at PRIVATESCHL.