And the Oscar goes to...

In my opinion, the best time of year is award season. We get the Emmy's, Golden Globes, SAG Awards, Grammy's and Academy Awards crammed into three months. At the least, they provide fodder and conversation about wardrobe and hairstyles - and at the most - they give us inspiration and bravos about what's important and hard work.

The Academy Awards are the pinnacle of awards season - and one of my favorite nights of the year.  My friends joke that I am a totally obsessed with the Oscars because I refuse to watch with any of them and demand silence at all times.  So, naturally my obsession carried over into work - and here I am blogging about this coming Sunday's big event.

Looking at all of the Best Picture nominees - Black Swan, Inception, The Kids Are Alright, The King's Speech, 127 Hours, The Fighter, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit and Winter's Bone - there is one blaring social and emotional skill that jumps from each story: perseverance.  Each main character, in all of the films, tells us a story of never giving up, of sticking to their guns, of being the best (at any cost) and riding out the good and the bad for their grand prize.  Hopefully the only film that our elementary school kids have seen is Toy Story 3, but if not, well, let's just hope so. Regardless, our kids learn perseverance during the nine weeks that we teach self control - and get to practice it way before they go crazy with feathers growing on their back, have to amputate an arm, overcome an adult stutter, or find their dead-beat dad.  Our kids get these skills early on - and it's great to see that film, which mimics life, is stressing the importance of hanging on.

Happy watching (and learning)!

PS - If you want to cast  your own ballots and play against your friends - here's an interactive NYTimes link that I've already hit up.  Enjoy.