Cleaning out my desk recently I found a scrunched up yellow sticky note from a few months ago in my "blog ideas" file—hey, better late then never, right? Anyhoo, back then I read a column in the March 3 issue of Newsweek by one of my fave writer/moms, Anna Quindlen. Among other things, she talks about what you learn about yourself and your offspring when you send ‘em off to college. What really struck me is the advice she says her daughter’s school gave to newbie college parents. Personally, I think it's a real parenting gem, no matter how old your kids are.

Writes Quindlen, “When we took our daughter to campus a dean passed out a palm card with these words: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO ABOUT THIS? It was supposed to be placed by the phone and read aloud when she called to complain about the dorms, the food, the professors, the administration.”

Hoo-boy, I wish someone had given me that advice a long time ago, way before my kids hit college ("My teacher/best friend/bus driver is a jerk." "So what do you want to do about this?"). So what do I want to do about this advice now that I've stumbled across it? Tattoo it on my palm. But being really squeamish about needles and permanent ink, I'll pass it on to you guys, instead. (Whaddya think?)