5 Rules for Foster Parents From One Who's Been There
Whether you have children of your own, you’re married, single, or you are just wanting to help out, fostering kids is a special kind of parenting.
Gratitude in the Midst of Small-Moment Lives
What if the quiet moments are worth every bit as much as the loud moments performed before the multitudes?
13 Fabulous Gifts that Give Back
These unique, well-made gifts are all from awesome companies that give to charity with each purchase.
How to Answer Big Questions About the Big Guy in Red
I have found a few easy answers that should quell your fears and keep the magic of Santa alive and well in your house for a long time.
A 4th Grade Teacher's Insight About What Students Really Need
Grade 4 is when kids are being asked to learn and use skills more independently than ever before. That means the need for time to explore is important.
Letter to My Daughter's Oncology Team After She Died
Dear Team Thank you all for your dedication, compassion, and remarkable persistence in managing Ana’s complex disease over the last four years. Jim and I are truly grateful for the care Ana receive...
Can Thumping Hearts and Sweaty Hands Predict Risk of Social Anxiety in Young Kids?
If your child complains of symptoms like a bumpy heart, difficulty breathing, or feeling hot in social situations, the risk of developing SAD is higher.
An At-Home Cooking School With No Pre-Portioned Ingredients
To start your kids' culinary education – and perhaps even your own – you don't need meal kit deliveries or even YouTube starlets. You need a carton of eggs.
Why We Love (and Need) Superheroes
There's no denying superheroes hare firmly rooting their place in American pop culture, and the love of them has never faded – it's only intensified.
Subscription Boxes: the Gift That Keeps on Giving
We’ve rounded up 12 of the best subscriptions with something for everyone … even the family dog!
This is a submission in our monthly contest. November’s theme is Gratitude. I’m not a “traditional” parent by any means, but I do like traditions, especially around holidays. Sometimes, this result...
Revisions of Traditional Nursery Rhymes, for Modern Parents
With a baby I'm a little teapot, tired and covered in vomit. Baa, baa, black sheep, why won't you stop crying? How many miles to Babylon? I'm going to keep driving until you fall asleep. To Babylon...
Stop Doing Everything for Your Kids and Set Them on the Path to Independence
Over-parenting and prolonged childhood are an epidemic in this country and it's not benefitting anyone.
Sending My Firstborn to Pre-K: a Mortality Exercise
If motherhood is total ecstasy and absolute despair felt in every cell of your body, then having a pre-kindergartener has been peak both for me.
Why I Won’t Tell My Kids “You’re Okay”
We have to do some guessing with these tiny humans who can’t yet tell us what’s wrong, but let’s not confuse this with telling them nothing is wrong.
Enjoy this time! Wait … THIS time? You mean like, right now?
Don’t waste money on overpriced, obnoxious baby toys. What babies really want are random, inanimate objects from around the house.
The Rainbow on Our Gratitude Tree
Last November, my little family began what I had hoped would be a new family tradition: a gratitude tree.
Why My Daughters Can Show Their Underwear If They Want To
My experience is the restrictions on girls’ lives don't arrive in the form of dramatic events, but in the accumulation of thousands of everyday interactions.
New Traditions Born After Spending Baby’s First Christmas in the Hospital
Something about being in kindred company at a children’s hospital on Christmas both humbled us and made us feel extremely grateful.
Finding My Shoes and Freeing Cinderella
Leafing through old albums, I am stirred by memories that evidence so many manifestations of myself: the student, musician, wife, writer, Mom.
Apparently, grizzlies are crap when it comes to the Daddy game. With a range of as much as 1,800 square miles, their biggest issue in this department appears to be absenteeism. Dad is always busy a...
We Howl Like Wolves in Public, but It’s for a Good Cause
“Do you want breadsticks?” “What?” I said and leaned half my body over the counter. “Do you want breadsticks!” he yelled. I was in the mall, standing under the neon Sbarro sign at dinnertime rush h...
Why Date Nights Matter When You're Married
It's as if once you say "I do,” date nights instantly become “We don’t,” and occur with the frequency of a Big Foot sighting.