How a VW Westfalia obsession became my family’s best adventure
THE VOLKSWAGEN WESTFALIA camper van has been a symbol for the freedom of the open road and exploration since it was first introduced in the 60’s when the split window microbus had a pop-top install...
Internet Field Trip: 5 Links to Share with Your Kids
Share awesome, fun links with your kids on an Internet Field Trip curated for Parent Co. by Today Box. Today Box curates fun and educational daily facts, videos, photos, and jokes for curious kids ...
What you need to know about coaching your kids Part 2
Practical advice from dad coach Justin Martin on coaching your children. I started coaching my kids three years ago. One son is seven, and the other will be five next year (maybe I'll get the oppor...
Parenthood insights from Kim Gordon's new book "Girl in a Band"
IN HER COMPELLING NEW MEMOIR “Girl in a Band,” Kim Gordon writes about her life as a wife, mother, artist, designer, and founding member of the band Sonic Youth. Kim Gordon is a badass, one of th...
Julia Sweeney on parenthood: 'This is how it’s going to be,' and then it changes again
Actress, author, and monologist JULIA SWEENEY published “If It’s Not One Thing, It’s Your Mother” with Simon and Schuster in 2013. She’s also well-known for her work as a Saturday Night Live cast m...
5 parenting "hacks" that need to knock it off
Alright. You're probably all wondering why I've gathered you here today. People of the internet, there is something we need to discuss. There seems to be a universal need for the "hacking" of thing...
Study: Parents wrongly think sugary drinks healthy
Many parents believe that drinks with high amounts of added sugar — particularly fruit drinks, sports drinks and flavored water — are "healthy" options for kids, according to the report, funded by ...
Here are the chores your kid can help with, sorted by age
I'LL NEVER FORGET the smug look on my then pre-schooler's face the day I arrived at pick up and caught him putting his coat on all by himself. "Wait. He can put on his own coat?" I asked the neares...
What you need to know about coaching your kids
Practical advice from dad coach Justin Martin on coaching your children. Are you coaching or thinking about coaching your kid or kids? If so, maybe my experiences can help you understand the sh#t ...
via Mark Bittman, "Feeding Kids Well"
"Eating patterns are set when we’re young, and 31 million kids eat federally assisted school lunches. Thus the school lunch program is more than just an opportunity to feed hungry kids. It’s an opp...
Are you raising nice kids? A Harvard psychologist gives 5 ways to raise them to be kind - The Washington Post.
Hip hop playlist- no earmuffs necessary
There's never a bad time to listen to hip hop. Ok. Maybe it's a bad time if your kids are around. Unless you're listening to this earmuff free playlist. Turn it up! Songs The Message- Grandmast...
5 Ways To Encourage Kids To Grow Up To Be Innovators
"By the time a child is 10 or 12, he or she has figured out that it’s much more important to get right answers than to keep asking thoughtful questions." via 5 Ways To Encourage Kids To Grow Up To...
via TIME.com "The Key to Smarter Kids: Talk to Them"
It may come as a surprise to learn that students spend less than 15% of their time in school. Having discussions with your kids teaches them to become assertive advocates for themselves when they'...
via Time: "Why Girls Should Play More Video Games"
"Playing video games can improve girls' spatial skills — an important contributor to career success" by @anniemurphypaul via Why Girls Should Play More Video Games TIME.com.
via The Atlantic, "Do Children Just Take Their Parents' Political Beliefs? It's Not That Simple"
A recent study shows that children who are raised to have strong beliefs are also more likely to rebel against those views as they age. via Do Children Just Take Their Parents' Political Beliefs? ...
via The Atlantic: Study: Many Parents Are In Denial About Their Kids’ Obesity
This dissonance, according to pediatrician and lead study author Kyung Rhee, may have to do with what she calls “the normalization of obesity.” “There are so many kids who are overweight—and so ma...
From The Goonies to Back to the Future to The Breakfast Club, directors like Steven Spielberg and John Hughes made innovative, intelligent pictures that respected their viewership. via From 'The G...
via The Atlantic, "Why Parents Need to Let Their Children Fail"
High responsiveness and low demandingness parents don't give their children the chance to solve their own problems. A study explores the resulting low confidence and lack of independence in student...
When giving freedom to a child is the right (if scary) thing to do
LATE LAST SUMMER, as I attempted to get dinner ready, my son was working himself into a tizzy about something I can't recall. I allow myself to get pulled into these downward spirals all too often....
Internet Field Trip: 5 Links to Share with Your Kids
Share awesome, fun links with your kids on an Internet Field Trip curated for Parent Co. by Today Box. Today Box curates fun and educational daily facts, videos, photos, and jokes for curious kids ...
It's National Unplugging Day. Via Medium, "Unplugging Mom: A One Man Play"
A 2014 study by UCLA researchers found that sixth graders who spent five days screen-free were better at reading facial expressions and nonverbal cues of human emotion at the end of the period than...
"Dear Parent Co" tackles: How to stop keeping score
Dear Parent Co. - My husband and I are constantly keeping track of who does what in our family - specifically the necessary day-to-day tasks. It’s become a competition and a source of resentment wh...
We like what DIY.org says about Minecraft (a game our kids are obsessed with, though we don't really get it). "Many people working in tech today got their start building with LEGO and SimCity. Tod...