How to Spark Conversations With Your Kids
I love talking with my kid. She’s six years old and full of theories, opinions, and surprising insights (which are often hilarious). Our conversations are always among the highlights of my day. Un...
10 questions to ask around the table
Turn small talk into smart conversation around the family dinner table with the following 10 questions recommended by StoryCorps founder (and 2015 TED Prize winner) Dave Isay. These ideas were put...
The Ultimate Dad Rock Playlist
Pull on your most comfortable dungarees, grab a cold one, and slip on your Crocs. Dad's favorite mix tape is reborn as an Rdio playlist. SONGS Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor Fly Like An Eagle - S...
Kids' Solo Playtime Unleashes 'Free-Range' Parenting Debate
Communities today may be made up of strangers, but James-Brown says they still have a stake in how kids are raised and a role to play in keeping them safe. She hopes all the media scrutiny gets mor...
Mother May I? - The New Yorker
“If you actually wanted your child to be kidnapped, how long would you have to keep him outside for him to be abducted by a stranger?” A week? She shook her head. “Seven hundred and fifty thousand ...
For Dads, Another Surprising Benefit of Family Time
A new study published this month in the Academy of Management Perspectives finds significant benefits accrue to men, their families, and their work organizations, when fathers increase the amount o...
Cloud-connected Toys that "evolve and grow with your children"
Are you ready for cloud-connected toys that "engage in real and personalized conversations with kids, and evolve with the child as he or she grows"? A company called Elemental Path is developin...
Should Children Get Paid for Chores?
Ron Lieber, the New York Times personal finance columnist and author of the new book “The Opposite of Spoiled,” argues that because parents don’t get paid for family housework, neither should the k...
Parental ethnotheories and how parents in America differ from parents everywhere else.
All child-rearing practices vary hugely among cultures. There’s only a single shared characteristic, Harkness says: “Parents everywhere love their children and want the best for their children.” (E...
This Week's Essential Reading for Parents
1. Let Children Change “But even when we’re the ones wrestling with our own parents’ dated vision, we current parents don’t think often enough about whether we’re already boxing our children in.” ...
4 Fun, Free Ways to Play This Weekend
Play is totally portable and doesn’t have to require any perfectly planned Pinterest activities for kids to have fun and get the great benefits Pure Play provides. Try these four easy, free ways to...
Rachel Carson on Wonder and Parenting
A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-insp...
I once got into an argument with my mother because she smugly parallel parked and asked, "Can you do that yet?" Confused, I responded, "Yes. Why?" "Well, you couldn't used to. Remember when you t...
All Parents Are Cowards-Words From A Professional Skateboarder
No matter how daring you are, the world never feels as dangerous as it does once you have children. This piece by skateboarder Michael Christie is the most beautiful thing I've read about parenting...
A Modern Guide to the Love Letter
Remember, it’s “scent,” not “odor.” Your beloved doesn’t “smell” good; her “fragrance” is enchanting. And, even if you have a knack for them, no pornographic drawings. via A Modern Guide to the Lo...
'Don't Think of Ugly People': How Parenting Advice Has Changed
The curious history told in 19th and early 20th century mothering advice books is a mix of unreasonable demands and unfounded claims. We run into many snags when we undertake to discipline the ner...
How Children Learn To Read via "The New Yorker"
Why is it easy for some people to learn to read, and difficult for others? It’s a tough question with a long history. We know that it’s not just about raw intelligence, nor is it wholly about repet...
Blocks, Play, and Screen Time: How Do They Affect The Child Mind?
Dr. Dimitri Christakis , the Director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development at Seattle Children't Research Institute talks about the effects of blocks, play, and screen time on ...
Frozen: We Don't Have to "Get It"
Last weekend, my 3 year old daughter and I were graciously gifted tickets to attend a "Frozen Princess Party" (please read that phrase with a feigned and exaggerated lilt) at a local music venue. I...
Comedian Greg Fitzsimmons on Parenthood: "The main thing for me is staying engaged"
Greg Fitzsimmons is an Emmy-winning TV writer, comedian, and producer. He also hosts a weekly radio show and bi-weekly podcast. His book, "Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons: Tales of Redemption from an Irish M...
Children Should Be Allowed to Get Bored
Children should be allowed to get bored so they can develop their innate ability to be creative, an education expert says. http://www.bbc.com/news/education-21895704
The Parent Agenda, the Emerging Democratic Focus
Parenting is political. The Parent Agenda, the Emerging Democratic Focus
Presence, Not Praise: How To Cultivate a Healthy Relationship with Achievement
Being present, whether with children, with friends, or even with oneself, is always hard work. But isn’t this attentiveness — the feeling that someone is trying to think about us — something we wan...
Comedy In Cars With Kids- A Playlist
Traveling long distances in cars with kids is in many ways like bathing a cat. It goes against their constitution, it's often a last resort, and you basically just hope to live through the experien...