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Inspiration

For Lilly, the Spider

A spider has woven a web in the space between the open kitchen window and the screen that we have yet to take down for winter. Fall in upstate New York. The evenings are frosty. It is a good place ...

Parenthood dad pushing a young boy in a cardboard car box

5 Kid Behaviors Adults Could Learn to Do Better

Adults are always telling kids how to behave. But there are times when kids do things way better than we can.

Learning green toy soldiers

Hands-On Ways to Practice Math With Kinesthetic Learners

One truth stands the test of time: Most children prefer hands-on learning to pencil and paper drills.

Parenthood had with colored dots around it

Kids Waiting to be Adopted Don’t Need Super Heroes

Adoption is special but it is not unreachable. It takes real, everyday people.

Pregnancy happy woman holding a baby

Is Motherhood the Most Selfish Act of All?

The mother figure has become synonymous with sacrifice and nobility when ultimately we are fulfilling our own needs and desires as we undertake this role.

Inspiration woman writing in a book

A Shared Journal, an MRI, and Perspective

I wanted to remember how good my life was since I was stuck in a loop of anxiety with never-ending needs surrounding me. This journal could help me do that.

Learning girl yelling in her bed

Expert Tips for Helping Kids Cope With Nightmares

While we can't prevent nightmares from occurring altogether, we can take steps to help our kids through them.

Parenthood woman with a child in bed

These 5 Words Help Me Be a Better Parent

This is a submission in our monthly contest. November’s theme is Gratitude. For years now I've been asking my eight-year-old daughter, Lexi, the same question before we say goodnight: What are you ...

Learning baking cookies

Baking My Way Into My Son's World

This is how I sneak into his world – a world of limited language and foods which has been a slow experiment in itself.

Inspiration girl at kitchen table drinking tea

Generations of Tea Remembrances

As I watch my daughter drink tea with her daughter, I’m grateful that this tea ritual I learned from my mother is passed on to my daughter to make her own.

What is the Bechdel Test and How Many of Your Kids' Favorite Movies Pass it?

Whether you're raising daughters or sons, you should know what the Bechdel Test is and how it applies to your life and your children's lives.

Learning kids in school one holding hand in the air

Boys Perform Better in Schools That Have More Girls

When it comes to school performance boys do better when there are more girls around, according to a new study.

Learning boy on ground looking at a tablet

These 5 Words Can Help You Take Control of Technology Before it Controls You

We are raising our kids in the next industrial revolution where smart technology will change how they live their lives. These 5 words can help you steer.

Learning boy at desk looking up

The Other Side of Being "Gifted"

For most of us, the word “gifted” conjures images of privilege and automatic success. But that's not the whole picture.

Inspiration close up of hand holing a baby foot

What a NICU Moms' Support Group Taught Me About Fearlessness

I was about to cavalierly flaunt her health and my good fortune in their faces. The New Moms’ Support Group was soon to find out I was a fear-fraud.

Parenthood close up of a girl hugging another girl

What to Say When Everything Is Not Going to Be Okay

Am I doing my kids a disservice by always promising that everything will be okay, when very likely it sometimes won't be?

Inspiration family putting a paper bag with fire it it bag floats away

Christmas Traditions From Around the World That Could Create a New Family Tradition

If you are looking for new activities to celebrate the holiday season, consider these fun and unique ideas from countries around the globe.

Inspiration black and white image of boy looking up

The Longview Lesson Kids Can Learn From Being Bullied

The first time I heard, “Hey, Buzzard!” I was 12. As I watched my own kids grow up, having been Buzzard for a few summers did me some favors.

Learning one fish two fish game

Educational and Fun Etsy Gifts for the Young Reader in Your Life

Etsy sellers also seem to notice this lack of educational toys and have created their own options perfect for the young readers in your life.

Parenthood paper cut out of people holding hands

Yes, Your 5-Year-Old Understands Charity, Believe it or Not

At what age do children begin to understand and act on the concept of charity? A recent study tackled just this question.

Pregnancy woman in a hospital bed

Study Claims Epidurals Don’t Slow Labor

A recent study by Obstetrics and Genecology debunks the idea that an epidural prolongs labor.

Parenthood mom holding baby

Why Lullabies Work, According to the Experts

As much as I’d like to think I have magical singing abilities, I know that there’s much more to the science of lullabies.

Learning old picture of two boys looking at each other one pointing

Moral Dilemmas in a Post "Leave It to Beaver" World

If this situation took place on a modern TV show, I wonder what would have transpired?

Parenthood woman holding had to camera

Parenting Teenagers: The Wall and the Mason

The "Be a Wall" movement stems from the fact that being a teenaged girl sucks almost as much as trying to figure out how to raise one.