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.
At parent-child industry trade shows, everyone has their eyes open for brands can surprise, continue to innovate, or flat-out impress. Here are several brands from the LA Baby consumer show that ex...
Kid Made Recipe: Holiday Pie Crusts
Are you on pie duty this Thanksgiving? We have some pie crust hacks that will wow your crowd! Grab a few kid helpers, roll up your sleeves and get to work!
This is a submission in our monthly contest. November’s theme is Gratitude. If you're like me, you overuse the phrase “I’m sorry.” I apologize for everything, at least I used to. I apologized for ...
The Four-Letter Word That Can Save You From a Meltdown
When we become overwhelmed, however, we forget to check in with ourselves on even a basic level. However, this one word can save the day.
Stand on My Shoulders, Baby Girl
Dear Maria: Oh (wo)man, are you coming of age in an interesting time. Never have we as women been able to accomplish more. You and me together watched a woman run for president, and I saw on your f...
My mom carefully molded these Thanksgiving memories for us, but we took her for granted. Her spoiled kids could never reciprocate that love until adulthood.
Babies Can Grasp Predictable Outcomes Earlier Than You May Think
Being able to predicate what will happen in a situation is an important part of human life. And the skill is developed pretty early.
Onsite Daycare: How One Nonprofit Is Making It Work
For working mothers employed by Kars4Kids, a nonprofit headquartered in Lakewood, New Jersey, onsite daycare is provided.
Keeping Guilt in the Family: Why Parents Shouldn’t Toss out the Guilt
What is so good about guilt, and why I am the seemingly lone parent out there that thinks we shouldn’t banish guilt?
Empowering Your Daughter Includes Fostering Her Sense of Humor
Even if our girls haven’t encountered it yet, studies show there is still a gender bias when it comes to humor.
Notes From a Slacker Lunch Packer
Sometimes I scan the classroom at lunchtime to see if any other kid has a Ziploc baggie and I feel a pathetic sense of relief when I spot one.
Are Stereotyped Gender Roles Heaping On Extra Stress? Probably.
In a lot of modern families where both parents work, the main responsibility of caring for the children and the home still seems to fall on the mother.