Calling names
My middle son tried out for a rep soccer team the other day. It wasn’t the team he’s been playing with the last few years, but one in a town close by where the coaching had been highly recommended to
All dolled up: playing in a doll universe
Nine-year-old Trinity Ann was an only child until last year, when her baby sister Tesla was born. It was Darcy and Audrey who kept her busy – she would bathe and feed them, sing and read to them.
Hey, dad, I found a phone
My kids found an old cell phone at the park the other day. I would just have chucked it in the nearest garbage can, but my 8-year old was adamant that he get to keep it.
The evolution of watching TV as a kid
Kids today watch television entirely different than how their parents use to watch Saturday morning cartoons. Here's a look at how TV watching has changed.
A long talk
As parents, we need to be gently insistent about having those difficult conversations.
Freedom and responsibility
Our job as parents is to prepare kids for the freedoms of adulthood, and sometimes that means limiting their freedom until they are ready to take responsibility for it.
Heading them off at the pass
They weren't doing anything particularly disruptive so far, but I know them well enough to stop things before they get to that point.
Doing it themselves
By doing it all ourselves, we train our kids not to take responsibility, and we prevent them from learning how to do things on their own.
Five tips for better conversations with kids
If you are a parent, you probably understand the value of maintaining open communication with your kids. But getting there is not always easy – for parents, or for kids themselves.
Dressing up
Kids aren't just trying on costumes or different styles of clothes, they're also trying on the roles that go with them.
How times have changed toys marketed to girls
Toys designed for girls have morphed drastically. The trend in feminizing and sexualizing toys and brands is very apparent.
Moon teeth: Milestones for middle-school girls
Children are like sunflowers in August; I turn my head and they seem to have grown taller.
Acting their age
Observing our kids without them knowing gives parents new insight to their capability and maturity.
Doing it for the kids is a done deal for parents
The things we do for our kids. Most recently, the thing had my husband and I careening down an extremely steep, narrow mountain bike trail, bumping over logs, dodging trees, navigating roots and streams and evading bees.
Counting and Matching For Preschoolers (3-5 years of age)
This game is great for counting, matching and number recognition.
