When Donna Meyer's two sons were little, she tried getting them involved in every sport available in her town. "They were very active kids,” she says. “I knew all the benefits they would get from playing sports, from physical exercise…
When my daughter was in the first grade, her teacher required students to complete a reading log each school night. I remember one evening when my daughter had tears as she struggled to get through her 15 minutes of required…
Last November, when I asked my sister-in-law for gift ideas for my nieces and nephew, she was stumped. My 9-year-old nephew had a few items on his list for me to choose from, but my twin 6-year-old nieces weren't asking…
As parents, it's common to worry about what our children are eating. We want them to enjoy a wide range of nutritious foods and to develop a healthy relationship with food, but getting children to try new flavors and eat…
Shannon Carpenter has been a stay-at-home dad for 14 years. "Initially, I was joking when I suggested to my wife that I stay home with our then 15-month-old son,” he says. “But the more we talked about it, the more…
I recently saw this meme on Instagram that made me chuckle (credit @mommycusses) ME: (Hanging one-handed from a cliff, seconds from death) MY KID: Can you hold this? While the situation is exaggerated, the sentiment is relatable. Moms…
In 2016, Krista St-Germain became a widow and single parent of two children overnight after a drunk driver killed her husband. “Being a single parent can be overwhelming,” she says. “You are the only person taking on the parenting load.…
When I was pregnant with my third child, my husband and I couldn't wait to tell our two daughters, ages 8 and 5 at the time. We explained that Mommy had a baby in her belly and both girls…
When I was a kid, my mom made one dinner that catered primarily to my father's palate. Unless it was a special occasion, my mom didn’t ask my brothers and me what we were in the mood to eat, and…
According to a survey by the American Pet Product Association, in 2020, pet ownership rose from 67% of households to an all-time high of 70%. If you haven’t taken the pet plunge yet, here are a few things to consider…
When deciding the right time to have a baby, considerations like maternal age, finances, and ages of other children come into play. For more than a year, the pandemic has given couples even more reason to wonder, “Is now the…
Melinda Wenner Moyer always knew she wanted to write a parenting book but wasn't sure what aspect she wanted to tackle. One evening, she and her husband were discussing current events over dinner. "I was getting increasingly frustrated by the unsavory behavior…
Heading back to school always comes with a bit of stress, but this year the transition may be especially challenging. Many children haven’t been in the classroom full-time in more than a year. The rules will be different, and most…
'I think any time you can join your kid in a shared hobby is a chance to talk with them about what is going on with their lives'
June is LGBTQ Awareness Month, and across the country, picnics, parades, and workshops celebrate gay pride. They also provide an opportunity to support members of the LGBTQ community and educate your children on different family structures and backgrounds. If you…
We can all agree that motherhood is hard work and moms are more than deserving of a day that celebrates them and all they do. But for some people, Mother's Day can be difficult. "There is an assumption that it's…
Experts weigh in
Local experts share on this important topic
How to teach your children to advocate for themselves in a virtual world
As mothers face a long and uncertain winter, what can they do to preserve their physical and mental health?
How to make Thanksgiving safe and fun for college kids
How to discuss politics with your children ahead of an increasingly heated cycle
How to deal with the understandable re-entry anxiety
How will this generation-defining event affect our children?
