Q: My 10-year-old cannot handle it when we go away for the weekend or even an overnight trip. The separation anxiety and homesickness for us makes it almost not worth going. It doesn’t matter who she stays with—grandparents, best friend—there’s…
Your teen daughter is getting ready for a party with friends and seems angsty. She's staring in the mirror, looking at herself from every angle, pulling at her clothes and visibly upset. “Mom,” she says, “Do I look fat?” While…
Q: What do your kids DO in evenings and weekends when screen time is used up, especially now that it's winter? Mine are 11 and 13, and I'm the "worst mom EVER" for cutting them off after an hour. —Libby…
Many adults join book clubs as way a way to socialize and broaden their minds. When you commit to reading the same book and get together to discuss, it’s an opportunity to spend time with friends, enjoy literature, and perhaps…
What therapists want you to know about the risks and rules you might consider
Justin Perry is a therapist and founder of Perry Counseling Healing and Recovery PLLC. He has over 15 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults who have experienced trauma, and/or are managing mental health and substance use disorders.…
Q: Hi Molly! This year, I decided to stop packing my 3rd and 4th graders' backpacks every morning before school. My husband and I agreed it was time to give them this responsibility. Problem is, they keep forgetting their lunches,…
Q: If we have any dessert type item in our house, my 9-year-old daughter goes straight for it first thing in the morning when no one is looking. She always shamefully fesses up to it because we’ve said that sweets…
Whether you are struggling with a couch potato or simply want to incorporate a healthy and active mindset, these free streaming video options have something for every kid. Cosmic Kids Yoga Age groups: preschool, elementary Master storyteller Jamie weaves…
Q: What are some creative ways to make Valentines for the kids' classmates that don’t include candy?—Shannon A: I swear I’m not being a smart aleck, so, please don’t laugh… but your child handmaking a card, with no candy or…
In January 2008, NHRA drag racing star Doug Herbert got the phone call every parent fears. His two sons, Jon and James, had been in a car accident. Neither survived. As Herbert fought his way through grief, he became resolute…
Beginning this month, Charlotte kids with special needs have a brand new indoor adventure park to explore. Here are 7 things to know about Friendship Circle’s new Inclusive Fun Zone, which opens at 6619 Sardis Road on October 6. …
Q: My kid’s stepmom’s birthday is coming up. We’re not BFFs, but we get along really well and she’s been a great SAHM to my kids while I’m at work. We haven’t had much interaction outside of the kids, so…
The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn (2007) Age group: preschool, early elementary It’s time for Chester Raccoon to start school, but he doesn’t want to go without his mom. Mrs. Raccoon soothes his worries with the Kissing Hand—a family secret…
Q: My daughter and her boyfriend are going out a lot, but they never tell me where! And they come back so late! I don't know what to do... A: Ask her. You’re her mother, not her friend. You control…
Q: What do you say and do when the 2-year-old throws food at the dinner table? A: Ask them to pick it up? Not to be basic, but that’s what I do. My son, Hobie, turns 2 this month. Meals…
Because children’s brains are malleable, they can learn and retain new skills, like foreign languages, more rapidly than we can as adults. But bad habits tend to stick, too. In other words, a child who learns to love screens in…
Q: The school shooting in Uvalde has left my whole family shaken. I know a lot of our friends and neighbors keep guns in the house, which we never have. Is it appropriate to ask another parent if they own…
Q: My 8-year-old granddaughter lives with us full time, and she seems to be developing early. She has a 19-year-old sister to talk to, but I feel like I should be the one to take to her about puberty. How…
When Traci Zeller’s clients bought their Myers Park home, they decided to turn an upstairs room, originally budgeted as a guest room, into a place where their two kids could have sleepovers. The sloped ceilings didn’t leave much space for…
Q: I have a 15-year-old son. I love him but don’t know how to handle him. He’s moody, and bigger than me. He has never been physical or threatening, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed by him. My husband has talked…
The pandemic’s consequences on young people’s mental health has been significant. But Jessica Russell, a licensed clinical mental health counselor with Thriveworks, is encouraged to see more kids and teens discussing their mental health as a result. For the…
When our son Ben grew too large to be carried from his wheelchair to the beach, we wondered how we’d manage future trips to the shore. His favorite pastime is splashing at the ocean’s edge, and we didn’t want him…
Q: How do I talk with my kids about what’s happening in Ukraine? –Veronica A: When COVID deaths were rampant, parents asked how to explain the sadness to their kids. When 2020 Presidential debates highlighted name-calling, parents asked how…
