Make sure everyone has sweet dreams at Grandma's. Spending a weekend together can be exciting and exhilarating. Hosting your grandchildren for the night or a weekend slumber party can also be challenging and stressful unless you are prepared.
A computer in every crib! For a while that seemed to be the motto for those who thought it could never be too early to learn about technology. Fortunately, common sense seems to have prevailed. Although technology can be part of a healthy childhood, it should get at most a sliver of a young child’s attention.
I thought things would get easier as my children got older, but I feel like a slave to their busy lives. I feel guilty and resentful all at once. How did I get this way?
Before becoming a mom, I was secretly on the lookout for names that would be fitting of my firstborn child. This tedious process began years ago — probably on the elementary school playground, where I relished the name of every kid who could accomplish some monumental jungle gym feat.
Paula Spencer is the mother of four children, 15-year-old Henry, 12-year-old Eleanor, 10-year-old Margaret and 7-year-old Page, living in Chapel Hill with her husband. She is a blogger, Woman’s Day columnist and author of the parenting book "Momfidence." Paula has written more than 350 magazine articles, been interviewed on numerous radio shows, collaborated on several books and even appeared on "Oprah!" I talked to her recently to find out how she balances work and family life.
It’s 2007, and that means the June Cleaver model of motherhood is a thing of the past. Not unlike June, today’s moms can often be found in the kitchen, but they’re bringing home the bacon as well. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the number of working women with children at 70 percent. But what that "work" looks like is increasingly hard to categoriz
At Halloween, no one is surprised to find miniature zombies at the door. Give them treats and they go away. A zombie computer is not at all cute and much harder to dismiss. Yet, according to the FBI, over one billion American computers have been converted into zombies, robots that follow the commands of remote and invisible masters.
Parties are the spice of life – a time to gather with friends, laugh, talk, play games and enjoy one another’s company. Still, there are some rules of etiquette when it comes to hosting or attending a party that you need to be aware of. Here are some tips for handling common party concerns to make sure you and your child are invited back!
In the past several years, Bunco groups have been sprouting up all over the United States, and Charlotte is no exception. It is the perfect setting for moms of all walks of life to converge on common ground and let their hair down.
Any dog — even a good one — can bite if it feels threatened. Try these tips to keep kids safe with dogs.
Life and death. Like most young couples, Charlotte resident Mary Hamrick and her husband Chris sort of took this for granted. Life was something that you were granted until you got really old and then you died. That was so far off. Married less than a year, they were your typical 30-something newlyweds: busy being in love, working hard and thinking about starting a family. Cancer certainly did not fit into the plans . . . until one day, Mary found a lump.
Working parents want one thing: A break. More money would be nice, and medical benefits and vacation time go without saying. But at the top of the list, parents want a company that offers some kind of workplace flexibility...
My sons, ages 3 and 5 years, have 57 dinosaurs, 24 action heroes and 214 army men. They also have an amazing collection of 47 ketchup packets, just to prove it’s not the cost that counts. Before you convict me of attempted-spoiling, I’ll ask you to count up your children’s favorite toys. After that, consider that all these items (never mind the ketchup) were purchased by well-meaning aunts, uncles, friends and grandmas.
I have two biological children and three adopted children, one a private adoption from Iowa, one from Haiti and a child adopted out of foster care. When people hear that I’ve adopted, many interested persons have asked questions about adoption. Here are some of the questions I am frequently asked.
I did not know what to say when my teenage son, Robin, told me one winter afternoon that he was going to be a father.
This team knows about automobiles and the angst parents feel when thinking about buying a used car for their teen.
As families hurtle toward the holidays, many busy parents will shop online. But what about kids? Should they be using the Internet to buy gifts for family members or even things they want for themselves?
As a parent, you ultimately want your child to be well trained to tackle life’s challenges. Learning to drive is part of that training and it’s important that parents play an active role in the process.
Parents have a tendency to dismiss early relationships as trivial, but they should be treated seriously. Here are some tips for parenting through this stage.
Nigel Bronson is an inquisitive and enthusiastic 2-year-old who likes to run and explore. His mom thinks that’s just fine; if he falls, he learns to slow down. "With a child, it’s better they learn through experience," explained Courtney Bronson of Charlotte. "I can say, ‘No, Nigel. Stop Nigel, don’t do that,’ but Nigel is going to do it until he learns there are consequences to it. I’d rather he learn that than to continually holler and go after him."
It will be good to know standards of quality for sauces before you get into this recipe. The sauce should be smooth, with no lumps; not too pasty, but thick enough to coat the back of a spoon lightly. It should have a distinctive, but well-balanced flavor — salt and pepper should be present in the taste, but should not dominate flavor. No starchy taste should be present. The appearance should be smooth, with a good shine, and have a good color for its type (rich deep brown for brown sauce; white
Holiday gift lists grow as our families do, thanks to the teachers, coaches, choir directors, dance instructors, bus drivers and others who enrich our children’s lives. What do they really want?
If you’ve been thinking about homeschooling, you’ve no doubt been asked by concerned friends and family: "But how will she make friends?" "He won’t learn any social skills!" The issue of socialization is the most often asked question presented to homeschooling parents.
It’s that time again. For parents, New Year’s resolutions aren’t always just about themselves. Many parents choose to set goals the entire family can participate in during the new year.
