Category: Family Life
Ear Infections: What You Need to Know
Wintertime is just around the corner, and in many areas, we’re already into cold and flu season. One complication of the common cold that can also occur on its own is the middle ear infection. Some kids seem predisposed to them: My son had what seemed like constant ear infections when he was a baby, […]
Not-so-Unhealthy Convenience Foods
We all want to serve our families healthy, home-cooked food. I would love to be able to cook my family three hot, nutritious meals a day, plus serve healthy, homemade snacks. Wouldn’t you? While I do manage to cook a lot of the time, everybody is busy with school, work, activities, and life in general, […]
Dealing With Childhood Fears
From the time they’re little, kids have fears. Some of these are transient, and others stick around for a long time. Most of us are familiar with a baby’s fear of separation from his mother, and a three-year-old’s terror of spiders, but what about bigger kids? During my 12-year-old’s recent well-child visit, I mentioned to […]
November 20 is Absurdity Day
It’s always fun to take advantage of silly holidays with our kids; after they’re grown up, it won’t be half as entertaining! November 20 is Absurdity Day, and this one begs for recognition. When you’re a parent, absurdity goes along with the territory, so this is just one day when you can fully embrace it. […]
Cold-Weather Crafting
This is the time of year when snuggling up by a warm fire wearing fuzzy socks sounds really appealing, isn’t it? Sometimes it can be tempting to rely a bit too much on television and video games to keep everyone entertained when the wind is blowing outside, but there are a lot of quiet activities […]
Kid-Friendly Thanksgiving Recipes
On Thanksgiving morning, it’s traditional in my home for the kids to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on television while my husband and I scramble around getting everything ready. This year, though, I think I might involve my pre-teens and teenager in the preparations. Even little kids like to help out in the kitchen, […]
Keeping Kids’ Clothing in Good Condition
You know how quickly kids outgrow their clothing, as well as how expensive it can be. If you have more than one child, particularly if they’re the same sex, it’s nice to hand items down from older to younger. In my circle of friends, we also tend to pass used clothing along to the younger […]
Sharing in the Spirit of Giving This Holiday Season
It’s the time of year when all of us sit back and count our blessings. Most of us also look for ways to share some of our “extra” with others who are not as fortunate as we are. It can be difficult for children to understand this type of giving, however: your kids might not […]
Fall Cleaning Projects
Most of us kick our cleaning routine into high gear after the winter is over in the tradition of spring cleaning set by those who came before our grandmothers’ grandmothers. As the temperature dips and the leaves blow, fall is another great time to go through the house and get some extra deep-down cleaning done. […]
Kids and Politics: Talking to Kids About Voting
Are kids interested in elections? Well, yes and no. Your four-year-old probably couldn’t care less. Your ten-year-old, though, may very well be paying attention to things the adults are excited about, including election proceedings. Your thirteen-year-old is probably studying the election process in school. Your sixteen-year-old? She’ll be voting soon herself.
When to start talking to […]
