August 2012

Navigating the complex world of higher education can be confusing and often downright maddening. Not looking at options could mean the difference in thousands of dollars of debt at graduation. For many families, the process bears little resemblance to what they experienced a generation ago. And no wonder: The cost…

What do you get when you combine kids and parents who want one last fling before the busy school year begins with younger, active grandparents who want to help out with vacation costs? How about a delightful road trip to a nearby family destination? A place like Hershey, Pennsylvania. Our…

With experience ranging from zilch to more than three decades, four Virginia teachers share some of their innermost thoughts and best advice on how to work with your child's teacher for a successful year in school. First, there's Bonnie. She taught for a dozen years, took a break, then spent…

  Something happened to my kids on the way to school. At home, they had a certain propensity for sassiness. Okay, so they weren't miscreants by any means, but with us anyway, they definitely spoke their minds. And I encouraged it. I wasn’t a yes ma’am kind of mom and…

All right, kids, you've waited all year for it, and now it's finally here. Time for our annual trip to the beach, and pretty soon we'll be on the road and on our way. But hang on just a bit longer, because first comes my solemn, time-honored ritual. Here in…

Wait...what? No, it's not! If you're like most of our savvy readers, you snagged this issue at the beginning of August, and according to my calculations, that means we (in the public school system anyway) still have a good third of summer vacation left. But thanks to the retailing world's…

My children have specific criteria for their ideal backpacks. One insists on monkey graphics and the other a sports motif. If you and your child select a brand new backpack to begin the school year, chances are both of you have given a lot of consideration to personal preferences, such…

Q: Help! My three-month-old baby cries all the time and doesn't sleep more than three hours at a time. I wasn't planning on returning to work until after she was older but I'm considering it now because I'm so exhausted and need a break. My husband really wants me to stay…

One hundred one things to ponder - and get done! As college approaches, parents are overwhelmed with a plethora of to-dos, as well as jaw-dropping costs. What's the best way to pay? Should we look into a loan? Should my college student get a credit card? And should there be…

Jeannette Branch had a busy schedule, juggling life as a single mother with three kids while battling diabetes. A heart attack added even more stress as she left the hospital confined to a wheelchair. Doctors might have to amputate her left foot. She would have to stay off her feet…

That one issue of Time magazine in May 2012 attracted more than a little attention when it featured on its cover a young mother nursing her 3-year-old son. The woman's stance – right hand on hip, left arm pulling her son in, staring directly into the camera – was challenging enough, but the copy…

Chocolate-Dipped Frozen Bananas Cut 1 inch off the end of a banana and insert a popsicle stick into the cut-end, pushing the stick about halfway in. Place on parchment lined sheet pan and freeze for an hour. Melt 32 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate and 4 Tbsp unsalted butter in…

Chances are, you know someone who has faced possible home foreclosure, if you haven't yourself. In today's housing market, record numbers of homeowners are at risk for losing their homes - and their credit - to foreclosure. I sat down with attorney JC Cancelleri, a local expert in bankruptcy law,…