The holidays are here (well, almost!), and we all know that means kids are working on wish lists for Santa, and parents are looking for solid suggestions. We asked an expert from one of our favorite places for families, the…
About three years ago, I started helping with a class for expectant dads. Taught by veteran dads, the format allows men to ask all the questions they have on their minds in a comfortable setting. In preparing for the parenting…
It's incredible to see a child's self-esteem grow, just because a trusting adult told them, ‘I believe in you.’” That's the ultimate power of mentoring, according to Laura Leporati, a mentoring program coordinator for AMP! Metro Richmond. “It is important…
This month, most of us will continue the tradition started way back in 1621 when the colonial Pilgrims first gathered for a harvest feast to give thanks for their blessings. As a mom, a friend, and a professional, I’m kind…
Meghan Kleppinger has a standing date every Friday night with a group of furry friends. After work, she heads over to the Richmond SPCA where she reads to cats that need to hear a friendly voice. Living in a shelter…
All over the world, people use masks for different purposes: for ceremonial or religious gatherings, on stage to entertain, or to hide an identity. In the Congo Basin of Africa, masks serve all of these purposes and more and are…
If your children are anything like mine, they’re asking to bring out the Halloween bins in August and the Christmas decorations in October. Though our children’s enthusiasm can be contagious, not everyone enjoys decorating or wants to make it a…
November means it is time to vote. This year, Election Day is Tuesday, November 6. Sometimes as adults, we are embarrassed to admit we do not know something that we think we ought to. Rather than say we are unsure…
When my youngest daughter turned eighteen last month, my mother asked me if I was going to “drag her to the polls” in November. She remembers when I turned eighteen a long time ago and voting was not exactly top of…
It seems we’ve come here to see her dance a hundred times before. The girls get older, the routines get smoother, and, well, a dad can’t help but notice that the little girl who once had all the grace and…
