Kindergarten Readiness Challenges
My twins will turn five at the end of this month. They are currently signed up for kindergarten in September, but I am concerned that my little boy is not ready. My daughter seems more prepared, but I still have…
Speak Up for Minority Youth
The massacre at an Orlando nightclub in June raised many questions about our society’s acceptance of sexual and gender diversity, and the safety of individuals in the LGBTQ community. As a child advocate who works so that all children can…
Exploring Grandparents’ Rights
There is no relationship quite like that of a grandparent and grandchild. Grandparents universally speak of the joy it brings. In her book, Becoming Grandma, Leslie Stahl writes, “There is no weariness that competes with the elation and joy of…
The Yard is Yours
Just look at you now. Thirteen years old and well over five feet tall. At ninety pounds, you weigh far more than I did when I was your age, and you keep growing out of everything you have in your…
38 Fun-Fueled Ideas for Families!
Have you ever felt stuck in a rut and tired of doing the same old summer activities? I know we feel that way sometimes. Each summer, my kids choose a few camps they really want to do, but the rest…
Reducing Poverty in Richmond
Do you know from experience, or have you ever considered, how stressful it is to live in poverty? Think about a family of four, trying to work one or more low-wage jobs, take care of children, arrange transportation, feed everyone –…
What Eighteen Means
Your child has turned eighteen. The prom and graduation have gone off without a hitch. Next steps like college or a full-time job have been decided on, and your son or daughter is excited about adulthood and independence. It is…
Parenting Digital Teens
My 13-year-old is in an awkward phase, and her elementary school friends have left her behind as they continue to be on sports teams, which no longer interest her. She is spending a lot of time online, but it makes her…
Fatherhood in Living Color
When I was seven, a wizard came to our house after school one Wednesday. He messed with a few wires, and then handed me a remote control the size of our station wagon’s car jack. The gizmo had just enough…
About That Will?
When singer, songwriter, and music icon Prince died at age fifty-seven, people were shocked to discover that he apparently had never made a will. To the surprise of many, unless Prince had created a trust or some other estate planning…
