Everyday Action Hero
Be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud. – Maya Angelou During prep for my surgery, one of the nurses asked the routine question, “Do you understand the risks and benefits of this procedure?” What can I say? By this…
Expert Advice
Q: My kids, ages eight and ten, get a weekly allowance. My husband believes this money is theirs to do with what they want. I feel like parents should have the final say on how kids spend their money. Here’s…
“I Made a New Friend!”
Each year, as September’s school days slip by, few phrases are more pleasing to this parent’s ear than, “I made a new friend!” Even as my oldest, Sam, starts college (which I’m handling pretty well, by the way), I…
Music Appreciation
For lots of families, the youngest is in a constant scramble to get any scrap of attention she can. And so it was at the dinner table a handful of years ago, when Lindsey, tired of hearing the usual stream…
What the Recycling Says
Look at our curb and you might see the Leaning Tower of Pizza Boxes. Or maybe the Great Wall of Chinette. Or even the gluttonous domain of Mocha Picchu, where tattered remains of empty ice cream cartons stacked one…
It’s Volunteer Season for Families
Once that calendar flips to September, it’s not just classes that get going. The start of a new school year also marks the start to a variety of other sports and activities. Even once we decide on a few activities…
Discipline Strategies from the Start
Q: Do you have a discipline system or tool you can recommend? I have a friend who is always counting to three and another one who is constantly putting her 5-year-old twins in time-out. Neither one seems to be very…
Before Freshman Year Starts…
Q: My 18-year-old goes to college in the fall. She has never been around alcohol. We do not drink at home and none of her high school friends drank. I’m worried she’s in for a rude awakening. Is there anything we…
Now You’re Ready!
I have spent the better part of a decade cheering for my three sons from bleacher seats, making seasonal adjustments to the volume and verbiage of my encouragement. Though my cheers betray my athletic incompetence, many of my sideline cohorts know…
Beach Week
And just like that, there he is. My older son, Ben. All graduated from high school. Boom. And of course it was grand. And of course we were so proud. I was guilty of maudlin Facebook posting and over-hugging and…
