Some of the most smile-inducing parenting memories I can conjure up involve meeting my kids in an elementary school cafeteria for lunch. There’s something about elementary school that announces to us parents, You are welcome here! Yes, most teachers…
It starts innocently enough. You forgot to charge the electric razor. Or you’re fresh out of disposable blades. Or maybe you just got lazy one Saturday and ended up missing three mornings in a row. Whatever the reason, there’s a…
As a stepmom to four daughters and a biological mom to one, I understand first-hand how challenging it can be to blend into an established family. If done with a kind heart, patience, and respect, the transition can be an…
Have you ever met a parent who has an undecided stance on vaccines? Me neither. It’s a parenting decision that elicits emotional responses, a hot-button topic. But since firearms safety, healthcare, and the Supreme Court’s ruling on DOMA have been…
At a back-to-school night what seems like eons ago, my oldest daughter’s science teacher explained his trademark assignment. Every nine weeks, the fifth-grade students would be required to read a magazine article, something science-related and timely, to help them see…
Q. We’re getting ready to have a baby and our 5-year-old is not very happy about this new family addition. Did we wait too long? Do you have any ideas for helping him adjust appropriately before his little sister arrives?…
Ever take one of those “How Virginia?” or “How Richmond Are You” tests on Facebook? I know, not the headiest things in the world, but they can be amusing. And, what other opportunity do I have to showcase my secret…
It was my 6-year-old who set me straight on twenty-first century bullying. “Mommy, please don’t pack raisins in my lunch anymore,” she said flatly. “Nobody likes raisins and I shouldn’t eat them.” “But you like raisins. A lot,” I said.…
Having taught math to over six hundred area elementary school students, I am a firm believer that children need to learn math concepts – not just math procedures. Let’s take cooking as an analogy. Right before my husband and I…
Q. My seventh-grade son has started wearing a lot of black, goth-type clothing this summer and he gets strange looks in public. How do I get him to wear something else without shutting down his sense of individuality? A. Pre-teens…
