About a month ago, I made a list. Empty waste cans. Sort whites. Scrub toilets. Clean bedrooms. Unload dishwasher. Dismantle the stockpile of shoes in the utility room that had recently begun to rival the pile of laundry. There were about ten…
Well, just look at the bunch of us now. A bit more weight, a bit more gray, but who cares? It’s a reunion, so it’s bear hugs all around as we shake our heads and try not to count the…
Q: When I was a teenager, I signed a contract with my dad that I wouldn’t drink alcohol until I was of legal age. It didn’t work on me. Do you think this is a good idea? A: Interesting that…
Going out to eat with my family always seems like a great idea – at first. For a second or two, I forget that my husband and I are the parents of two children under the age of four. But…
“He’s here! He’s here! Paula’s … date… is … here!” Our voices rang out like a trumpet fanfare. My father had already pushed the furniture to the walls, clearing a path through our living room to the front entrance…
It’s May in the DadZone, which means a shout-out to all the lovely ladies on Mother’s Day. If anyone deserves a special day, it’s moms. And yet, Mother’s Day can cause dads no small amount of angst. Let’s call it…
Q: Can you recommend a good discipline strategy for 10-year-olds? A: Discipline is often thought of as a negative action. However, there are ways to use positive discipline that can also be helpful in parenting. More than anything, children want…
Our family’s unexpected love of gardening began last spring when a friend gave me a large pot of flowers. When I brought it home, my 3½-year-old son was enthusiastic, careful, and nurturing. He wanted to know who planted them, how…
Before I had kids, the most exciting thing I could say about my own childhood was that it was over. Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t a bad childhood, just boring. At least, that’s how it seemed while I was…
