May 2010

Chubby cheeks. Pudgy legs. Buddha bellies. Parents of newborns often brag about their child’s height and weight percentiles after a visit to their pediatrician. How big and strong he’ll be! But what happens when big numbers on the scale no longer translate to success in parenting? In the United States, one…

If you saw a woman standing in the grocery store about five years ago, squinting at labels and muttering to herself, that may have been Midlothian mom Laura Duke. “I was reading the labels and going, ‘Are you kidding me? What, this too?’” Having embarked on a gluten-free diet for…

Norfolk celebrates all things related to the power of the sea. Here, your family can climb aboard a decommissioned battleship, visit a fantastic maritime museum and take any of four local cruise, ferry and water taxi trips sure to satisfy the curious. For a great orientation, start at Waterside Marketplace…

My daughter took a bite of her oatmeal and glared at me. “Is that your breakfast?” At four, she had already mastered the art of raising one eyebrow in judgment. At that moment, she looked more like my mother than ever. I poured my third cup of coffee and considered…

It’s still hard for me to grasp the notion that Mother’s Day applies to me now. Having spent most of my life in the “I’m Never Having Kids Club,” I haven’t decided yet if it’s an advantage or a disadvantage to have no preconceptions of what parenthood will be like.…

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 the Mother’s Day Problem: What to get, for the woman…

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 they got there, where the seeds were, how tall they…

Twelve-year-old Kayla sits down to eat dinner with her mother and two brothers. She has herself to thank for much of the food on the table. Before the fresh vegetables landed on Kayla’s plate, they were at a food pantry, and prior to that they were in the dirt at…

1. Tortilla Chicken Rolls  Top four thinly sliced chicken breast halves with Monterey jack slices. Roll up, and secure with toothpicks. Whisk together 2 egg whites and a splash of water. Dip chicken in egg whites and dredge in crushed, baked tortilla chips. Place chicken in baking dish coated with…

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 their parents’ attention. Often negative attention is better then no…

Ear pressure or pain, fluid in the ears, hearing your voice loud in one ear – any of this sound familiar? Most of these symptoms are related to the function of a small opening in our middle ears called the Eustachian (pronounced U-sta-shun) tube. Designed to open and close and…

No mother can resist pictures of the gang. And the best part? The stories you’ll tell her of how everyone worked and played together so nicely in honor of her special day.   What you need: Cardboard or cardstock Construction paper Buttons, sequins, glitter, scrap paper, and stickers. Scissors Glue,…