Thanks, but no thanks: Dealing with unsolicited parenting advice graciously and non-defensively

Ah, the season of awkward family encounters. That annual occasion when well-meaning parents, grandparents, in-laws, uncles, and third cousins twice removed all get together to make stilted conversation and offer unsolicited advice on how to raise your little ones. The following three-step approach will help you respond productively to intrusive and unwanted advice on parenting - happy everything to those who celebrate!

November 24, 2018 0

The Body Beautiful: How my preschooler taught me to love myself

"I don't like my body!" My then-2-year-old screamed.

I'm pretty fearless with her, mind you, and it takes a lot for anything she says or does to faze me. But this one stopped my mind for a moment, and in that moment, I raced into the past and ahead to the future.

May 27, 2018 1

DIY Deluxe Car Sickness Kit

If you're anything like me, you've woefully underprepared, again and again, when your child has gotten sick in their carseat. After a holiday cookie-tossing bonanza, we decided to adult a little harder around here and create a go-bag with all of our carseat cleaning needs handy. We pass on the wisdom conferred by our inexperience to you.

May 24, 2018 0

“Who’s a pretty bird?” How Cookie the penguin helps me be a better parent

As we say in Yiddish, "People make plans and God laughs."

I'd like to append that idiom to read, "People caring for small children make plans and God grabs a jumbo tub of popcorn."

March 22, 2018 0

When you’re brave enough to take a toddler out to eat: 7 steps to preserve your family’s sanity

Small children suck at dining in restaurants. But if the restaurant deities are whispering to you and you simply must heed their call, here's some advice to help you navigate the experience with your spirit and dignity (mostly) intact.

December 12, 2017 0

The digital village: Saving our children (and ourselves) from the perils of screen time

Humans have largely lost their villages, replacing them with screens and the stories they tell. To update the old saying, it takes a village to raise both children and parents alike. Who - or what - is in your village?

December 5, 2017 0

“I’m not sharing!” Fostering children’s authentic ownership and joyful generosity

The season of giving is upon us, for certain, but the spirit of generosity is alive and well year-round. As parents and caregivers, we can help our children as they experience all kinds of feelings, among them the joy that comes from authentic generosity. When we strengthen their hearts and souls, we strengthen our own in turn.

November 22, 2017 0

TantrumBox? More like Pandora’s Box.

Here's the best tantrum tip I can offer you, totally free.

Don't spend 40 bucks on toys to distract your child from a normal, healthy part of their development. Period.

November 17, 2017 0

Green eggs and super-strong adhesives: What I learned about my parents by reading Dr. Seuss

Sometimes, appreciating a tasty meal or some fantastic glue is enough to make us feel a little less alone, and to remind us of the time when we were once cared for, sheltered, and held by the very gods themselves.

October 22, 2017 0

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