Ages + Stages

Since becoming a mom five years ago, I never felt like I had a "mom instinct." I feel like I got 99% of my mom "how-to" information from either a) watching other moms around me or b) reading blogs...

Oh, how the pendulum has swung. I was part of the free-range generation. We ran around, almost always unsupervised. I came home to a house full of extended family who spoke little to no English, helped myself to food,...

My sister mentioned to me she has started to teach her daughter to “check in.” She learned this strategy from the way I parent my kids. It got me thinking about why I taught them to check in when...

There are few titles more maligned in mom circles than the “PTA mom.” Like “soccer mom,” the name is often said with a sneer. In the song, the “Harper Valley PTA” proves to be an exclusive and judgmental club,...

My oldest will be eleven this year and I’m finding the “behavior modification” parts of parenting are happening less and less. We’ve moved into this new phase where I feel more like a sideline coach than an on-field trainer....

From the moment most of us find out our children are coming, we start tracking milestones. From how our fetus’s size compares to a piece of fruit to what to expect from our newly adopted toddler, knowing the milestones...

The long rains and short days have set in, and I’ve settled in for winter hibernation. Well, I guess it’s not exactly hibernation, but I’m definitely spending more time inside than I do doing the warmer, drier months here...

It’s been a big time: Halloween, the end of Daylight Savings, and, of course, the mid-term election. With current events shining a spotlight on the meaning of consent and as a parent educator, I’m in awe of how recent...

Getting out of the house on time is nearly impossible with children! There was a period of time when I constantly raised my voice before 8 a.m. That is not the way I wanted to start our day, so...

It is no secret I love to write. As a mother, I hope that my nine-year-old daughter grows up to love writing as much as I do. To nudge her along the path of prose in her self expression,...