I think I can speak for all parents when I say: OMG, this year! Nothing has been easy about parenting in a pandemic, and things are about to get even harder. Welcome to back-to-school season 2020, where every decision is fraught with more stress than any of us ever imagined was possible. Is it safe […]
Today Is the Day That Everything Changes
Today is the first day of school, and I have a lot of…feelings. It’s nothing new, of course. Parents always experience an avalanche of emotions on this big day, and they range from anxiety to excitement, sadness to elation. I’m no different, though maybe a little more neurotic. But this year, I don’t know…it feels […]
The One Thing I’m Super Strict About with My Kids
Kids want what they want, when they want it, wherever they feel like having it. They’re adorable little ids running wild, giving no real thought to anyone else in that moment. That description, with its distinct lack of empathy, makes them sound like tiny sociopaths, but when they’re very young, they’re not doing anything wrong […]
St. Patrick’s Day Fun: Learning with Your Little Leprechauns
St. Patrick’s Day used to look a lot different than it does today. Well, not for everyone. Of course, there’s still the green beer, the pub crawls, the new best friends you sing along with till the wee hours of the night and the embarrassing stories you won’t tell your grandchildren someday. That’s just not […]
How to Boost Your Preschooler’s Math Skills Before Kindergarten
My son is starting kindergarten next year, and if you’re in the same boat (or have been), I know you can relate: Your little one isn’t so little anymore—sob!—and even if he has a few years of preschool under his belt, this is different. This is real school, and you want your child to be ready. […]
17 Things You Can Teach Kids with Leftover Halloween Candy
I don’t know about you, but I have a Halloween-candy problem. As in, it’s here and I’m eating it. And so is my 4-year-old, which—as you know if you’ve ever combined a 4-year-old and an obscene amount of sugar—isn’t a particularly good situation. So, I’m on a mission to do something with all of […]
When Cute Kids Do Disgusting Things
I got some really good advice recently regarding my toddler from a 10-year-old: “You have to let him touch everything, even the gross stuff, so that he learns about it.” The gross stuff in question was a wriggling, writhing worm. And my wise little advisor, the son of an old friend, was right. […]