Parenting

My son recently took a self-defense class for kids. In classic fashion, he had a rollicking good time. But more importantly, he learned some practical techniques to fend off bullies and strangers. With regular practice via role-playing at home, we hope that he will be well prepared for the statistically-unlikely-yet-still-possible icky situation and will know

Every day you read stories about adult children and parents reuniting after years of non-communication because of parental alienation or other factors. It is one of the most emotional things they could ever go through. I know, because I am in the process of reconnecting with one of my children. I wanted to share in

My right foot’s second toe (my index toe?) is throbbing as I type this. I’ve just concluded a two-hour whirlwind decluttering session and it’s 80 degrees outside and not much cooler in. The toe? Oh, well, I was picking up T’s room and made the mistake of cradling several large model cars in my arms

The first time we encountered kids playing with toy guns, T was just three years old. He was instantly enthralled, trailing behind the bigger boys like a moth to a flame. I remember feeling stuck and helpless, the pacifist in me revolted by the shootout but, at the same time, completely clueless as to how

When children feel upset, they may express their feelings in less than ideal ways. As adults, we can express our feelings maturely and without conflict (there are exceptions though!). However, as children are children, they can resort to insults and name-calling when they feel slighted, without any regard to the feelings of other people. If

No one wants to think about their child getting lost, but I swear, if it happens to you, you’ll wish up and down that you had prepared for it in advance. I should know. It happened to me and T. For about 10 excruciating minutes. Okay, so 10 minutes might not sound like much to

You may have noticed things aren’t the way they were twenty-plus years ago. Kids spend more time indoors and not out playing with friends and making memories. With more technology available to kids, it’s becoming harder and harder to build real relationships when everyone has their faces in a phone, tablet or computer screen. As

One of the best things about being a mom who’s past her prime is that everyone has done it first. (One of the worst things is also that everyone has done it first, but that’s another story.) One advantage of my age is that I really enjoy listening to other moms and dads discuss how

Dear Seasoned Parents, I need some been-there-done-that advice. This weekend, a new family moved in across the street and T made friends with the kids faster than you can say “somebody come and play.” After a brief warm-up of curbside basketball, T was raring to leave the relative safety of our cul-de-sac and venture up

Before I became a mom, I didn’t really have an opinion on the topic of breastfeeding in public. But after my son was born and we became a nursing duo, I was forced to choose a side. Unfortunately, making this choice was not exactly stress-free. If everyone agrees that breastmilk is best for baby, why

The other night, T was playing “Spaceman Spiff.” Nope, it’s not a video game; it’s something he picked up from his obsession with Calvin & Hobbes. It’s an activity best enjoyed by donning a huge backpack (jet pack), bike helmet (space helmet), and adult-sized lab goggles (for x-ray vision), and requires wild dashing around the

Everyone knows the tooth fairy, right? She comes to our children’s rooms, takes their teeth somewhere (but who knows where?), and then leaves money on their pillows. But who is the tooth fairy anyway? I recently discovered a company that is defining the tooth fairy in such a positive and captivating way with a dual

Today is Hans Christian Anderson’s birthday which is a great reason to celebrate what he was known best for — amazing stories for children. We now call today Children’s Book Day, and to observe it, the team at KidZui decided to dig deep into our memories to write a few words about our favorite books

Summer is just around the corner, and you know what that means….It’s vision board time! If you’ve never created a vision board (a.k.a. treasure map), you’re in for a real treat. Why? Because vision boards are all about dreaming, and making those dreams come true.  Best of all, making a vision board is fun and easy!

As parents, we have an amazing job to help shape our children into the adults they one day will be. We all like to talk about the milestones our babies achieve, and those are so exciting! However, moms and dads have milestones too! They are less exciting but just as important. Here are some major

Parents sometimes get so caught up in the physical demands of childrearing (getting kids ready for school, providing meals, making sure homework is done, taking them to lessons, getting them into bath and bed), that they can easily forget that there is a whole other side of parenting that is equally important and that must

What’s Wrong with Being a Strict Parent? It is quite common for one parent to think that the other parent is too strict. The overly strict parent may be the biological parent of your child (i.e. your current spouse or your ex-spouse). Just as easily, the overly strict parent may be the child’s step-parent (i.e.

Everyone has an opinion: the toddler thinks she should stay up late while Mom thinks she should be in bed early. The 10 year-old thinks ketchup belongs on every food while the parents think not. One spouse thinks dishes can dry in the drainer while the other thinks they belong in the cupboard. Sometimes, we

What was that? The kids won’t settle down for bedtime? Kids never seem to run out of energy. Even after dinner when you want nothing but to lay on the couch, they’re running around like it’s mid-morning. It’s not surprising when you break down a typical day in the life of the modern family. Life

Parenting is a big job and often a stressful one. Fortunately, there are resources that parents can draw on to help support them through the parenting journey. Let’s examine the more commonly available ones: Community Support Groups Communities can help parents through their support groups. A support group is an organization of people who share

There are many changes that occur between the time a marriage dissolves and the time a new home is established. Children go through it all, along with their parents. In some ways, the journey is even harder for the kids; they are often unwilling passengers on a train that’s going to a place they don’t

When having your first baby, it can be hard to know what all you are going to need. You could look through reviews or ask your mom, but that takes a lot of time and honestly, there have been a lot of advancements in baby products since your mother was having babies. Sometimes having that

Childhood is a magical time. Full of wonder, life-long memories and lots and lots of Disney movies! I don’t know about you, but I have seen every Disney and Disney-like movie ever made over and over and over again. Not complaining, mind you! But with all the wonderful songs, important lessons, goofy characters and mesmerizing

I always knew one day I’d have to have “the talk” with my child. I wanted to because my parents never really said anything to me on the subject, and I didn’t really want my boy to learn about the birds and the bees via the kids at school. And, of course, I knew I’d

College means that your little baby is finally growing up! However, heading in as a freshman can be daunting (for parents and kids), especially if you’re trying to decide what to buy for the new dorm room. Space in the dorm room is very limited. (Did we mention very?) So, your college freshman has to

As a parent there are times when you will simply not have enough money to do everything you need to do. In this situation, you may be forced to do the one thing no self respecting adult wants to do. You know, the two dreaded words guaranteed to make you feel like a failure as

Over the past year I’ve watched two of my friends–both amazing moms–go through unimaginable tragedies with their children. When your friends go through something like this, you feel helpless. You know there’s nothing that will take the pain away and you definitely don’t want to say or do anything that may be misconstrued or that