Babies are physically exhausting to parent, but as they grow into toddlerhood and beyond, the physical exhaustion is slowly replaced by emotional exhaustion. For much of babyhood, needs and wants are identical, but over time needs and wants start to diverge, which means that parents need to start setting limits. We can’t let our kids... Continue Reading →

My daughter was just two and a half years old when we took her to the dentist for the first time. Our pediatrician had advised us we didn’t need to take her to the dentist until age three unless we suspected a problem. Well, one day I was horsing around with her and happened to... Continue Reading →

At ages 6 and 4, my kids have yet to outgrow the play dough phase. In fact, I'm not sure I've quite outgrown it myself. It's one of those things I can do with my kids that is enjoyable for all of us. Below is the recipe I've been using for a while. I start... Continue Reading →

Never-ending bedtime scenarios are no parent's favorite Being separated from your caregivers and protectors before you are old enough to fend for yourself is scary to most young children. For most of human existence, it would have been a dangerous thing. Our children are the descendants of prehistoric babies who did not get eaten by... Continue Reading →

Peaceful parenting is a movement that aims to raise kids who will become responsible, resilient, happy adults who do good in the world. It involves setting limits with empathy, trying to understand and address the root causes of problems rather than manipulating behavior through rewards and punishments, and generally being kind and non-punitive in our... Continue Reading →

At first glance, having a baby and going on a honeymoon may appear to have nothing in common. One is a fabulous vacation and the other is a decidedly unglamorous jumble of sleep deprivation, spit-up covered clothing, and never-ending laundry. But when it comes down to it, both mark a major transition in life that... Continue Reading →

A few years ago, our family took a two-year hiatus from watching TV, an experience I wrote about here. When we eventually re-introduced TV, we swung a little too far in the other direction, letting screen time take over more and more of our days and lives. Although I know several families for whom complete... Continue Reading →

Like just about any 1980s child, I grew up watching TV. And not just the occasional commercial-free documentary for its educational content. We’re talking Looney Toons, Nickelodeon shows with the apparent sole purpose of broadcasting green slime dumped on people’s heads, and the same Disney movies hundreds of times over. Most kids I grew up... Continue Reading →

Living in Central Texas, getting out to water is a necessity for surviving four or five months of heat.  Fortunately, we have a variety of amazing swimming holes here in the Austin area. That also means there is a lot of pressure to learn to swim early. There are baby swim classes for kids as... Continue Reading →

Nothing says summer like snacking on watermelon, strawberries, and popsicles between dips into the water. Our fruit consumption really goes through the roof during the summer months, which I mostly love. The only part I don't love is that fruit isn't very filling, so it will leave kids (and adults) constantly in search of another... Continue Reading →

Last summer a colleague and I were chatting about life with kids. His baby was approaching a year old and he mentioned that his wife was starting to feel pressure to wean, despite not feeling ready. I assured him that my kids were nowhere near ready to wean at that age either. Then came an... Continue Reading →

It may seem like the last thing the world needs is another parenting style. There is attachment parenting and peaceful parenting; helicopter parenting and slow parenting; tiger parenting and elephant parenting; RIE parenting and the CTFD method. I’m going to sweep these aside for a moment and focus on an analogy: Raising kids is like... Continue Reading →

When someone first envisions homeschooling, the first thought is often a family replicating the school environment at home. Lessons start promptly at 8:30am, with children working studiously around the kitchen table until a break for lunch at noon. After the lunch break, lessons continue until 2:30pm. Then the homeschool day is over. But, for a... Continue Reading →

If you’ve been a homeschooling or unschooling parent for a while, you are probably already familiar with people commenting on and questioning your choices, or trying to single-handedly determine your child’s level of knowledge on the spot.  Next time you find yourself in the line of fire, try one of these responses. WHAT ABOUT SOCIALIZATION?... Continue Reading →

“Mama, will you play on the train with me?” my daughter asked, lining up the dining chairs to form a line of seats. “Sure! Where’s my seat on the train?” I responded, thinking we were about to engage in some good, old-fashioned pretend play together. This is what childhood is supposed to be all about,... Continue Reading →

ARE YOU STILL BREASTFEEDING? Yes, we are still breastfeeding. Many of us continue to nurse until our children outgrow the need. Others choose to employ some gentle weaning strategies. We will probably point out that the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for a minimum of two years, and thereafter as long as the mother and... Continue Reading →

I’ve been in school almost my entire life. I started preschool shortly before turning 3. I started elementary school at age 6. I followed the standard path through middle school and high school and then went directly to college. After college I earned two Master’s degrees and then a PhD. Even after that I didn’t... Continue Reading →

Just about all of us had a few wrong ideas about raising kids before we became parents ourselves. Some of these ideas might have been based on our own wacky ideas of how we would do things differently than everyone else. Other ideas we take for granted as new parents, only to realize later how laughable the... Continue Reading →

Having a child and taking them out into the world can sometimes feel like an invitation to have others comment on your parenting decisions. With parenting, as with any endeavor, it’s important to be open to new ideas, to listen, and reflect. At the same time, we all know that a lot of the advice... Continue Reading →

Have you ever hesitated to travel by air with a baby? The idea of it strikes fear into the heart of many parents. “What if the baby cries?!” You’re stuck on an airplane with hundreds of other people. What will they think? Have you ever hesitated to take a toddler to a restaurant? Making dinner... Continue Reading →