• Last updated 11/28/10 by Mothering Editorial

By Wendy PonteIssue 134, January/February 2006 As infants, most of us learn basic survival and communication skills by observing the details of our environment and how it responds to us. Then, as we grow up, we extend what we have learned to other areas of our lives and into more formal learning situations. For reasons that are still unclear, autistic children are unable to do this. The process of applied behavioral analysis (ABA) replicates this normally inborn ability with a teaching process that seems to train the brains of autistic children to interact with the... read more

• Last updated 3/13/13 by mamazee

Origami Mommy (aka Christine Gross-Loh, whom I’ve interviewed on this blog) has a really interesting post today, “Free-range kids,” about how Japanese school children walk to and from school by themselves starting when they are six or seven years old. They usually walk in little groups and they learn safety tips in school. My older brother and I always walked to school by ourselves. When I was in fifth grade I walked about two miles to ballet class after school, to my friends’ houses, and to work for Sally Davis as a mother’s helper. By sixth grade,... read more

• Last updated 3/30/13 by mamazee

How to illustrate a magazine article, in this case: an article titled “Handsome in Pink,” written by a dad, Matthew Rushford, about his little boy’s love of the color pink. 1. Hire Ben Hatke. Email Ben, whom you know from a previous job he did for Mothering, briefly describing the story, budget, and deadline. Ask whether he’s available. Send the story and an excerpt describing the scene which you think might make a good opener: I stood with my two-year-old son, gazing at the wall of shoes at Payless Shoes. In our immediate range of vision... read more

• Last updated 7/19/10 by Mothering Editorial

Hi, What do you think about kids earning money by doing things in and around the house? I read many familys do that like giving 0.10$ to 0.25$ daily to brush theeth, make there beds, clean play room, etc. Some other will pay more to do the laundry, cutting the grass, washing the dishes, clean the car, help on the farm, help to do renovation or construction, help in parent business, etc. Do you think its ok to do this or it leads kids to never want to help and expect money in exchange of doing anything? Can it destroy the natural willingness to help there parents? Is... read more

• Last updated 7/19/10 by Mothering Editorial

Since a very long time our childrens (unschooled) have told us they want to earn money in a very specific way and they have recently told us with pressure that they want us to make it happen for them now. They seem very serious as they come back with it again and again with more and more intensity. But how helping a child earn money? We are both parents professional craft people and they want to make craft and sell it like we do. I though we could start them there own little business and explain to them how we manage ours so they can manage there business. They asked... read more

• Last updated 2/6/11 by Mothering Editorial

We have a three-year-old at home and recently had another baby. Prior to our new baby, our three-year-old was our everything. He received lots of attention from both of us and I (mommy) was lucky enough to stay home with him on a full-time basis. Since the birth of our second son, our three-year-old has shown incredible jealousy. We expected some of this and understand it's a normal reaction to a new baby in the family. However, it's been five months now, and he continues to struggle with his interactions with his baby brother. I have to watch him like a hawk as I have... read more

• Last updated 2/6/11 by Mothering Editorial

We have a three-year-old at home and recently had another baby. Prior to our new baby, our three-year-old was our everything. He received lots of attention from both of us and I (mommy) was lucky enough to stay home with him on a full-time basis. Since the birth of our second son, our three-year-old has shown incredible jealousy. We expected some of this and understand it's a normal reaction to a new baby in the family. However, it's been five months now, and he continues to struggle with his interactions with his baby brother. I have to watch him like a hawk as I have... read more

• Last updated 6/29/10 by Jennifer Margulis

My favorite part of summer? Visits from friends and family who bring along mustaches!You know it’s finally summer where you live when: 1. The sun is so hot you think you’re back in West Africa. 2. The baby gets a tan and the husband gets a sunburn. 3. Cigarette smoke, from the neighbors on both sides of the house, starts wafting in your windows at night. 4. You hear the sound of electric power tools — from lawn mowers to tree cutters — all day long. 5. Your 6-year-old, who does not have any scheduled activities this week, says “I’m bored, I’m bored, I’m bored,” 15 times... read more

• Last updated 10/18/12 by Cynthia Mosher

By Dee Kaye Web Exclusive - May 6, 2008 My husband, Tim, thinks our four-year-old daughter is an alcoholic. Sarah has never showed up tipsy to preschool. She's never sipped anything stronger than a juice box. And though she's occasionally been guilty of reckless tricycle riding, she's never been under the influence while pedaling—unless you count being high on sugar, that is. Still, Tim is convinced her craving for alcohol will one day be as insatiable as her appetite for breastmilk was as an infant. You don't know that," I snapped, the last time he made his... read more

• Last updated 3/13/13 by mamazee

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I’m not much of a shopper. I don’t take my kids shopping very often, except to the grocery store. But have you ever noticed how even a routine jaunt to buy grapefruit and tomatoes can turn into a power struggle extraordinaire? Though my kids are pretty well-behaved (in public anyway), I find that our shopping trips–even just to the market–always go much more smoothly if I’m upfront about how I expect them to behave. The key to successful shopping with kids is to make sure you talk to them before you enter the... read more