• Last updated 5/2/13 by AdinaL

The problem with time-out is that it doesn't work. Time-out teaches a child little about her behavior or how to act differently in the future. A time-out is supposed to give a child a chance to collect herself and reflect on her wrong-doings - but such reflection is a lot to expect of a child who is probably too overwhelmed by her own emotions to think clearly about her actions. Rather, the child is apt to focus on her feelings of frustration at not having her needs met, rejection at being sent away when she needed her parents' understanding, and anger at not being... read more

• Last updated 10/31/12 by Cynthia Mosher

It’s normal  and considered sensible to have food limits and judgments on what our children consume, and people will commonly praise, affirm and nod approvingly when we do so.   But are we doing more harm than good with this approach?  Will it really lead to our children having a healthy relationship with food? In most households certain food is labelled as ’junk’ or ‘healthy’, and the ‘junk’ is then restricted, or completely eliminated.  However, what is interesting is that nutritionists can’t even decide what constitutes healthy – current... read more

• Last updated 3/13/13 by mamazee

The 20-something dental hygienist, wearing dark purple scrubs, smiled at my children and me as she motioned for us to follow her to the examining room. “Okay,” she chirped at my 10-year-old daughter, “Mom will wait outside while we take a quick picture of your teeth.” I could feel my face stiffen. “We aren’t going to do X-rays this time,” I said, keeping my voice as casual as possible. “I mentioned that we didn’t want X-rays when I called for an appointment, and I also wrote it in on the consent form.” The young hygienist furrowed her brow.... read more

• Last updated 9/21/12 by Sarah Clark

I was talking to a mom today who is preparing for the birth of her second child.  She mentioned something that took me back to that same time in my own life.  She said that she wasn’t sure how many more children she would have because she felt like her brain was going unused and she wasn’t sure how many more years of that she could handle. I remember feeling the same way when I had one or two children.  A thought that was constantly on my mind was how being the person who had gone to college and now cleaned the poop just didn’t feel fulfilling every second of every... read more

• Last updated 4/5/13 by momofnatasha

  By Suzanne Leigh   There’s a video circulating the Internet with a provocative message. A successful, midlife woman tells her audience that five months ago she had a brain tumor and she’s grateful for the experience.   Adversity can do incredible things for you, apparently. “You will feel loved and appreciated like never before.” You will have a “new understanding and trust in your body” and you also get to have an “eight week vacation of doing absolutely nothing.”   Oh, and one other thing: You will “eat countless gourmet meals.”   Now I was... read more

• Last updated 4/8/13 by Sheryl Paul

      “Come on, Asher, we need to go!” I say for the fourth time as my three year old crouches down near the bushes in front of our house to examine a creature. “But I found something interesting, Mommy! Come look! It’s yellow with black dots and I think it’s a dragonfly.” He’s right; it’s a dragonfly and it’s quite beautiful, but that doesn’t change the fact that if we don’t get into the car this second we’re going to be late. Still, I bend down with him and am amazed that he can identify a dragonfly, then ask if he’s ready to get into the car. The... read more

• Last updated 2/21/10 by Mothering Editorial

My little girl is 12 months old and I want to transition her to cocunut or almond milk. My 4-year-old drinks almond milk but I don't think that is enough fat and vitamin D. I am open to other non-dairy substitues but do't' want to do soy. Is coconut milk a good option?  Once weaned, a child can receive a fully balanced diet from solid foods alone. Preferred drinks are water, herbal teas, and very diluted juices. If your child is not receiving the bulk of her calories from solid foods, an organic formula would still be the best option, when not breastfeeding. A toddler... read more

• Last updated 10/18/12 by AdinaL

In July, I became an aunt. This past weekend, I finally got to meet my nephew, Noah. I was a little nervous about how I’d handle the encounter. Even though I was excited, I wondered: Would I be an emotional train wreck, given my infertility struggles? Turns out, holding Noah eased the ache I’ve often felt in my arms. Being an aunt is great fun. Here are the top ten things I love about my new role: 10 ~ Sniffing Noah’s head. Ahh…that newborn baby smell. 9 ~ Watching my brother and sister-in-law take care of him. Such good parents. 8 ~ Wondering... read more

• Last updated 10/19/12 by Melanie Mayo

By Deborah Jackson Issue 98, January/February 2000 My bed feels somewhat empty now. I lie scrunched up in one corner, like a kitten in an oversized basket, and I wonder how it came to this. My husband, Paul, is away again, working on the other side of the country, and my children are downstairs, asleep. There’s Frances, 12, sprawled easily across her loft bed (she’s going to need a bigger bed soon). Sharing her room is Alice, buried invisibly under the covers—she’s still small for her nine years. Then there’s Joseph, lying in his very own bedroom, his... read more

• Last updated 3/1/12 by Melanie Mayo

the connected baby: a film conversation an exclusive streaming event What is the connected baby?  “Babies arrive already connected to other people. That’s what a range of sciences is now telling us: that they have brains already tuned in to other people’s body rhythms and vocal tones and movements. It makes them much more communicative and sophisticated than we often realise. In fact, it turns out that their very brain pathways are shaped by the kinds of responses that they receive from other people. “So, to build the kind of society that we all want, we need to pay... read more