• Last updated 3/20/13 by mamazee

My kids and I like to role play. Sometimes I pretend to be a bad guy and I drive by them in my “car,” slowing down and crying out, “Hey kids! Come with me! My dog had puppies and they’re really cute. I’ll take you to go see them. Get in…” Etani, who’s six, shouts “NO WAY! GET AWAY FROM ME!” and runs in the other direction. Saying no is a lot harder for Athena, who’s nine. She stops walking and politely declines, “No thank you, sir. I do not want to see a puppy right now, but thank you anyway for asking…” We teach our children to follow... read more

• Last updated 3/30/13 by mamazee

The day after I wrote my post “One Nap Every Day?” I  woke up and immediately said to myself: what the *!*? was I thinking? I can’t take a nap every day for one year starting on Mothers Day. I’m too busy. My mind began to spill out the list of why it is absolutely-impossible for me to nap every day starting with reason number one: my husband leaves on a three week trip to Thailand, Bangladesh and Senegal one week after Mothers Day. Not only won’t he be around to do the dishes, which I’ve calculated adds an hour to my evening mommy routine, I won’t... read more

• Last updated 3/14/13 by mamazee

Hannah called just a few minutes after the PBS Frontline “Vaccine War” ended. “I can’t get the baby to stop crying,” she said. “I’ll be right home,” I cried, saying a hasty goodbye to my friends and jumping on my bicycle. Although I think the producers of “Vaccine War” did their best to present both sides, I was a little disappointed with the show. Here’s why: 1. Although you would not know it from the episode, I am pro vaccine and my children are selectively vaccinated. I think vaccines may be responsible for saving hundreds of... read more

• Last updated 4/27/11 by Mothering Editorial

 By Michele Winkler Issue 106 May/June 2001 "What happened to Bambi's mother?" three-year-old Mira asks my husband. "Why can't she be with him anymore?" I have always explained that Bambi's mother was taking a nap, but Mira's dad tells her the truth. "Mom," she wails, running over to me. I glare at my husband and gather her in my arms. "Mom, please don't die. I'll miss you forever." I shift uncomfortably. "Look," I say, "everybody starts out as a baby, and then they grow up. After a long time, people grow to be very old, and then--well, it is just their time to die.... read more

• Last updated 1/31/11 by Mothering Editorial

By Sarah BridgesWeb Exclusive This is the lesson you don't get in the parenting books: Sometimes bad things happen from doing the right thing for your baby.   Porter's high-pitched scream woke us at midnight. When I ran to the nursery and picked him up, his sleeper was damp and his head flopped to the side. My husband grabbed the phone and punched in the number for the pediatrician.   "Hurry," I yelled, even though Brian was dialing as fast as he could. He reached for Porter, then handed me the phone. "It's the nurses' line," he said.   "What's the problem?" a... read more

• Last updated 1/25/11 by Mothering Editorial

By Lyn Redwood Issue 115, November/December 2002 More than 60 years ago, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a little-known product, thimerosal, to be used as a preservative. Today, many parents question if this product is responsible for the current epidemic of children diagnosed with learning disabilities and autism. Thimerosal Current thinking suggests that exposure to mercury comes primarily from environmental and dietary sources, dental amalgams, and rare catastrophic events. Recently, however, another common and pervasive source of mercury exposure... read more

• Last updated 4/26/10 by Mothering Editorial

April 27, 2010 PBS Frontline will air a full hour investigative report on vaccines tonight (9pm EST) entitled "The Vaccine War". Our own Jennifer Margulis - author of "Vaccine Debate" in Mothering July/Aug 2009, contributing editor, and Mothering blogger - will be on the show. Head over to Jennifer's blog to read all about it.   read more

• Last updated 3/14/13 by mamazee

Tomorrow (since I’m writing this at 9:30 p.m. after having spent all day on airplanes returning from New York City where I was at the American Society of Journalists and Authors meeting) the PBS show “Frontline” will air a full-hour investigative piece on the vaccine debate. A producer and a cameraman came to Ashland when Leone was just a few weeks old and spent hours interviewing me, following us around town, and taking B-roll of the kids. The press release makes me a little nervous. They’ve decided to call the show “The Vaccine War” and I... read more

• Last updated 1/22/11 by Mothering Editorial

Issue 115, November - December 2002 Will was the perfect baby. He ate and slept well, played, walked, and talked, all by one year. Shortly after his first birthday, however, things changed dramatically. He developed multiple infections, including strep throat, rotavirus, and an upper respiratory infection, the latter requiring hospitalization. It was at this time that he began to regress. He lost speech, interaction, and eye contact. Although he was often in his own little world, he remained very affectionate and loving. Will was evaluated for his unexplained... read more

• Last updated 4/26/10 by Mothering Editorial

If you’ve heard Gregorian chants, you know how soothing sound can be. Sounds vibrate in the body when we make them, creating a feeling of peacefulness and balance. Simply making vowel sounds can be relaxing. Stand comfortably in a private, open space, inside or outside. Let your arms hang slightly out from your sides with your palms up. One by one, recite or sing the following vowel sounds gently and with vigor. Increase the volume, but do not force your voice. AH ("mama") EE ('see") AY ("say") OH ("toe") OO ("too")     read more