Is there a commonly accepted “playground etiquette?” Or are playgrounds a lawless land ruled by barbaric, screaming bullies and their diaper-clad children? Thinking back, wistfully, to my own children’s blissful playground days, I see images of radiant, round-faced, sun-screened toddlers, squealing with glee as they run, slide, and swing. Wait! Has the ether of time […]
With one child still in preschool and one in grade school, I’ve already fallen into the typical yo-yo family routine phenomenon: By the last month of the regular school year, I’m just done. Done with daily lunch packing. Done with backpack checking and bake sales. Done with incessant clock watching, brush-your-teeth demanding, shoelace tying, and […]
One of the things that made me wary about having children earlier was intimidation over the sheer work involved in raising kids. I thought I’d do fine with the nurturing, tender, Hallmark moments of fatherhood, but I was much less confident in my ability to manage the mundane day-to-day labor and constant vigilance that parenting […]
They call themselves the Smartie-Nerds (a mash-up of the two candy names), and after placing fifth in the world at last spring’s Destination Imagination global competition at the University of Tennessee, nobody’s going to argue with them. “Them” is Madison Gildersleeve-Price, Abby and Elly Haden, Teresa Li, Maggie Matthews, Sarah Trotter, and Stacy Vitko, an […]
Physics teacher Matt Shields, who recently received a 2014 MIT Inspirational Teacher Award for his work both in and out of the classroom with students at Charlottesville High School, never planned to be a teacher. “Physics was almost an accident. I think I got a C in physics in college,” Shields said, adding that his […]
If your baby has an iPotty (training potty with iPad attached, obviously), your toddler boys have portable urinals, and you and your daughter are currently wearing matching breastmilk-pendant necklaces, congratulations! You’re taking advantage of some of the completely absurd new and innovative parenting products available today. If you’re a slacker dark-ages parent like me, you […]
For some, the start of children’s sports season is a flurry of e-mails from team coaches, attending the first practice, or making a last-minute run to the store for athletic gear. For me, sports season officially begins when I sit down in my sandy folding chair at the opening game, and set my water bottle […]
The end of summer and the beginning of a new school year always brings new families to town looking for the best medical care for their children. When thinking about the doctor’s office for your children, it is important to look for high quality care with experienced pediatric physicians, access at the times and dates […]
Patience is a virtue I missed out on. I’m not great with temperance or diligence, either, but patience is in especially short supply. And you know what quality really comes in handy in parenting? Patience. But sadly for you, my child, I have very little patience with you and your “reasons” a.k.a. excuses. You’ll eat […]
The kids are back in school, so we know what that means—back to soccer practices, Boy Scout meetings, football games, and band competitions. Free time is sparse, but if you’re looking for one more activity to squeeze in, consider something that will not only teach your kid valuable skills, but will also give back to […]