When social media site upworthy.com created a video with “pictures of women that make you feel better about yourself instead of worse,” local mothers Jennifer McDonald and Terry Beigie were inspired. Fed up with the media-supported charade of the ideal woman being 5’10” with “perfect teeth, huge Barbie bosoms, and beautiful long blonde hair,” McDonald […]
When social media site upworthy.com created a video with “pictures of women that make you feel better about yourself instead of worse,” local mothers Jennifer McDonald and Terry Beigie were inspired. Fed up with the media-supported charade of the ideal woman being 5’10” with “perfect teeth, huge Barbie bosoms, and beautiful long blonde hair,” McDonald […]
It might be too costly to plan an entire week’s vacation for your family over spring break, but might we suggest fitting in a few day trips? At less than four hours of round-trip travel time, you can make your way there and back and still be home in time for dinner. Which is a […]
I’m an older first-time father. My daughter arrived a mere two months before my 50th birthday and my official invitation to join AARP. When my daughter turned six months, I realized I was more than 100 times older than her. Parenthood isn’t easy for anyone, but older parents face some distinct challenges. The downsides of […]
“I am not the kind of mom who scrapbooks,” said Taylor Harris, a Charlottesville stay-at-home mom, of her blog, sweetmilks.com. “This is a cool way to chronicle what’s happened. I’m a creative type and not organized, and I try to have some sort of organization with their lives.” Blogging is Harris’ way of creating a […]
Up until six months ago, Tara and Andrew Montgomery were struggling to provide a safe and freedom-filled environment for their young daughter, Leah (18 months). They were living in an old North Downtown farmhouse, and their newly mobile child was at odds with the accoutrements of the 1910 home, as Tara, a nurse at UVA, […]
When my sons were in their mother’s belly, they had no idea their first few years would be so different than their peers’. That instead of lazy mornings spent with Mama and her friends and their kids, they would be subjected to daddy day care or, as I called it, “baby boot camp.” This was […]
According to karma, I should have a picky child. (I once threw a fit when my parents stopped at Wendy’s because the hamburgers there are square instead of round.) But not only has Maisie never even eaten a fast food hamburger in her nearly five years of life, but she’s a better, more adventurous eater […]
My older brother was bit by Grandma’s dog at the age of 2 and nearly lost his eye, so the story goes. Possibly even more exaggerated in family lore is the fact that the doctor had my mother physically barred from the hospital room while he sewed my brother’s eyelid back together. Dad was allowed […]
Families of every income level in Charlottesville and across the country are struggling to find quality childcare, and studies show that costs are still rising as gaps in licensing and training requirements persist. Nonprofits and government agencies have been examining the issue for years, and experts say they’ve always known how the numbers add up: […]
This is the third installment of a four-part series on childcare in Charlottesville. The first story looked at choices parents make in regards to their careers, with input from working parents and stay-at-home moms. Part two focused on the most expensive options in the area and families’ financial sacrifices for quality. Parents and providers agree that every […]