Charlottesville is home to a broad spectrum of childcare providers, from nanny-shares and under-the- table babysitters to corporate-owned centers that cost as much as college tuition. Parents are faced with tough decisions before even giving birth, and families everywhere have the same question: Why is childcare so expensive? Tuition for top-notch centers in Charlottesville can […]
Charlottesville is home to a broad spectrum of childcare providers, from nanny-shares and under-the- table babysitters to corporate-owned centers that cost as much as college tuition. Parents are faced with tough decisions before even giving birth, and families everywhere have the same question: Why is childcare so expensive? Tuition for top-notch centers in Charlottesville can […]
Laketa Kelley couldn’t afford to send her daughter to the daycare center where she worked as a teacher for six years. Kelley loved her teaching job at Westminster Child Care Center, but when she found out she was pregnant in 2010, she knew her salary wouldn’t cover the center’s $800 per month infant care. She […]
Drawings of ponies and dragons frolic across the glass of the large picture window that faces the front of 4-year-old Makenzie Lee’s home. The word pony is written in red washable glass marker. The Fontaine-area duplex is tidy and decorated with brightly colored accents, Makenzie’s mom Chelsea’s sea-creature themed paintings and, now, Kenzie’s window drawings. […]
Watching a happy puppy or kitten bounce around the living room, it’s hard to imagine anything that isn’t perfectly adorable about your new friend. Of course, the first time you find a pile of poop under the coffee table, you might adjust your assessment. And then you step barefoot in a warm puddle on your […]
Getting back to the school routine is fun for about a week and then it starts to feel like Groundhog Day. Varied meals get my foodie daughter, Maisie, and me going each morning. Breakfast is some variation of fruit, yogurt, and oats or whole grains, and dinner’s based on the season and how much time […]
After my first son was born some four years ago, I briefly thought about starting a blog to document staying home with him, but then dismissed the idea. I wasn’t yet ready to “come out” as a stay at home dad, but when my wife became pregnant again two years later, it was finally time […]
“Oh, he lets them do anything,” boasts my client while her two kids play tug-of-war with a hound dog’s ears in the exam room. Judging by the nonplussed expression on the poor creature’s face (and the complete lack of expression in his tail), I suspect she’s right. He will let them do anything. But it […]
Whether your little one is just starting school or is about to transition into a new grade, you want to make sure he gets the very best schools in Charlottesville have to offer. Here are a few things to consider. How do I get involved? With the start of the school year, you’re likely getting […]
Here’s a familiar scenario: Preschool-aged girl walks into a room sporting a pink tutu, butterfly wings, and a plastic tiara. She’s wielding a fairy wand and spinning on child-sized high heels emblazoned with the cameo of a Disney princess. She seems delighted with both herself and her appearance, and you can’t help but notice she […]
When I was asked to write an article about how sex and parenthood mix, here’s what I ended up with as a first draft: What sex life? I’m exhausted and there’s a toddler in my bed. The end. Just kidding! But sometimes it does feel that way. It’s ironic that the shenanigans that caused parenthood […]