Q. We had a wonderful summer as a family, but both my kids are feeling pretty apprehensive about returning to the school routine.  What can I do to help them adjust?

Children love to learn.  Learning is as natural as breathing to them–they absorb every single thing that happens!  They learn through play, they learn from the behavior of the children and adults around them, they learn from their own experiments.  By all rights, going to school, where there will be new experiences, many children, and a chance to master powerful skills like reading and math, should be exciting and fun for them! Read the rest »

Eating a good breakfast can do a lot more for your children than you may realize. There are many studies that conclude that eating breakfast has many health benefits, including reduced risk of obesity, better school performance — both learning and behavior — reduced tooth decay, and children who eat breakfast are more likely to get a full day’s supply of calcium.

Many of us often meet the challenge of getting everyone out the door on time. When this happens, breakfast runs the risk of being short changed or overlooked. Breakfast is just too important to your children’s success at school to let this happen.

Here are some tips for breakfast success: Read the rest »

Summer is practically over and it’s back to school for the kids. Parents are you dreading that trip to the overcrowded stores where you can’t even get a cart down the aisle? Or what about sitting in traffic and wasting precious gas? Your bank account has already been stretched this summer due to the record high gas prices and the lack of that “disposable income.” Purchasing new supplies and new clothes for the kids isn’t going to relieve much of that pressure, is it? Read the rest »

From the first week of our child’s birth, we encouraged her connection to nature through all of her senses. Her ears perked up at the sound of the nesting birds’ melody. Her eyes opened to the vastness of a mountain lake and her perception increased gradually with each passing week as we said the names of the plants animals, insects, stones, etc. She smelled and felt the grass, leaves, flowers, and water as we passed through our surroundings. She later tasted the berries we picked for her along the way. And she is still always intrigued by the sound of a passing brook. We use our imagination to inspire and develop our senses every day. Here are some of the ways you can help your child do so, too: Read the rest »

Women are often defined by their relationships to others, and for most of history women followed the single-lane path from being a father’s daughter to a husband’s wife to a child’s mother. While familial labels also apply to males, men have traditionally been allowed to just be whomever they are—without a stated link to someone else. (Think of the notable men, past and present, about whom you know little or nothing regarding their marital and family status.)

I make this observation as a woman who, having left a successful career to become a stay-at-home mom, is now mostly identified by whom I care for rather than the whole of who I am. Most adult women are mothers, but each one of us is a mother and more.

It’s important for men and society-at-large to understand that truth, but it’s essential for women to accept that they needn’t be solely defined by or worse, consumed by, motherhood. I suspect that each of us would be more content in our daily lives, and collectively more supportive of one another, if we abandoned the head games that accompany our work as mothers. (And yes, I consider motherhood and childrearing to be a job.) Hence …. Read the rest »

Over the years that I’ve dispensed financial advice, I’ve never distinguished much between the genders. It’s always been my attitude that an investment approach which suits a man should equally suit a woman. I’ve reasoned that a dollar in the hands of Jack is no different than in the hands of Jill, inasmuch as they both tumble down the hill together.

It appears, however, that I’ve been overlooking something. A provocative book by Lois P. Frankel, PhD, a business consultant and psychotherapist, titled Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich: 75 Avoidable Mistakes Women Make with Money, points out numerous factors that my male chauvinist focus fails to consider. She explains that “Our [women’s] real roles revolve less around money and more around relationships,” adding that “throughout our lives we’re given multiple, often conflicting, messages. This double bind causes little girls to limit their interest in acquiring wealth.” She further stresses that “if you don’t think rich, you certainly don’t consciously engage in behaviors that will contribute to getting rich.” Read the rest »

I’ve heard my fair share of kids’ CDs since my daughters were born. Some are awesome and some make me want to toss them out the window of our minivan as we drive down the highway.

I recently came across some CDs that parents and kids can enjoy together. Universal Music just released a “Family Collection” of six discs. We have been rocking out to Motown for Kids as well as Songs for the Car. Read the rest »