By Cheryl Maguire My teenage son stood in front of the opened refrigerator, gazing into the abyss. I envisioned dollar bills floating by his head as the cold air escaped, no doubt causing our electric bill to skyrocket. “Could you please close the refrigerator door?” I asked trying to remain…
By Alicia Thompson I recently ran across a note in the back of a drawer, written in red crayon by a child who was obviously just learning to write that said, “we are not Kis ine mor. We are Big.” (Translation, if it’s been a while since you last deciphered…
By Colin Smith | Contributor As a parent of teenage children, I hate learning to let go. After we finally learn to do so, life throws us another curveball. Six words make my heart hit the floor: “Dad, you’ll NEVER believe what happened!” After my heart starts again, several things come to mind. Firstly, I probably…
By Bobbie Ames | Contributor OK, your teen is dating and Valentine’s Day is coming up. What do you do? What do they do? What is appropriate? Does anyone else feel bad for the poor boys these days? I mean just asking a girl to homecoming has turned into a…
By Family Features | Contributor For some time, heading to college or joining the workforce have been the standard choices for teens upon high school graduation. Today, in part due to technology and social media, students have access to myriad career paths that are all but traditional. With an increasingly…
By Sandi Schwartz | Contributor You know your kids are growing up when they no longer have recess at school. When my son started middle school, recess and even physical education were no longer part of his schedule. While he could choose a gym class, he opted for a hectic…
Let’s be honest – sometimes parents dread homework as much as their kids do. But homework connects parents to what their children are learning in school, and research shows that children are more likely to be successful in school when their families support them. By following these tips, even the…
By Tanni Haas, Ph.D. Most families find it difficult to get everyone together at the dinner table on a regular basis. We’re all so busy with after-school activities, late meetings at work, and long commutes; it really is too bad. Researchers have learned that eating dinner as a family is…
By Cheryl Maguire My husband and I are fitness fanatics who exercise six days a week. When our twin 14-year-olds asked if they could join us at the gym, we were elated that they wanted to share our love of fitness and spend time with us. But during our first…