January 2015 - Motherlode - The Network of Care

Charities That Inspire Kids: Kiva

Diana Williams, a teacher from Surrey, British Columbia, describes the value of making microloans from the classroom. Read More...

Published Mon, Jan 19 2015 8:30 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Education (K-12), Philanthropy, Highlights

Ten Tips for Happiness, on a Postcard From the Past

Advice from a stack of postcards hidden in a closet years ago: Encourage your children in what they want, not what you want. Also, keep a good figure. Read More...

Published Thu, Jan 01 2015 6:10 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Grandparents, Highlights

The Child-Averse Sperm Donor

I could lose a finger or two and still count on one hand the number of kids I’ve had more than a passing conversation with in my life. What if I can’t connect with children, even those that share my biological imprint? Read More...

Published Tue, Jan 06 2015 10:04 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Babies and Infants, Artificial Insemination, Highlights, Sperm, Sperm Donor Diary

Selling the Merits of Sleep

Sleep has a marketing problem. Why don't we remind our children of how good it feels, and how good it is for us, instead of the way we tend to insist on it? Read More...

Published Fri, Jan 09 2015 7:09 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Highlights

Do I Need Screen Time Rules for Other People’s Children, Too?

It’s my house and my rules, but I’m uncomfortable snatching away a prized possession a child brings over. I'm also uncomfortable with the recent sleepover in which every child spent the night buried in her own screen. Read More...

Published Mon, Jan 19 2015 12:31 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, advice, Computer and Video Games

Meeting the Baby, Becoming a Family

From the moment we met our daughter, weighing two-and-a-half pounds and wearing a red bow pasted on her head, we could tell she was the fighter and "rock star" we'd been told about. Read More...

Published Tue, Jan 20 2015 8:39 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Adoptions, Premature Babies, Adoption Journal

Students Eat More Healthy Foods When Recess Is Held Before Lunch

In studies, giving students recess immediately before lunch rather than immediately after was correlated with a decrease in food waste and an increase in the amount of fruits and vegetables eaten at lunch. But many schools still resist the change. Read...

Published Wed, Jan 14 2015 7:51 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Research, Children and Childhood, Education (K-12), Lunch and Breakfast Programs

Spying on College Life, Via Yik Yak

YikYak is like an unofficial newsfeed from a college, targeting just that campus. It is definitely not the view you get at Parents and Family Weekend. Read More...

Published Sun, Jan 11 2015 5:40 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, social media, Colleges and Universities, Highlights, Parenting After Senior Year, Yik Yak Inc

‘Redshirting’ Kindergarten-Age Kids Can Lead to Regrets

Because wealthier, better educated parents ‘redshirt’ while others don't, a kindergarten classroom can include 4-year-olds who have never been to preschool and can’t sit still, and 6-year-olds who are fluently reading chapter books and ready for advanced...

Published Wed, Jan 07 2015 12:30 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Education (K-12), Education (Pre-School), Highlights

The Risk of ‘Material Parenting’

Does dangling goods in front of children as a reward for good behavior or yanking them away as a form of punishment contribute to materialism when those kids grow up? Read More...

Published Thu, Jan 08 2015 12:47 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Research, Personal Finances, Highlights, The Opposite of Spoiled

In Fervent Support of the ‘Gap Year’

I worried that my daughter's decision to take a gap year would mean she'd never go to college. I shouldn't have. Read More...

Published Sun, Jan 04 2015 5:00 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Education (K-12), Teenagers and Adolescence, Colleges and Universities, Highlights, Parenting After Senior Year

Resolutions for a Year of Change in a Military Family

With deployment hanging over our heads, 2015 will come with incredible challenges for our marriage, our children and ourselves. I'm resolving to take care of myself as well as my children, accept help when we need it, give it where we can and appreciate...

Published Tue, Jan 06 2015 7:13 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, New Year, United States Defense and Military Forces, Deployment Diary

When GoFundMe Is the Safety Net

Families and parents using GoFundMe for small setbacks like car repairs and rent increases have been all over my social media of late. Read More...

Published Wed, Jan 07 2015 9:35 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Highlights, GoFundMe

Quandary: When Cousins Aren’t Friends

How do you help a child navigate continuing, but always fluctuating, family relationships — or should you just resolutely stay out of the way? Read More...

Published Mon, Jan 12 2015 3:13 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Highlights

January 2015 - Motherlode

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