Motherlode

Helping Kids Take Criticism Constructively (Even When It Isn’t Constructive)

In an attempt to make feedback palatable for children, we construct feedback sandwiches of critical meat between slices of fluffy and comforting praise. Read More...

Published Thu, Oct 02 2014 6:07 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Education (K-12), Teenagers and Adolescence, Highlights, Parent-Teacher Conference

Challenged by My Catholic School’s Choices, and Challenging It in Return

When I first heard what happened to Barb Webb, a teacher at my former Catholic high school, who was fired after nine years after she announced her pregnancy, I was shocked—and then I wasn’t. Read More...

Published Mon, Oct 06 2014 12:54 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships, Highlights, Roman Catholic Church, Private and Sectarian Schools, Homosexuality and Bisexuality, Detroit (Mich)

‘What You Sign Up For’ When You Marry Into the Military

As we prepare for my husband's deployment, the first since the birth of our two children, a not-so-sympathetic friend asks, “But you had to know what you signed up for, right?” Read More...

Published Tue, Nov 04 2014 7:26 AM by Motherlode

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

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

Protecting Children From the Media's Storm Coverage

Tips on protecting children from overexposure to images of traumatic events. Read More...

Published Fri, Nov 02 2012 10:07 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, parenting, Mental Health and Disorders, Children and Childhood, Hurricane Sandy (2012), News and News Media

Is It 'I Do' or 'I Plan' That Divides Us?

Can we promote parental preparedness without going back to the days of condemning the single parent? Read More...

Published Mon, Jul 16 2012 11:53 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, single parents, marriage trends, unmarried mothers

Where to Turn When the School Wants to Have Your Child ‘Tested’

Our son’s teacher recently asked that we have him tested. I am hazy on the details of this, and would like to know what “testing” for behavioral or cognitive issues entails. Could you explain the process? Read More...

Published Thu, May 08 2014 8:22 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Highlights, Parent-Teacher Conference

A Mother’s Instinct, a Daughter’s Need

My mother's unexpected appearance at a moment when I needed her more than I knew was more than luck. Read More...

Published Thu, May 08 2014 12:40 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Mother's Day, Highlights

One Word to Describe Your Mother

Katie Hafner, author of "Mother Daughter Me," asked people across the country to use "one word" to describe their mothers. Read More...

Published Fri, May 09 2014 6:55 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Mother's Day, Hafner, Katie, Highlights

The Making of a Thriller Writer

A faux encounter with a Ludlum character and my father's imagination were one of the many ways my parents set me on a thriller writer's path. Read More...

Published Mon, Aug 20 2012 2:35 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, adult children, Matt Richtel, parental influence

What Does Your Fridge Door Say About Your Family?

What does it say about the degree to which "ephemera" has taken over our home that I have tried - and failed - to organize the front of our fridge? Read More...

Published Thu, Aug 16 2012 8:02 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized

Looking for a Family That Is Looking to Eat More Vegetables

Want cookbook author and Times columnist Martha Rose Shulman to help your family eat more healthily? We're looking for you. Read More...

Published Wed, May 14 2014 1:57 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Food, vegetarianism, Cooking and Cookbooks, Diet and Nutrition, Highlights

Judge the ‘Rebel Heart’ Sailboat Parents, or Envy Them?

Are parents raising children in extreme circumstances, like on a sailboat crossing the Pacific Ocean, bringing children into their chosen way of life or selfishly exposing them to unnecessary risk? Read More...

Published Mon, Apr 07 2014 12:51 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Children and Childhood, Travel and Vacations, Highlights, Oceans and Seas, Sailboats and Sailing, Pacific Ocean

When Divorce Magnifies Adoption’s Losses

My adopted child of divorced and remarried parents doesn't feel like she fits in anywhere. Read More...

Published Sun, Jan 12 2014 5:05 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Children and Childhood, Divorce, Separations and Annulments, Adoptions, Highlights

Shaking Science

When experts start to doubt what once seemed certain -- in this case, the signs of Shaken Baby Syndrome. Read More...

Published Wed, Feb 02 2011 9:06 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, Emily Bazelon, shaken baby syndrome

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