Motherlode

Ask Anne Lamott, Author of 'Some Assembly Required'

Anne Lamott, author of "Operating Instructions" and the new sequel, "Some Assembly Required: A Journey of My Son's First Son" is answering reader questions. Read More...

Published Wed, Apr 18 2012 12:02 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, Motherlode Book Club, Anne Lamott, some assembly required, operating instructions

The Genius of Unstructured Summer Time

Left to his own devices for hours with plenty of cardboard and tape, Caine Monroy created a whole video arcade world. Without an activity-packed schedule, what would your children do? Read More...

Published Fri, Apr 20 2012 9:15 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, Helicopter parents, scheduling, activities, Caine's Arcade, modern parenting, mamiverse, summer vacation, Belen Aranda-Alverado

Being a Working Mother Means Always Having to Say You’re Sorry

How often did you apologize to your boss, your friends or your family last week? Read More...

Published Mon, Nov 04 2013 1:44 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Women and Girls, Books and Literature, Working Hours, Work-Life Balance, Paid Time Off, Highlights

When Advanced Math Placement Is a Struggle

Her daughter wanted to be in above-grade-level math, and they pushed the school into it — and now it's too much. What's next? Read More...

Published Thu, Nov 07 2013 7:52 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Education (K-12), Highlights, Tutors and Tutoring, McKellar, Danica, Mathematics

At a Swim Meet, a Ribbon for Everyone

When I volunteered to write the ribbons at my 10-year-old's swim meet, I had no idea I'd be helping write a ribbon for every child in every race. Read More...

Published Sun, Nov 10 2013 5:34 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Swimming, Children and Childhood, Athletics and Sports, Highlights, Awards, Decorations and Honors

‘Maxed Out’ Author Thought Readers Would Critique Her Ideas. Instead, They Judged Her Choices.

Like many women, I found being a full-time mother with a full-time job impossibly stressful. But many readers thought that by setting better boundaries with my boss, or having a more can-do attitude, I could have made the plague of overwork affecting...

Published Wed, Nov 13 2013 8:19 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, _featured, Working Hours, Work-Life Balance, Paid Time Off, Family Leaves, Highlights

Let Go of the College Essay, and Let Your Teenager Speak for Herself

Nothing is so deadly to the necessary college memoirist's perspective as Mom or Dad, no matter how loving, leaning down to read over one’s shoulder. Read More...

Published Fri, Nov 15 2013 8:20 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Colleges and Universities, Admissions Standards, Highlights, Ivy League, Common Application, The

Schools Move Away From Zero Tolerance

Arresting, suspending and expelling students for minor infractions pushes them out of school, not towards better behavior. Read More...

Published Tue, Dec 03 2013 11:50 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Highlights

Prenatal Depression: What I Didn’t Expect When I Was Expecting

Why were all the other mothers in my childbirth classes so much happier about their pregnancies than I was? Read More...

Published Sun, Dec 08 2013 5:34 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Mental Health and Disorders, Highlights

Weighing Cord Blood Donation Against Private Banks

Some private cord blood bank ads make you want to open your wallet and plead with them to save your child's life. Should you pay to preserve your child's cord blood? Read More...

Published Tue, Dec 10 2013 12:28 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Highlights, Transplants, Stem Cells, Leukemia, Blood Donation