Motherlode

Olympic Parents: Who Sacrifices (or is Sacrificed) for Gold?

Do the parents of the youngest competitors deserve a medal of their own, or have some sacrificed their children on the altar of Olympic dreams? Read More...

Published Mon, Jul 30 2012 11:20 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, Aly Raisman parents, olympics, olympics parents, Gabby Douglas parents

Please, Don't Touch the Nature

Is well-meaning but overprotective environmental education scolding children away from developing their own love for the land? Read More...

Published Wed, Aug 01 2012 3:53 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, freerange parenting, nature, outdoor play, environmental issues, natural playgrounds

Give Kids Your Undivided Attention — or No Attention At All

Either shut your phone and laptop down and be present, or grab the gadgets and get to work. It's the half-measures of attention that don't work for parents or kids. Read More...

Published Fri, Jun 06 2014 8:22 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Computers and the Internet, Highlights

The Family Breakfast

To get every member of my family sitting down in one place and looking at each other every day, I compromised on dinner and created the 'Family Breakfast'. Read More...

Published Tue, Aug 07 2012 2:57 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, family dinner, meals, breakfast, Dinner: A love story, dinner

At the Cutting Edge of Gay Family Law

In the past, second-parent adoptions have been standard in the gay community. But a court recently ruled that such adoptions were neither “necessary nor available” for gay married couples since a "presumption of parenthood" exists. Read More...

Published Tue, Jun 17 2014 7:05 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Families and Family Life, Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships, Adoptions, Artificial Insemination, Highlights, Sperm, Homosexuality and Bisexuality, Sperm Donor Diary, Lopez Torres, Margarita

Thirteen in Years, But 10 or 15 in Thoughts and Action

Some 13-year-olds are deep into teen culture, others little changed from the kids they were at a younger age. Subjective age varies, and that variation can raise a red flag for some young teens. Read More...

Published Wed, Jun 18 2014 10:58 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Teenagers and Adolescence, Psychology and Psychologists, Highlights, Brilliant

Mother in the Dark

Retinitis pigmentosa has gradually chomped away at my vision like Pac Man. Right now, I'm partially sighted and night-blind, and a glow-in-the-dark bouncy playspace is a nightmare. Read More...

Published Sun, Jun 22 2014 5:13 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Disabilities, Blindness, Highlights, Adaptive Parenting, Eyes and Eyesight

My Yearly Camp Permethrin Dance

The week before my two eldest children headed off for a month of open-air sleeping in the woods of northwest Virginia, I made a permethrin solution and soaked their clothes in it. Read More...

Published Wed, Jun 25 2014 7:05 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Lyme Disease, Camps and Camping, Ticks (Insects), Highlights

An Education of the Heart: The Glenwood Towers Senior Center Prom

Eighth graders, and the senior citizens they've been visiting all year, come together for an unexpectedly joyous celebration. Read More...

Published Fri, Jun 27 2014 6:27 AM by Motherlode

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

Gender Neutral Parenting

You can't "make" your children anything. You can't really "stop" them from being anything in particular, either. Read More...

Published Mon, May 09 2011 9:15 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, Gender Stereotypes, gender

Talking Death, and Promises, With a Preschooler

When death is on the minds of a mother and a young daughter, in very different ways. Read More...

Published Tue, Aug 21 2012 2:40 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, death, preschoolers, talking about death

Sending a Child With Autism to Sleep-Away Camp

I may see my son as struggling socially, but he doesn't, and he went to summer camp anxiety-free. Read More...

Published Fri, Aug 24 2012 7:34 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, Autism, summer camp, summer, Joel Yanofsky, camp

When Visitation Lasts All Summer

My children spend summers in Britain with their father, and the price of a childless summer is dear for me. Read More...

Published Sun, Aug 26 2012 3:00 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, Travel, divorce, summer

Simple Student Routines for Back-to-School Success

Establishing routines like a weekly regroup (with trash can and storage at hand), evening organization and nondigital bedtimes set the stage for a successful year. Read More...

Published Thu, Aug 21 2014 10:22 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Sleep, Education (K-12), Highlights, Parent-Teacher Conference

Hookup Line. Carpool. Same Rituals, New School.

Some things are the same no matter where you are: the car pool line (called "hookup" in our new town). The health forms. The classrooms, the desks, the cubbies. It's not Mars, it's just school. They know how to do school. Read More....

Published Tue, Aug 26 2014 8:29 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Children and Childhood, Education (K-12), Highlights, New In Town, Nashville (Tenn)

Syndication

Recent Posts

Tags

Archives