Filed under: Kids 8-11, Fun & activities In the summer, my kids have a lot of freedom to play outside and generate their own fun. In the winter, however, the bitter cold (it's almost zero degrees today in northern Wisconsin!) means a lot of time spent indoors. To entertain themselves, my kids pl...

Filed under: Teens & tweens, In the news, Media If seeing baby-faced Alfie Patten, 13, and 15-year-old Chantelle Steadman posing with their newborn baby for a celebrity-style photo spread in the British tabloids were not depressing enough, now as many as eight other boys in their neighborhood ha...

Filed under: Just for moms, Mommy musts, Chores When the economy stinks, moms pay the price! A recent article in the Washington Times examined why the recession disproportionately impacts moms: during hard times, families "tend to fall back on traditional roles." Why? Because the first things to go ...

Filed under: In the news, Education Since the election, I have tried very hard to help my kids understand that as Americans, we must respect the office of the President and that even though mom and dad didn't vote for him, Barack Obama, is "our" President and Michelle is "our" First Lady. Today I re...

Filed under: Just for moms, Mommy musts This year many women will drop out of the workforce to pursue their dream of becoming an at-home mom. Others may have a temporary stint as an at-home mom due to a layoff or some other employment disruption. However you become an at-home parent in 2009, the goo...

Filed under: Holidays, Religion & spirituality In the story of Christmas, the baby Jesus is the star, as he should be. But no less pivotal to the event is the role of his mother, Mary, without whom it could not have happened the way it did. I think this is an interesting analogy for the way Chri...

Filed under: Teens & tweens, In the news What would you do if your high school daughter: 1. Took a nude picture of herself2. "Accidently" texted it to someone3. Found out it was being widely distributed at school 4. Was kicked off the cheer squad for violating the athletic code Why, sue the scho...

Filed under: Just for dads, In the news I love that I have so many friends and relatives with older kids. My children are all under the age of eight so when my husband and I find ourselves in the company of a nice, well-adjusted young adult, we often wonder what our own kids will be like at that age...