All Modern Parenthood
China adoption diary: The Great Wall and pig knuckle pizza itineraryPart 2 – China adoption diary: The Belsies follow the routine intinerary for adopting families. Pizza Hut and the Great Wall help decompress before meeting the new daughter. And Grace sees some of her Chinese heritage.
China adoption diary: over the pole, the odyssey beginsPart 1 – China adoption diary: The Belsie family begins their journey to adopt their second daughter from China with a 12-hour, 7,000-mile flight over the pole and down through Siberia to Beijing.
China adoption diary: Join the odyssey to adopt MadeleineInternational adoptions by Americans have dramatically dropped because of safeguards that make them more difficult to do and longer to accomplish. The Belsie family waited five years for their second adoption in China – and Mom Gretchen begins her China adoption diary here in Modern Parenthood.
Andy Griffith dies: The last Great American Dad who knew bestAndy Griffith was "Paw" to a city girl from a broken home – the last Great American Dad was so much more than TV fathers today who have slid into comic relief and perpetual beer swilling, cheating, idiocy.
Spanking: Should you or shouldn't you? Recent study says noSpanking as a discipline tactic has been linked to mental illnesses later in life, according to a new study. But it also showed that cross-ethnic and international research found that when a culture views spanking as normal, then spanking does not cause later harm.
Having it all? Women struggling with work-life balance are fortunateHaving it all – excelling in a meaningful career while having plenty of time for family – is a struggle for educated, privileged women, and the focus of a recent article in The Atlantic. But maybe the challenge of 'having it all' should be placed on society, not individual women.
Colorado wildfires: How prepared a parent would you be?The Colorado wildfires – like every disaster from earthquakes to hurricanes – make a parents' preparedness antennas bristle. How prepared a parent are you? How prepared do you need to be?
Summer activities for kids: A sprinkler as fun as Little Gym?Summer activities for kids can get as booked solid as the rest of the year. Why not create your own summer memories – with a sprinkler, and not necessarily a Little Gym reservation.
Sunscreen: Mom challenges school over kids' sunburn. Who's fault?Sunscreen pros and cons aside, institutions, individuals, moms, dads, and kids have to start thinking more, and passing the buck less. There's a bigger social question about responsibility behind the story of two girls who got sunburned on a school field trip.
Travel with toddlers: Six tips for avoiding airplane meltdownsTravel with toddlers, especially on an airplane, can be a disconcerting experience for parents. There are no foolproof plans for avoiding meltdowns, but here are six tips for getting toddlers through a long (or short) flight.
Tropical Storm Debby reminds mom of her Haiti ‘hurricane box’Tropical Storm Debby reminds a mother of preparing for hurricanes in Haiti and Miami with you two children and filling their 'hurricane box' with extra water, food, batteries – and some musical improvisation.
Snooki and Miley Cyrus: helping teens evaluate pop star behaviorSnooki and Miley Cyrus, regulars in the celebrity news cycle, probably don't model ideal behavior for teens. Parents can help teens evaluate pop star behavior by discussing how their family values relate to what they see in the media.
- Summer jobs: Four tips for beating teen unemployment and boredom
Summer jobs can be hard for teens to find. Record high unemployment rates for teenagers means they should be creative in making their own jobs or volunteer opportunities by looking around the neighborhood. These four tips will give them a jump start.
Bus monitor Karen Klein: Publicity punishment enough for bullies?Karen Klein, the bullied bus monitor, doesn't want her taunters prosecuted. Is the negative publicity about the bullies punishment enough? What would you do if it were your kid?
Bullied bus monitor reaction: Teach victims to deal with bulliesBullied bus monitor incident earlier this week is a classic bully/classic victim situation. How can society reduce the number of victims altogether? It starts with teaching potential victims how to deal with bullies, says Columbine High School teacher.
Bullied bus monitor: What will happen to those nasty kids?Bullied bus monitor, 68-year-old Karen Klein, tried to ignore the profanity and insults thrown at her by middle school students. But, unless there are real changes made to school system policies, nothing is going to happen to those nasty kids.
First day of summer: Six family activities to get kids outsideFirst day of summer: Camping in the backyard, growing a garden and playing old-fashioned tag games are just a few fun activities that parents can use to get their kids outdoors during the summer weekends.
Teenagers rebel, but why did my son become a moderate Republican?Teenagers rebel against their parents as a way to define their own identity. Still, this dad who grew up in the 60s and 70s is wondering how he raised a son who cuts his hair short, doesn't recycle, and ... may be a moderate Republican.
BFF or parent? How to navigate parent-child friendshipsBFF, or best friends forever, qualities – sharing secrets, overprotection, blurry boundaries – can create problems in the parent-child relationship, but that doesn't mean parents can't be friends with their kids.
Teenagers and sexting: Studies aim to reveal frequency, behaviorTeenagers and sexting is an increasing concern for parents and teachers, and recent studies are aimed at revealing the frequency and behavior involved. It is time for parents to discuss the issue (and appropriate digital media sharing) with their kids, says our guest blogger.
