by Joe Lawrence October 18th, 2010| Helpful Hints, Infants/Toddlers
Give him a stick of chewing gum and a coke bottle and he will create a speed boat. That is the power of improvising and creativity learned from the classic TV show,
MacGyver. It turns out, parenting is like an episode of MacGyver.
My baby just turned one the other
by Ronald A. Rowe June 7th, 2010| Elementary, Helpful Hints
When Mom's away, Dad will have to do. Here's a salute to all the single parents out there. I don't know how you get anything done. My lovely wife is away for a week. "No problem," I told her. I can handle everything.
Now, this is real life, not a
by Louise May 24th, 2010| Elementary, Helpful Hints
Last weekend, my family recently adopted a beautiful, one-year-old Doberman from the
Doberman Rescue. Her name is Gracie and we adore her! Though our household has only had a cat for the past few years, Gracie will be the third dog to be a part of our family, so
by Ronald A. Rowe December 31st, 2009| Helpful Hints, Preschool
When our first son was venturing into the testing boundaries phase, I came up with what I thought was a simple and elegant disciplinary method. If I told him to do something and he didn't respond immediately, I began to count to three. The theory was that if I got
by Louise December 29th, 2009| Elementary, Helpful Hints
Even if gas prices rise or continue to stay high, road trips are a reality for most families. Here are some dos and don'ts to make them as pain-free as possible for every member of the family:
DO - Plan for extra time to stop and take a break. It's
by Ronald A. Rowe December 7th, 2009| Elementary, Helpful Hints
Christmas is coming, just around the corner. That means that it is time to begin the age-old tradition of begging for every toy shown on every commercial. Just when my older son finally has grown out of it, my younger son has taken up the mantel and asks
by Ronald A. Rowe November 25th, 2009| Elementary, Helpful Hints
One of the many daunting challenges of parenting is knowing when a child is old enough to [fill in the blank]. Dating, riding the bus, walking to the store alone, seeing a PG movie, having a sleepover, playing sports... there seems no end to the list of topics that
by Michele November 20th, 2009| Helpful Hints, Tweens
When Thanksgiving arrives, there tends to be a flurry of action, chopping, mixing, baking, and more, for the adults. But what about the kids? Sure, some assistance from your little helpers is appreciated, but when the kitchen becomes full and a little too warm, you may be seeking alternate entertainment
by Ronald A. Rowe November 11th, 2009| Elementary, Helpful Hints
When tragedy strikes, as it did this past week in Fort Hood and Orlando, what do you tell your child? How much information is too much? When they're small, these things can go right past them without a second thought. But as they get older, they are bound to
by Gumer Liston November 9th, 2009| Helpful Hints, Infants/Toddlers
I guess it is quite safe to say that the majority of those who are in the process of entering marriage have a vision of the kind of family they want to build--their dream family. Some have a clear plan on how to go about making that dream family a
by Ronald A. Rowe October 23rd, 2009| Elementary, Helpful Hints
Chess is a game of concentration and strategy. There is no luck, no chance roll of the dice. It teaches children valuable skills in critical thinking, planning ahead, and sportsmanship. And from a grown-up's perspective, it's a lot more fun than playing Pokémon cards or Sorry.
Here are some of the
by Gumer Liston October 8th, 2009| Elementary, Helpful Hints
Are you happy with the way your children behave in private and in public? We all want our children to behave properly and make good impressions. We want them to be admired by people they meet, we want them to be taken as good examples for other children. Developing good