We all want to comfort the ones we love, especially our children, when they are upset or stressed but not all parents, or all kids, are comfortable talking about feelings. For that matter, a lot of times kids genuinely don’t understand what is upsetting them. There are times that trying to force a conversation makes […]
Read MoreYou aren’t likely to go wrong with the classics like flowers and breakfast in bed, and if she doesn’t like those you almost certainly already know. But there is something I suspect would make most women happy that most never put on a gift list: finish something on their honey-do list. If she has been […]
Read MoreThe Library of Congress has an annual book festival where, among other things, all 50 states and the US territories are invited to have a table and promote their state literacy programs. Every state has their own “center for the book” that selects notable books about the state and/or by state authors, although not all are […]
Read MoreLittle kids want nothing more than to talk to mommy and daddy – sometimes a bit too much! But teens? We all know that changes in the teen years. You still see your baby even as they start driving, graduate, move out, and start their own life. Finding a balance between the baby you see […]
Read MoreTwo weeks ago, my dad was healthy. Old (in his 80s, he won’t argue that point), but healthy. Within 24 hours, he was hospitalized and although he is home now, they never figured out what went wrong and he’s still not well. It’s the sort of thing that really makes you realize all the questions you […]
Read MoreWhen mental illness strikes close to home, it can be hard to know what to do. The first, and sometimes hardest, step is recognizing that it really is mental illness. When mental illness gets scary, it’s more than depression or anxiety. In the cases that impacted our family, it definitely involved delusions and paranoia. Thankfully, it […]
Read MoreYou can name everyone on the Island of Sodor. You know who is emerald green, and who causes confusion and delay. As much as your child loves Thomas and Friends, they are getting bigger and you think it’s time to try electric trains, but you don’t know where to start. Our experience is that it’s […]
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