Ahhh… summertime. Ninety-nine blissful days. Lemonade, barbeques, and… major stress? Figuring out what to do with one child for the summer (sleepaway camp or day camp? Tutoring or no? How to afford extra childcare?) can increase a parent’s stress level. Multiply that times two (or three, or four)...

Helping Your Teen Navigate Social Networks & Mobile Phones Don’t tell your teens this, but their brains aren’t fully developed. The part of the brain that’s used for reasoning and controlling impulses doesn’t fully mature until we’re in our mid-20s. That means, as parents fully understand, that...

Susan’s 7-year-old daughter, Kylie, has lots of friends. She plays soccer, swims, and sings in the choir. She likes to help her teachers and is the first one in class to raise her hand to volunteer. Even her parents’ divorce two years ago doesn’t seem to have had major repercussions: She merrily...

In years past it was much easier to teach children about the value of a dollar. Do you remember going to the bank to get coin rolls to roll your change, or how about breaking open a piggy bank to count your savings for a special purchase? You either had the funds to make a purchase, or you didn’t. It...

When the normal daily activities of the average school-aged child are factored together, they’re enough to make an adult scream “Uncle!” in defeat. Rising extra early for lessons or before school practice, followed by a full day of classes, followed directly by after-school activities like football,...

by Shirley Kawa-Jump and Dr. David Johnson, DNS, RN As the wife of a career Navy man, Jen Galvin of Mountain View, CA, is an old hand at transitions. The Galvins and their three children move every three years or so. She says maintaining communication with the children has helped ease the change from one...

‘Letting go’ is a powerful concept, but can sometimes be mistaken for acceptance, weakness, or a loss of control.  Everyone has baggage – even children.  It’s impossible to travel through the phases of life without developing some kind of emotional and/or physical hang-up.  However, it’s how you...

Should children consume caffeine? Do you know what products contain caffeine? How much, if any, is an acceptable amount of caffeine for children to ingest? Do you know the answers? Caffeine is both a naturally occurring and artificially made drug. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system which...

Should children consume caffeine?  Do you know what products contain caffeine?  How much, if any, is an acceptable amount of caffeine for children to ingest?  Do you know the answers? Caffeine is both a naturally occurring and artificially made drug.  Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system which...

Times are tight, so this is the ideal time to perfect the art of budgeting.  It really isn’t the dirty word everyone thinks it is and can be implemented almost painlessly.  All it requires is a bit of advance planning and determination.  (For those of you short on determination, one successful trip will...