The last date night I had with my husband was the day after Thanksgiving. He won tickets to Muriel Anderson’s annual hometown concert. So the two of us went. It was an evening of fantastic harp guitar music with accompaniment by artists Paul Wertico (from the Pat Metheny Group) and Jeff Coffin of Dave Matthews…
Relationships
Want Your Kids to Choose Better Goals? Here’s How
In the movie Big Hero 6 we meet two orphaned brothers in the future city of San Fransokyo, the elder following his dreams to make the world a better place, the younger frittering away his talents as a robotics prodigy. Tadashi, the elder, wants more for his brother Hiro and challenges him to put his…
What do you want do? The Importance of Knowing Yourself
Do you remember the vultures in Disney’s 1967 Jungle Book movie? The Beatles look-alike, sound-alike characters? I often think of their patter, “What we gonna do?” “I dunno. What you wanna do?,” when I think of the indecisiveness that can creep into motherhood. If your answer to the question: “what do you want to do?”…
Growing a Bucket List
As summer draws to a close (only a week and a half until school starts here), I’m fascinated to see what has happened with the bucket lists in our family. We were fortunate to check off a number of goals, and even some long-standing ones. Yet the lists of what we still want to do…
A Great Gift For Any Occasion (Hint: It Involves Sharing Time)
A recent issue of Family Circle featured the story of Lynya Floyd, who asked her friends on FaceBook to honor her birthday by leaving a message on her timeline – but not just a generic wish. She asked them to offer a suggestion. Floyd’s request? “Please note one epic adventure we haven’t been on that…
Help for Spring Break, Spring Cleaning & More: March/April Articles
The kids are bickering, the house is a mess, and you’re just wishing you could get away from it all. Does that sound like your family’s spring break? No? Maybe yours goes more like this: the kids are bickering, your car/hotel room/suitcase is a mess, and you’re just wishing you could get away from it…
Encouraging Your Spouse’s Dreams, Taming Sibling Rivalry, & More: February Articles
I love my job! As a parenting journalist I have the opportunity to interview fascinating people about topics I want to learn more on (and often ask them for solutions to problems I face). And I get to share tips and ideas from my own life, along with an opinion or two. Every month parents…
Why You Should Hang Out With People Who Like What You Like
“Pick a card,” my daughter says. She holds the deck out, fanned between her hands. Gamely I pull one. “Look at it. Don’t forget which one it is,” she instructs. “Now put it back.” I place the card on top of a pile she holds out and watch as she shuffles them. A handful cards…
Bucket List Gifts to Give Those You Love
Drop a gold coin in a Salvation Army bucket. Tie a bow around a brand new car to give someone you love. Leave a $100 tip for a restaurant server. Wrap an envelope of airline tickets. Those make great bucket list ideas, don’t they? I’d love the opportunity to do each one of those someday….
Fixes for Your Holiday Worries (& More) – A December Roundup
Kid-sized conversation starters for dinners or holiday parties. Solutions for some of the peskiest of problems you may face this time of year. And a few thoughts on skiing and holiday greeting photos. Those are the topics I tackle in articles published in December issues of parenting magazines across North America. Read on to get…