Parenting
Daily Feed: Mass. Behavior Enables D.C.'s Bad Manners (?!)
To Understand the Bad Manners of D.C., Look No Further Than Mass. Our school board meetings and sports teams (no, scratch that, the Patriots’ draft […]
Both Ends of the Scale: Malnourished Kids and Childhood Obesity
Last week’s Boston Globe article by Kay Lazar on the spike in childhood hunger in the Boston area spawned nearly 700 comments and shot up […]
Could Safer Playgrounds Be Scaring Our Kids Straight?
I’ll never forget the day we got a new jungle gym at my elementary school. It was the mid-1970s, and we all showed up one […]
Two Fathers, One Death: Malcolm Astley and Tomo Fujita
Everyone’s talking about Malcolm Astley, father of Lauren Astley, the Wayland teen whose bright-eyed, apple-cheeked face has been splashed across newspapers and TV screens since […]
Children's Hospital Pediatrician Taking Heat for Obesity Stance
Children’s Hospital Pediatrician Taking Heat for Obesity Stance. Boston Children’s Hospital’s Dr. David Ludwig, who co-authored an opinion that the state could intervene in cases […]
Parents Gone Wild!
In the battle to protect their kids, adults are hurting the very people they claim to be looking out for.
Should Obese Kids Be Sent to Foster Care?
The parents of that plus-size baby in Texas have another thing to worry about beyond how they’re going to hold that kid (we’re going to […]
Understanding The Nature of Forgiving in Light of a Tragic Murder
Understanding The Nature of Forgiving in Light of a Tragic Murder. Boston U. prof Charles Griswold, who’s studied the nature of forgiving, delves into Malcolm […]
What a New Autism Study Means for Pregnant Women
When I was pregnant with my son nine years ago, I shunned alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, the works. I exercised, lightly, every day. I let myself […]
Do Violent Video Games Make Kids More Aggressive?
Last week, the Supreme Court voted 7-2 to overturn California’s law banning the sale of violent video games to minors, citing the First Amendment protection […]
The Go the F**k to Sleep Approach to Parenting
By now, at least 10 people have emailed me the link to Lori Gottlieb’s controversial Atlantic article, “How to Land Your Kid in Therapy.” The […]
In Appreciation of Roughhousing
Last night, while our baby slept, the big kids took up weapons against the parents. First, they were Vikings, William wielding a plastic golf club […]
Do Five Year Olds Really Need Graduation Ceremonies?
Each year, our kids’ elementary school pulls out all the stops for the end-of-the-year celebration. The kids sing songs, the teachers stand up for well-deserved […]
Why I Lied to Get My Daughter into Summer Camp
“Just lie,” he said, nonchalantly. “Just lie?” I yelled, moral outrage flaring. “I can’t just…” I stopped mid-sentence, the dark alternative—hours on end with a young child, who’s latest game was “acting like a baby,” while I tried to work—spun in my head. I was lost. I was alone. I was desperate. So, I took my husband’s advice and I lied.
Old School: Should Grandparents Take Parenting 101 Before the Grandkids Arrive?
My favorite line from a friend’s mother after spending a weekend with her and her kids was: “Do you always talk to them so much?” Why, yes. Yes, we do.