12 Reasons I Refuse to Go Back-to-School Shopping

Go ahead, add one more tick mark to the bad mom column – I refuse to take my kids back-to-school shopping. Of course, I would have died a slow, OMG-worthy death if my mother would have made the same decision with me. Back-to-school shopping was the only thing that made going back to school worth […]

The Readers Respond: Weird Things My Kid Collects

Kids are weird. Don’t misunderstand, I mean that in the nicest possible way. Between you and me, I think kids are so wonderfully weird because they haven’t quite realized that people are watching them. The general public will forgive and even celebrate weird kid behavior because it’s awesome, and perhaps even more than being awesome, […]

10 Ways Choosing a Paint Color is Like Choosing a Partner

The paint department is perhaps the only place in life where a genuine rainbow of possibility awaits. You’re drawn to the pretty colors and hypnotized by the prism of chromatic variation and paint knows it; that’s how it sucks you in. But all the pretty, pretty colors harbor a dark and callous secret: Paint can […]

10 Things Disabled Parents Want You to Know

You may or may not know that I have a disabled mother. I’ve written about my mom’s experience with polio and what it’s meant for both of us. The thing about my mother is that she’s a survivor like so many parents out there. My mom has experienced physical pain that I’ve never had to, […]

Hi, We’re Your New Neighbors!

Big Daddy P a is joining me on Babble’s Home channel to document our total home transformation! Learn more about it and take a tour of our home by clicking here!

How to Capture Your Child’s Development With a Video Interview!

You guys, I don’t like telling you what to do, but this time I’m going to. Go get your video camera, phone, or whatever recording device you’ve got and sit down to interview your child. Do it NOW. You won’t be sorry. Check out my interview with Boy Wonder right here.

8 Family-Friendly Snacks to Enjoy with Salsa

You guys, few things in life are as perfectly delicious as salsa. Seriously, take a moment and think about it. Told you. If you love salsa as much as I do (and really, who doesn’t), you have to check out these 8 family-friendly snacks to enjoy with salsa. Now go get spicy.

Do You Apologize for Your Kid’s Bad Behavior?

I consider myself fortunate to have well-behaved kids – generally speaking. I mean, they’re still kids who do annoying kid things, but overall they’re good kids with hearts of gold. But that’s not to say we don’t have behavioral issues in mixed company. About a week ago, BooBoo and I were visiting with a girlfriend […]

4 Simple Ways to Effectively Communicate With Your Tween

How was school? Fine. What’s new? Nothing. What’s wrong? ::silence:: If this scene sounds familiar, you’re likely the parent of a tween, teen, or gasp! Both. At a developmental stage when communication is more important than ever, parents are often left wondering how to get their child to open up and start talking. Take a […]

The Tale of a Reluctant Foodie

Have a child who would rather do anything than eat? Big hugs, I did too. Take heart, I have a story of foodie hope to share – as told in pictures. Ooo! Visual aids!