If you want your children to do well in college, the answer may lie not in what you give them — but in what you withhold. A recent study found that as parental financial support increases, students’ GPAs often decrease. University of California, Merced sociology professor Laura Hamilton, who conducted the study, says that when parents […]
When you have a new baby, you spend a lot of time in the nursery — feeding, rocking and playing with your little bundle of joy. So the baby’s room should be just as stylish and refined as the rest of your home. A nursery need not be all pastels and cartoon characters to be […]
First we tackled our homes, reading and discussing Marie Kondo’s bestseller, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” We embarked on a purging frenzy, donating books, clothes and housewares at breakneck speed. Many of us are still at it and have seen some changes in our lives. This time the Cynic’s Self-Help Book Club turned our collective […]
A new baby brings So. Much. Stuff. into your house. A lot of it is impractical (infants do not wear shoes!) or inconvenient to use, and so it ends up collecting dust in the nursery closet. But, there are those few fabulous items that busy parents rely on day in, day out — the ones […]
There are many conversations that parents are uncomfortable having with their kids, but talking about suicide is particularly challenging. The topic is an important one, though, given that suicide is the second leading cause of death among those ages 15-24, and the third leading cause of death among children ages 10-14 year old, according to […]
“He’s concussed … again.” I remember my mom, scared and in disbelief, uttering those sobering words to me my junior year in college. A helmet-to-helmet hit resulted in my brother Christian’s third concussion, ending his high school football career at the ripe old age of 15. The following year, a fourth concussion from a rowing […]
The next time your children beg for some screen time, take control of what they’re watching. The following movies are smart, funny and contain a good dose of moral fiber that’s still easily digestible. Some have stood the test of time, while others are destined to become classics. Either way, you and your kids are […]
Surprise the little ones in your life with one of these delightful gifts this holiday season. 1. Doorway Puppet Theater: Kids (and adults!) are inundated with screens these days. Cultivate creativity by giving children a puppet theater for some imaginative, unplugged play. $50, Becky & Me Toys, 620 Grove St., Evanston, 847-492-1030 2. Monkey Canvas Messenger Bag: Boys and […]
When it comes to kids and alcohol, the news is mixed. The bad news is that 66 percent of kids have consumed more than just a few sips of alcohol by the end of high school, and over a quarter have done so by eighth grade, according to a clinical report by the American Academy […]
If parenting is a pendulum slowly swinging through decades of prevailing trends, it might have just reached the pause — before it sways back away from the current standard of over-parenting. At least that’s what Julie Lythcott-Haims hopes, as the author highlighted at a recent Family Action Network event. As Stanford’s former dean of freshmen […]
