Chicago and wilderness don’t really go together. But nature is less than a gas tank away. Really. School’s been out for a month, and your kids may be asking for all-day marathons of TV Land or Playstation. It’s hard not to cave once in a while, but if your parental guilt is getting the best […]
For high school and college kids, summer is a welcome relief from the pressure of the classroom. But for their parents, summer can be stressful. All that freedom means more opportunities for teens to get in trouble. To clarify some of the legal issues teens face, I interviewed Wilmette defense attorney Barry Spector. Spector […]
Collaborative law is a way of getting a divorce without going to court. The focus is on finding solutions, not assigning blame—a common occurrence in traditional divorce litigation. The approach is gaining in popularity, according to Carol Patinkin, executive director of The Lilac Tree: Resources for Divorcing Women, an Evanston-based nonprofit serving women throughout the […]
It was Bike to School Day at Wilmette’s Highcrest Middle School and the bike racks were overflowing. So were the helmets, in the hands of about 450 riders emerging at dismissal. Students wearing helmets got treats, explains Cathy Albrecht, civics and safety committee chair for Wilmette Village-wide PTO and Highcrest PTO, who helped coordinate […]
Nine years ago, while following my two and three year-old boys around the park, I was shocked by the complete lack of manners of a group of young children who just joined us on the slide. At least my children knew their please’s and thank you’s I thought, congratulating myself on a mothering job […]
It’s inevitable. Now that Jackie Chan’s lavish remake of the The Karate Kid has crane-kicked its way into theaters, you can rest assured that a well-lawyered petition to join the local dojo. “But Mom, Bobby’s sensei said it helps with balance and concentration”—is hovering somewhere in your future. We recommend you hold out for a […]
Here’s how to cope, as your baby boy transitions into a testy, tricky teen: Pesky white pimple, check. Bogus body odor, check. Challenging child who talks back, a lot, check. We bet you’re wishing for the terrible twos again, which were relatively simple. But the transition from kid to capable young adult isn’t necessarily […]
When I think of the difference mothers make in the lives of their children, I think first of Alessandra Arimany—a fiery, bright, determined woman who swept into my office with her arms full of charts and paperwork. She explained that her child had a problem, and in Guatemala, where she was from, people who […]
Your teen is going to prom. Uh-oh. Back when we were in high school, prom night carried an expectation for couples to go “all the way.” Does this mean it’s time to have the big sex talk with your kid? You’re probably too late. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), half of […]
Social trends come and go, but consuming alcohol will always attract American teenagers, because it’s illegal, potentially dangerous and associated with feeling sexy and having fun with friends. The kids know that the possibility of something bad happening exists, but peer pressure and a teen’s sense of immortality can impact their decisions. If you […]
