Parent Hacks

6 easy ways to involve kids in Thanksgiving

Sure, you could distract your kids with a few Thanksgiving printables and a box of crayons, but there's a bigger opportunity here. This year, involve your kids in the actual work of Thanksgiving.

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How to quiet your toddler/preschooler's potty mouth? Talk amongst yourselves.

How do I get my three year old to stop saying "poopy" to everyone all the time?

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ONEMoms in Ethiopia: Visiting schools in Mojo

My respect for educators took another leap when we visited two schools in the village of Mojo, Ethiopia with ONEMoms.

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Your school could win a $50K grant through Clorox's "Power A Bright Future"

This post is brought to you by Clorox®. Helping you power a bright future for your school. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. From an educational perspective, the transition back to school is rather jarring for my daughter. Learning goes from being a kinetic, free-form, exploratory process...

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Educational osmosis, or the "sponge" method of learning

I wrote this post on the last day of camp, while in the daze and haze of witnessing my girl kindle her passion for music. It was something to behold.

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The power of being a raw beginner

Why playing "Twinkle Twinkle" on the violin may be my most important accomplishment of the summer.

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Back to School: Five Realistic Tips for Transition

My plan is to balance getting prepared for school with enjoying our finals days of summer.

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Fantastic new book released today: Duct Tape Parenting

If you find yourself arguing, cajoling, and negotiating a bit too much with your kids, give the new book "Duct Tape Parenting" a read. It's a refreshing reminder that doing less is often the answer (a message dear to my heart).

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Parenting a child with anxiety...from a dad who's been there

I would recommend any parent of an anxious child read Shaun's post. Especially poignant because he suffered anxiety as a child and so approaches the topic from a place of empathy.

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Evergreen "answers" to your kids' questions

For my kids' good and mine, I'm delegating the job of thinking to them. Here are six "answers" to kids' questions that will remind them that the best answer is theirs to find.

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Six reasons I'm glad my family has to watch Olympic commercials

Is your family as into the Olympics as mine? We're having such fun watching and talking about the Olympics. Even the silly commercials.

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Michael Phelps's mom, Debbie Phelps: Minimalist Parent

My heart leapt with joy when I read an interview with Debbie Phelps, mother of America's Favorite Swimmer, Michael Phelps. In it, she talked about the importance of backing off as a parent, even when your kid shows Olympic talent.

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Six life skills your kids can learn this summer

It's summer, and the livin' may be easy, but that doesn't mean it has to be lazy.

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Soft, colorful alternative to a star chart: the warm fuzzy jar

After reading our recent discussion about upgrading a marble jar with rocks, Melissa sent this adorable account of her family's warm fuzzy jar.

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Binder clip + grosgrain ribbon = sturdy pacifier tether

Hannah had her first baby two months ago and already has a great hack for a pacifier holder!

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