Checkout the calendar to see what's coming up

41 Ways To Spread Cheer In The New Year
If you have ever experienced a random act of kindness, you know the profound joy even the simplest act can produce. There’s a surprise and level of connection that can shake you out of the rhythm of routine and leave a lasting impact. This year, encourage your family...

How To Show Support for Small Businesses This Holiday Season
According to the Small Business Administration, there are over 30 million small businesses in America, and about half of all American workers either work for a small business or own one. More important than these numbers, however, are the people behind them....

How Do You Make Big Change? Start Local, Start Little
My first introduction to the world of politics came in first grade when talk on the playground suddenly shifted from debating four-square rules or who could run the fastest to, “Who are your parents voting for - Jimmy Carter or Ronald Reagan?” What stuck with me was...
Lifelines

Give Your Child A Boost in 2021 With A Daily Mindfulness Practice
Could your child use a boost with focus, learning, patience and self-regulation? Or maybe some...

Make Safety a Priority When Choosing Kids’ Holiday Gifts
What fun it is to imagine your loved ones’ excitement as they open special holiday gifts. Yet many...

How To Help Your Child Overcome Needle Phobia
This year, getting a flu shot is more important than ever. Yet many people avoid the flu shot. One...

Fostering A Furry Best Friend Without a Lifetime Commitment
October is “Adopt a Shelter Dog Month.” With more time at home, many families would like to adopt...
Education

Peace by Piece: What LEGO and Puzzle Play Teach
There is something peaceful and contemplative about the start of a new year. The bustle of...

Holiday Celebrations From Around The Globe
December is a special time filled with holiday activities and memory-making. Most families have a...

The Secret Ingredient to Thanksgiving Dinner … Math!
Ah, Thanksgiving. The word summons visions of perfectly roasted turkey, fluffy mashed potatoes...

Extend the Halloween Experience With STEAM Activities
October brings crunchy leaves, pumpkin-flavored everything, and most importantly to kids ......
Family Matters

Resolving To Be Better Role Models
Q.We love our kids (ages 5, 8 and 13) and want them to grow up to enjoy life and be...

When Grandparent Gifts Are Too Grand
Q My wife and I have three children, two daughters and a son. The girls are fiercely competitive...

Raising Kinder Kids
Q. My husband and I have two sons and a daughter, ages 6, 10 and 15. None of our kids are...

Should My Child Be More Outgoing?
6 Tips for Making Friends Q Our son Robin is 7 years old. He’s an only child. Robin...
Humor

To The Peace Rock!
Like good Austin parents, we sent our kids to an enlightened preschool. And I mean this in the...

O’ Christmas Tree(s)
When I married my hunky Jewish husband, he had no idea I was such a Christmas-head. We’ve...

To Pie or Not To Pie
Yes, yes. First— it was the pandemic. Then the long summer with nowhere to go. Certainly, the kids...

Dressed To Kill
My mother hated Halloween. We never understood why. It started in July when the costume catalogues...