No matter how a parent’s bundle of joy has arrived, a traditional baby shower is a thoughtful and fun way to welcome the new arrival. But in the case of an adoption, you’ll want to avoid offending with the typical references to pregnancy and labor. Instead, follow...

  Inearly 2010, Jill and Brent Price made a call that changed their lives. Several months before, their church hosted a presentation by STARRY, the Round Rock-based agency that provides counseling, foster care and adoption services. “We were interested at the...

When it comes to adoption, there’s no such thing as “normal.” Just ask Christina and Kevin Kindt. The couple just had their biological child in August, but they’re already parents to three other children: 5-year-old Elizabeth and 3-year-old Natalie, both adopted as...

If you ever find your family facing a childhood medical or developmental challenge, you’ll be grateful for the services offered through Any Baby Can, an agency dedicated to giving all children the chance to be healthy and happy. Alexandra Alfau has worked with the...

As parents, we do everything in our power to avoid an uncomfortable and painful rash for our little ones, but realistically, even the most diligent mom or dad has to deal with diaper rash in the first few years of parenthood. Knowing the common culprits of diaper rash...

Becoming a mom is supposed to be magical, and most often it is. But for the estimated one in eight women who suffer from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), new motherhood can deliver disappointment and despair. What kind of mom can’t look at her baby...

As a professional tennis player, Andy Roddick reached the highest point of his sport: he was once ranked number one in the world, and he claims a Grand Slam singles championship among his many achievements. After a long and stellar career, he retired in 2012 and...

All children need nutritionally balanced meals for healthy growth and development. But for those involved in rigorous athletics, the needs may be even greater.  To ensure your young athlete receives proper nutrition and hydration to fuel his growing body and sustain...

  At some point, you’re bound to ask yourself: Is my child ready to stay home alone? Giving kids the responsibility to stay home alone can be a positive and confidence building experience, a rite of passage. But how do you know they’re ready? Children must have...

Eat your breakfast! Hurry up; you’ll be late! Where’s your backpack?  Parents at their wits’ end with the morning rush may find themselves yelling these phrases to sleepy kids. But peaceful morning routines don’t happen with the phrases above. Preferred behavior...

Let’s be honest – sometimes parents dread homework as much as their kids do. But homework connects parents to what their children are learning in school, and research shows that children are more likely to be successful in school when their families support them. By...

Last October, Allison Ashley of Austin ISD was named 2017 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year by the Texas Association of School Administrators. It was an honor Ashley didn’t see coming, but in speaking with her, that passion for education clearly shines through. She...