When the summer camp guide from a local arts center arrived in our mailbox, my daughter paged through it eagerly. She then proudly pointed to about 13 different camps she planned to sign up for this summer. From circus camp to acting camp to a camp where you make your...

The holiday season is a great time to assess the toy situation in your house. Use it as a “fresh start” for finally tackling that overflowing toy box. In addition to removing excess toys, it’s also critical to pay special attention to those that pose a safety concern....

By Sherida Mock In 2000, Judy Matetzschk-Campbell had received a Ph.D. in theatre from UT Austin and wanted to direct plays for young audiences. But she found a lack of good material. Too much of the work at the time centered on adaptations of fairy tales and...

At the restaurant a young girl fidgets in her chair. The server places a tall glass of milk in front of her. “What do you say?” reminds her mother. “Thank you,” responds the child dutifully. As parents, we often play a role in this scene. But what are we teaching? Ben...

For a busy mom, lying in bed and relaxing may sound appealing, but a mom who has experienced bed rest will tell you it is not all she had dreamed it would be. I spent five weeks on bed rest prior to the birth of our triplets and it was an emotionally exhausting and...

By Sherida Mock A few years ago, Pam and Chris Andrews had a lively 3-year-old girl, another on the way and little knowledge of the intricacies of rare, genetic diseases. All that was about to change. At first, Pam noticed Belle’s tendency to trip and fall, so she...

A great deal has been written about birth order theory over the years. How should the data affect our parenting?  The Achiever, the Peacemaker and the Life of the Party Parenting expert Dr. Gail Gross summarizes the existing roles and research on birth order by naming...

by Sherida Mock Life for Jen and Brandon Hatmaker is hardly slow. The couple, who lives in Buda, just south of Austin, are both authors and tour the world on speaking engagements. They are also parents to five children. They are working to launch a nonprofit called...

Between costumes, candy holders, treat wrappers and plastic decorations, Halloween can quickly become a landfill’s worst nightmare. Multiply that by the number of kids you have, and you’re left with quite a bit of wasted junk on your conscience. Fortunately, just...

Parents love seeing little ghosts, ghouls and goblins on the doorstep at Halloween. But when monsters, ghosts and other imaginary figures start keeping kids awake at night, it’s another story. Nighttime fears are highly common— and not just for little kids, either....

by Sherida Mock So many adults are listening to podcasts these days. (Who hasn’t caught an episode of a show like “Serial” and binge-listened to the end of the season?) But they’re not just for grownups anymore. Podcasts for kids are on the rise, too, and one of the...

Mike Zumpano grew up playing baseball. He said he never understood as a child why his dad, who was a minor league baseball player, didn’t want to be his coach, although it makes sense to him now. “It’s not an easy thing to do,” he says. “You have to be able to treat...