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...

Austin Museum Day, when 45 local museums open their doors with free access to exhibits and activities, is Sunday, Sept. 18. Museums are a great way to explore art, culture, history and science in an educationally engaging environment. To make the most of a visit with...

Hint: Check the Landing Surface Playground injuries are increasing. Even though playground safety standards have improved, more children are getting hurt. Recently released data reports that: • Every year, more than 200,000 children get hurt on the playground badly...

Local Spelling Bee Champ Nihar Janga Talks About the Lessons of Competition by Sherida Mock Nihar Janga has spelled quite a few words in his 11 years, not the least of which was gesellschaft (a type of social  association). It was the word that clinched a...

Salty, breaded meats. Dome-shaped mashed potatoes. Canned fruit. Think you know school lunches? Think again! Here are eight ways Austin Independent School District (AISD) is reinventing food service and delivering fresh and flavorful student meals. 1 Growing Strong:...

  Whenever my children came back from a visit to their grandparents’ house (usually for a week in the summer), they came back with stories of new experiences and fun. I have witnessed developmental leaps as a result. They came back more independent and with...

By Sherida Mock   The talented Jill Blackwood has made a career of gracing Austin stages in plays and musicals. Now, this mother to two boys (Thomas is 13, and Joseph is 8) stars in Zach Theatre’s production of “Mary Poppins” starting July 20. In the title role,...