Awesome Austin: Animal Encounters to Enliven your Summer
By Sherida Mock Let your kids get up close and personal with an array of creatures from the lowly to the exotic at these special places! Austin Aquarium Details: The 2½-year-old aquarium offers a substantial number of interactive exhibits. You can feed and touch many...
17 Ways Kids Can Cash-in This Summer:
Real-World Money-Making Ideas for Teens and Pre-Teens One important way we parents can help kids develop into responsible adults is to teach them the rewards of having a job. Our kids can gain self-esteem, understand the value of a dollar and become more thoughtful in...
A Paw-ty that GIVES as much as it GETS
Laura Ewing was an old hand at hosting birthday parties—she’d thrown countless shindigs for her two children at their home in Austin. But as her daughter Skylar’s 6th birthday approached, Laura knew she wanted to create a fresh and memorable celebration. An...
Don’t Take Shortcuts: Parenting with Franklin
By Sherida Mock Franklin is the famous name on the sauce-covered lips of every barbecue fan, not just in Austin, but around the world. He is owner of Franklin Barbecue, host of the PBS series “BBQ with Franklin,” and author of “Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking...
9 Ways to Support a Family in Need
When a friend or family member is struggling through a difficult time, it is natural to want to lend a hand. Often, the families that need the most help are reluctant to ask for it, which makes it hard to know exactly how to help a friend. Here are nine ideas for ways...
Fighting for All Babies: March of Dimes Ambassador Families Share Their Stories
For many of us, the annual March for Babies is a chance to support an organization that works to end premature birth. But when the three families profiled here join the march, they’ll be honoring the children who inspired them. Read on to learn how these...
Raise a Super Kid: How to Guide Your Child with Loving Consistency
Disciplining your child is a critical component to parenting. However, it’s not always easy! By definition, discipline is used to teach children about expectations and guidelines, so it’s important and necessary for parents to take the time and effort to determine the...
A Story of Sweet Success
Sixth grader Mikaila Ulmer has already learned more about business in her 11 years than many adults ever learn. Mikaila is the founder, the face and the force behind Bee Sweet Lemonade, a local company she started with a single lemonade stand. She has some advice for...
Special Needs Camps Give Children a Chance to Shine
At age 6, Kim Kelly paid her first visit to a special needs residential camp. Kim’s mother, Ruth, says, “My daughter needed to learn to do things on her own, and I needed to let go a little.” It was a positive experience for Kim, who has hearing loss and an orthopedic...
MossFest: A Short Life Makes a Lasting Impact
By Sherida Mock April 25, 2014 started like most days. Jessica Pieratt put her toddler son Moss down for his morning nap. He’d been running a slight fever—99 degrees—that she chalked up to teething. But when she checked on him later, he was unresponsive. He...
Good Sport: 12 Ways to Teach Values on the Turf
We’ve all seen it—the parent who stands on the sidelines criticizing the decisions made by coaches and officials; the one who yells at his own child when she makes a mistake; the fan who hurls rude remarks to the opposing team and the parent who always places blame....
Have Kids, Will Drive: A Trio of Day Trips for the Whole Family
Who can resist the fun of loading up the family car for a romp through Central Texas? Its vast ruggedness—comprised of hills and plateaus, limestone and granite, caverns and tributaries—is rich with history, towns and natural wonderment no matter which way you go (not...
