5 Tips for Better Back to School Photos
Tired of back-to-school photos that don’t quite capture the moment? Maybe the kids are squinting into the sun. Or their clothing disappears into the background. We asked some local photographers to share tips on how to take your photos from ho-hum to awesome. Stage...
The Homework Report – Are Kids Getting Too Much Homework, and What Are Some Schools Doing About It?
Julie S. was always happy to see her sons after school, but up until a few months ago she used to also feel some dread. That’s when the homework battles began. Her oldest—a freshman at a public high school in a suburb west of Austin—would immediately shut himself up...
Q&A with TEA Commissioner Michael Williams
Closing the Gap As more than five million students return to public and charter schools this month, we talked with Michael Williams, commissioner of the Texas Education Agency, to discuss the agency’s work and what we can expect this school year. Q: What is the role...
Build a Bond Baby’s First Relationship Launches Important Emotional Development
A trip to the park. A sweet lullaby. Counting goldfish. These familiar, everyday activities might seem like just pleasant time-fillers, but did you know that they are essential to the healthy development of your young child? The various daily activities that parents...
Striking a Chord: Guitar Program Reaches Students in Austin and Beyond
by Sherida Mock Nineteen years ago, Matt Hinsley was new to Austin and looking to build a community by and for classical guitarists. He had no idea that nearly two decades later, he would sit at the helm of an organization known throughout the classical guitar world...
Awesome Austin’s Cool Caves–Take the Family and Out-of-Towners to the Coolest Places in Central Texas
Need to beat the Central Texas heat? Try going underground, to the glorious subterranean world just beneath our feet. Caverns have everything you’re looking for in a summer activity. Educational for the kids? Check. Engaging for the grownups? Check. A constant 68 to...
Avoid These 7 Summer Safety Slip-ups
It’s no surprise that accidents happen, even when we’re trying to be careful. But because we’re outside more and the days are longer, summer can be an especially dangerous time. According to SafeKids Worldwide, there’s an 89 percent increase in children drowning in...
Beautiful Minds – Research Lab at UT Austin Studies Children’s Development
Interview by Sherida Mock A world-class developmental research facility operates right in our own backyard, but how many of us know about it? Maybe you’ve heard of the Children’s Research Lab at UT Austin (CRL). If you haven’t, you and your kids are missing out on a...
5 Tips for Easing Children Through Divorce
According to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), 60 percent of divorces involve children. I’ve not yet met an about-to-be-divorced parent who doesn’t express concern for their children and fear that the divorce will cause their children...
9 Must-Dos for Day Camp
Our Local Experts Get You Organized for a Week (or More!) of Summer Fun by Sherida Mock Summer camp time is just around the corner, so we collected the advice from a handful of seasoned, local pros to help you get ready. Here are nine tips to fill the next several...
Thank You, Billy Idol – How Punk Rock Helped Me Find Peace in Motherhood
https://youtu.be/ByR1hZmy51I Punk rock…it’s mohawks and The Clash. Studs and safety pins. Youth and anger and fists…or so I thought, until I was recently described as punk by several different sources. I’m a local musician, and I’ve definitely got some rock-and-roll...
Hearts Full of Grace
Ambassador Family Honors the Memory of Their Daughter at the March for Babies When Mitzi and Will Ellison walk the trail at Old Settlers Park in the March for Babies on May 9, they’ll be observing, as they put it, their “Grace time.” It’s a chance for the couple to...
