age 5

Monday Mom Challenge

Monday Mom challenge: Define your family traditions

Routine. Kids tend to thrive on it -- and adults find comfort in it, too. Whether it’s the rhythm of a morning as the house rouses...

Child Development & Health

Sunscreen for kids: Ask the expert

How often does your child really need to wear sunscreen -- and which type is best? A pediatrician has some advice for you!

Parenting Humor

CFS (Can't Find Sh*t) Syndrome

Like color-blindness, CFS Syndrome is a predominately male affliction. The main symptom is a frustrating form of object blindness...

Parenting Advice & Columns

The right age for kids and yard work

Yes, you love your yard. You worked hard for this yard, for this home you’ve created and the outdoor space where the kids play. But...

Parenting Humor

"Go the F**k to Sleep" and other bedtime stories for parents

Exhausted by repeated readings of “Goodnight Moon” and “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See”? Well, good news, moms and dads:...

Parenting Advice & Columns

Getting kids involved in spring cleaning

When spring cleaning season -- spring, of course -- rolls around, you may be chomping at the bit to clean up and clean out and start...

Parenting Humor

What's my name again? What should kids call you

If a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, would an authority figure who goes by their first name be just as authoritative?...

Parenting Advice & Columns

How to take the candy out of Easter

Easter doesn’t have to mean gigantic baskets overflowing with candy. Many parents are limiting the candy in favor of more useful and...

Parenting Advice & Columns

Is your child a smartphone orphan? Balancing work and family

Blackberries and cell phones and laptops, oh my! When it comes to the virtual office, let's face it, sometimes we're too...

Babysitters and Childcare

Checking a babysitter's driving record

Is it feasible to check the driving record for a potential nanny or babysitter? Here's how you can verify that the childcare...

Child Development & Health

Is your child depressed?

As parents, we know that kids experience a wide range of emotions on any given day. One minute they can be happy, the next...

Children's School & Education

Why is the teacher giving my kid m&m's?

Six-year-old Carlos Melendez stood in line waiting as his first-grade teacher bid farewell to her students at the end of the school...

Babysitters and Childcare

Choosing a teenage babysitter

For generations, teenagers have been the first line of babysitters (after siblings, of course). Here are some tips on how you can...

Family Activities

Family movie night: Recreate the larger-than-life movie experience right at home!

The expense of theater movies, concessions and gas to get there has reached beyond most family budgets. So why not enjoy a weekly...

Children's School & Education

What did you learn in school today? Getting your kids to talk to you about their day

Does getting your kids to offer information about school seem more difficult than pulling teeth? Do you ever feel like a lawyer...

Family Activities

6 Spring party themes for kids

It has been a long, drawn-out winter for many parents and kids. Cooped-up kids can’t wait to run outside and shake off the cold...

Parenting Advice & Columns

Encouraging visual arts from a young age

If you consider yourself a creative or artistic person -- and even if you don’t -- you may be thinking about ways to encourage your...

Babysitters and Childcare

How to find a good childcare program for your child

Finding quality care for your child during those vital, formative years is one of the biggest challenges you'll face as a parent....

Preschoolers

Preschooler sleep problems solved

Your preschooler was sleeping through the night...until suddenly they weren't. Or maybe yours can't seem to tire enough to go to...