Toddler
Everything Nobody Ever Told You About Potty-Training Boys
Help! I am clueless about potty training my 2-year-old son. Should he sit or stand at the toilet? How do I keep urine from spraying everywhere?
Big Kid
The Curly Hair…Teenage Boy Method?
How do I teach my son to manage his long, curly, and thick head of hair? He’s very sporty and needs a good hair washing regiment.
Parenting
Boys Will Be (Feminist) Boys
Thoughts on raising boys in a world filled with gender-stereotypes. How to tackle biases found in baby showers, toys, and the nightly news.
Activities
DIY Summer Camp at Home: the Good, Bad and Muddy
My husband and I have been holding our own summer camp at home for our kids for the past two years. This is why we started it, what we learned and why we decided to do it again this year.
Health & Safety
Boys Can Cry…But Maybe Not This Much
Parents need help with their child who starts crying too easily and it’s impacting peer relationships and the family’s quality of life. We have recommendations on what to do next.
Health & Safety
How to Talk About Sexual Consent with Your Kids (Educating and Empowering Children)
Why it’s important to educate and empower your children and talk to them about “enthusiastic consent.”
Young Child
Preschoolers & Big Kid Shows: Making Sense of TV and Movie Ratings
A mom needs some guidance on the type of television programming and movies she should allow for her preschooler son during the developmental phase while he’s fascinated with “bad guys.”
Baby
On Life With Three
A reader follows-up with Amalah asking her how life looks like now raising three kids.
Big Kid
When Justice Isn’t Served, What Do You Tell Your Teens?
Recent events in the news are enough to make a rational person want to secede from the human race. How can we make this a learning opportunity for our teens?
Big Kid
When Other Kids Suck the Joy Out of Beloved Activities
A reader asks how to help a teen stick out a difficult activity when the other kids are making things unpleasant.
Big Kid
How to Stop Your Kids From Having Sex Too Early*
Want your child to grow up with a healthy, realistic view of sexuality, and to wait until they’re really ready for intimacy? Read on.
Big Kid
Harassment vs. Helicoptering
A reader asks if she should stop in when her middle schooler is being harassed, or if it’s too much. I have soap box for this one.
Big Kid
Tuning Into Your Kids’ Taste in Music
But that’s how I feel about my kids. I really don’t care if they like my music. They spent years listening to me play Aretha, Luther Vandross, The Rolling Stones, etc. and if they one day said, “Hey, Mom? Can you put on that one AC/DC song?”, that’d be great. But I certainly don’t expect it. Just like they don’t expect me to say, “Hey, kids? Can you put on that one Tyler, The Creator song?”
Big Kid
The Middle School Snoop
I didn’t have to snoop when he was in grade school. All of his classmates lived in our neighborhood, so I already knew most of the parents. I also regularly volunteered in the classroom. But now he’s in a big school that combines three different neighborhoods, and I only volunteer when under court order. That means I don’t know anything about the kids he now wants to hang out with, and since he’s no help at all, I have to dig.
Health & Safety
When Winter is Shorts Weather for Kids
Yes, I am the not-so-proud owner of an 11-year-old boy who refuses to wear pants in the winter. He (very strongly) insists on wearing shorts year-round, even when the temperature is only in the high 20’s.
Big Kid
More Than Just A Birthday
Birthdays with teenagers can feel a lot like a timer ticking down, but sometimes they feel like victory, too. For my late bloomer, this birthday feels huge.
Toddler
Boys Don’t Cry. Except For All The Times They Do.
A mom needs help with her husband and his shaming of their sensitive toddler son for his recent and many crying bouts.
Pregnancy
It’s a Girl! Oh, Wait…It’s a Boy?
An expectant mom learns that her original ultrasound prediction was wrong. She’s having a boy, not a girl. She needs help mentally and emotionally shifting gears and expectations.
Big Kid
Taking Flight in the Cold
Schools are closed today due to “excessive cold,” and it’s all my fault. Sorry, I’m not sorry—because it hasn’t slowed down my autistic son one bit.
Toddler
On Little Boys & Pink Toys
One mom needs help making sure she’s not reinforcing gender messages in toys and not limiting her son given her sudden allergy to pink toys.