CULTURAL AWAKENING

At a small preschool in Mead, children as young as 3 converse in Spanish. “Tengo hambre,” students at Villa Vista Language Academy tell each other when it gets close to …

Mon., Sept. 22, 2008

Cherished memories

Almost a year ago, Arah Kunz gave birth to a baby that she knew wouldn’t live. Olivia, a 3-pound infant with dark brown hair and a face that resembled her …

Mon., Aug. 18, 2008

All in the family

Should weddings be a family affair? While some couples wouldn’t dream of excluding children from their guest list on such a momentous occasion, others dread the thought of a cranky …

Mon., Aug. 11, 2008

Voices of compassion

For years, whenever people called the hotline for PFLAG – Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays – they often were greeted by the distinct voice of a little old …

Mon., Aug. 4, 2008

Comforting new mothers

A few days after she brought her newborn home from the hospital, Courtney Clark fell into a state of panic. Her son, Ezekiel, refused to eat. Six hours after his …

Mon., July 28, 2008

LOVE TAPS

To spank or not to spank? It’s a dilemma faced by many good parents.

Mon., July 21, 2008

Mothers with a mission

Motherhood, some say, can become the mother of all invention. When Manda Warner gave birth to her oldest daughter four years ago, she was disappointed with most of the baby …

Mon., July 14, 2008

When eyes open to the world

Within a one-mile radius of my lower South Hill home, 17 registered Level III sex offenders have taken up residence. It’s a fact that doesn’t sit well with me as …

Mon., June 23, 2008

Sandwiches perfect entree for easy outdoor dining

Helping the children in our care to enjoy preparing and eating good food doesn’t always have to be about standing over a hot stove. In the summer, spending a little …

Mon., May 26, 2008

The wonder of words

Ask any librarian – or any kid, for that matter – and they’ll tell you: The best books for children are the ones that speak to the hearts and minds …

Mon., Jan. 7, 2008

Pizza is meal that can involve whole family

It’s a New Year; time to make those New Year’s resolutions, right? Instead of making a list just for yourself, try making this easy resolution that will benefit your whole …

Mon., Dec. 24, 2007

Are you really ready for Christmas?

Shannon Sullivan thought she had planned the perfect Christmas morning for her 4-year-old son back in 2000. Presents under the tree. A full stocking.

Mon., Nov. 5, 2007

Oh, Baby!

There are times you wonder, what are the babies thinking? This is one of those times, as the babies sit in their strollers and watch while their moms run up …

Mon., May 7, 2007

DAILY DILEMMA

After spring break, most families begin counting down the days until school’s out for summer. But parents of 5-year-olds are already thinking about September, deciding whether or not to enroll …

Mon., April 23, 2007

Deck stacked in obesity fight

Excerpts from the Parents Council blog this week: Should schools help fight obesity? “We are all so shocked that our nation’s children are obese? Then we close our free neighborhood …

Mon., March 26, 2007

Mothers bathed in guilt

As a freelance writer and contributor to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, I receive story requests each month. The sample chapter titles for the upcoming Chicken Soup for …

Wed., April 1, 1998

It’s Simply Not Healthy

Erin Allison Bruton, 19, Spokane

Sun., Feb. 15, 1998

The Sex Ed Myth Boys Aren’t The Only Ones Who Go Through ‘Power Surges Of Puberty’

One Saturday morning on the sidelines of a soccer game, where mothers keep one eye on the action while sharing their triumphs and confessing their failures to other mothers, a …

Fri., Nov. 21, 1997

Mom: Call Your Brother

My mother called the other day with my latest instructions. “Hi, Honey, hope all is well. Today is your brother Matthew’s 40th birthday.” So call him, she said.

Mon., Nov. 17, 1997

Don’t Lose Temper With 3-Year-Old

Q. I am concerned about the way my 3-year-old granddaughter acts toward her mother, especially when somebody else is present. When her mother enters the room she becomes disrespectful, and …

Wed., Oct. 22, 1997

So Common, Yet So Poorly Understood

Seeing Melissa Ludtke’s new book, “On Our Own: Unmarried Motherhood in America,” uncorked countless memories of the years I raised two sons on my own after my first marriage ended. …

Sat., Oct. 4, 1997

An Open Book, An Eager Mind Want To Give Your Children A Jump-Start On Life? It’s Simple: Read To Them

It can take place in a grocery aisle, on a playground or even in a bathtub. It goes like this: Two children are playing. One is six months past his …

Fri., Oct. 3, 1997

If Dad’s Involved, Children Will Excel Grades Better, Problems Fewer, Study Shows

It is a formula for school achievement as old as apples for the teacher and as new as homework done on the Internet: Fathers’ participation in their children’s schools, the …

Wed., Sept. 17, 1997

This Is Basic Stuff, Yet We’re Missing It

So it seems researchers have discovered something which dramatically reduces the chance that a teenager will use drugs, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, attempt suicide, experience depression, engage in violence or …

Wed., Sept. 17, 1997

Even In The ‘90s, One-On-One Works

Along about junior high, it hits. Kids start asking their parents to drop them off at school a block away. They begin balking at joining regular family bike rides or …

Wed., Sept. 10, 1997

Connect With Your Teen, Study Says Even If They Say Stay Away, Youths Need To Spend Time With Parents

So what should you do if your teenager keeps locking himself in his bedroom? Keep knocking. The largest study ever of American adolescents has found teens’ connectedness with their parents …

Sun., Aug. 24, 1997

A Call To Fatherhood

“On almost every indicator of child well-being,” says the National Fatherood Initiative’s home page, “children today fare worse than their counterparts just a generation ago. The reason: the dramatic rise, …

Sun., July 20, 1997

Clearing A Path Is A Dad’s Most Important Duty

Today my daughter turns 15. One thing stands out. There is no going back to the day when she was daddy’s little girl. Not when your little girl is 5-foot-8 …

Sun., June 15, 1997

Teenagers Belatedly Learn Child Rearing

Ben Harris was 14 when his twin sons entered the world. His young girlfriend gave him an ultimatum: Take me and our babies or your gang-banger buddies. You can’t have …