I recently spoke with the founder of The Invisible Woman Foundation, Anjali Pamurthy. Here's a summary of the incredibly important work she's doing for Black women, who are significantly more likely to die in childbirth than their counterparts of other races. Thank you, Anjali, for making a difference.  "...We believe that if women go into […]

In positive parenting, the power of a hug is some of the best preventative medicine that exists for the adult-child relationship, even with children who aren’t our own. * A girl I'll call Juniper, who was then two and a half years old, was standing with my child and me in the doorway just before […]

I haven't met Dr. Vanessa Lapointe in person (yet), but I can say without hesitation that I'd trust her to watch my child. If you know anything about me, you'll know that I pretty much don't let anyone watch my child. And she's technically a stranger...so this isn't a lighthearted endorsement. Her first book that […]

When my daughter was three years old, I didn't think anything about fostering childhood resilience when it came to Halloween. For some reason that's unbeknownst to me, she decided that what people do with Halloween candy is...donate it. Who was I to argue with her thoughtful idea? So, for the past two years, we've gathered […]

After a week of my sick kid having what I thought was the common cold, I finally took her to the doctor to be sure it wasn’t something serious. She’d had a sore throat and a fever along with lots of other cold symptoms. She’d been happy enough to chill out on the couch with […]

Many kids have an inherent panic response when Mom or Dad starts counting, "1...2...3..."---the three most fearsome numbers of childhood. Although the consequences differ from household to household, counting is often code for imminent trouble. Peaceful, positive parenting can change that. Rather than counting to three as a threat (suggesting punishment that's rarely effective anyway), […]

Have you ever tried to change the world---really put your heart into it and stayed the course because it simply became part of you? Most of us haven't. Raffi, however, has done exactly that. Once called “the most popular children’s singer in the English-speaking world” (Washington Post) and “Canada’s all-time children’s champion” (Toronto Star), Raffi […]

Teaching children how to protect the Earth often isn't at the forefront of our minds. We recycle, of course, and we're generally good citizens. In all practicality, however, we're often busy...making lunch. Managing our children's bedtimes. Living life. I don't write that judgmentally. I'm guilty of it, too. As part of conscious parenting, however, it's […]

Bribing children to improve their behavior or motivate them -- it's common, but should we be doing it? I was raised in the era of "good jobs" and gold stars; sticker charts and color-coded behavior cards. Many of us grew up with conditional rewards like, "If I do x, then I'll get y." Therefore, they […]

Moving with kids isn't easy. Heck, moving without kids is hard, too. I understand so well; my six-year-old child has known four homes in her life so far, and she's about to know more. Although it's not any easier to pack the boxes this time around, I've learned some important lessons that truly do make […]