When taking a family road trip, you need to know basically two things: 1) where to go and 2) how to get there happily. First, I'll address the "where" for your family road trip. Based on my experience, these are some of the loveliest destinations for United States destinations. There really is beauty in the […]

No matter how many times you've done it, when you're traveling with family, it helps to make a very detailed packing list. Especially with kiddos who travel better with "something familiar," it's worth the effort. Who wants a meltdown halfway through the airport when you realize you've forgotten something, anyway? (I'm talking about adult meltdowns---most […]

Bedtime stories: and how I accidentally made our bedtime routine easier. Some of the best things were invented accidentally: chocolate chip cookies, the Slinky, and even pacemakers, for example. (Wow!) One special night during our standard bedtime routine, I accidentally invented a magical pillowcase. My then- four-year-old child was nestling down after her bedtime story, […]

Vacation activities and sightseeing with kids! Last week in our travel series, our travel experts wrote about choosing accommodations. There's nothing like knowing where your home base is to provide some comfort before you explore the area! When you're on a family vacation, though--be it spring break, summer vacation, or anytime at all--it's important to […]

Perseverance and hope for the future: Every once in awhile, adults receive the gift of a new perspective. Late last night, a teacher friend of mine texted me and said she had the flu. She asked if I could substitute teach her play-based science class of four- and five-year-old kids the very next day. Already […]

I rarely do a book review of a single book. Usually, I group children's books into categories, like "Best Books to Build Self-Esteem and Confidence." However, Craig Pomranz's brilliant book, Made by Raffi (afflink), gets its very own review---and for good reason. Several good reasons, actually. To be clear, I plan to add it to […]

The topic of homelessness doesn't typically come up in my life. I sleep in the same house every night with my family, except for when we're on vacation. Although our life isn't perfect, it's safely predictable. For some reason, though, homelessness has been on our radar far more than usual lately. So, we're paying attention, […]

Most kids have inherently good negotiation skills. Pull out a chocolate bar and tell kids to divide it up for themselves, and you'll find quick proof of that. When it comes to conflict resolution and self-regulation, however, many adults wonder whether children possess the emotional intelligence and executive functioning skills to navigate that territory. As […]

If you've read about my pumpkin spice muffins, you'll know I'm all about gluten-free and healthy recipes that taste like their non-healthy versions. I won't skimp on flavor just to get in some health points; I want to enjoy what I'm eating. So, I decided to expand my healthy muffin recipes and create gluten-free zucchini bread, […]

"Today is my birthday," Jenny* whispered in a class I help teach, clearly feeling proud. I asked if it would be alright if the class sang her the "happy birthday" song, and she nodded eagerly. So, wanting to help this child feel happy, loved, and valued everywhere she went that day, we gave her lots of […]