Parenting
Positive Parenting: Being right isn’t as important as getting it right
by Kelsey Rasmussen This column continues our series reviewing “And Baby Makes Three” by Drs. John and Julie Gottman. Chapters two and three, recapped here, emphasize the many benefits to baby when parents respond tenderly to children and simmer down their own parental conflicts. Delight in your baby It may take your baby only 40 […]
Positive Parenting
New parents are all in the same soup by Dr. Erin Clifton John and Julie Gottman are relationship experts. Many of you have heard about their groundbreaking research of “The 5 Love Languages.” We’re summarizing another of their popular books, “And Baby Makes Three,” in a series of Positive Parenting columns. This month, we’ll focus […]
Positive Parenting: Facing head-on the stress that often accompanies ‘When Baby Makes Three’
by Kelsey Rasmussen Imagine you’re exhausted, recovering from the physical trauma of giving birth. Physically, you need to heal and replace pints of blood for yourself while producing milk for this new life who is dependent on you for food, touch, and diaper changes, to name a few. This attention is required nearly constantly—day or […]
Positive Parenting: With creative thinking, recycled materials can spell F-U-N for youngsters
by Nicole Ryder As the holidays are wrapping up, you can find lots of useful material collecting rapidly in your garage or recycling bin. Specifically, look for empty boxes; empty egg cartons; and tubes from wrapping paper, paper towel, and toilet tissue. Instead of taking these materials to the trash or the recycling center, think […]
Positive Parenting
This holiday season, focus on gratitude and simple traditions by Kelsey Rasmussen As we enter the season of gratitude, I’m considering what to pass along to my children. What would my depression-era relatives say about today’s holiday gift-giving expectations? WalletHub reports that nearly half of Americans are still paying off debt from holiday purchases last […]
Positive Parenting: The way of pretend play
by Kelsey Rasmussen “Bum feels sad,” my daughter tells me about her dearest stuffed animal, which she holds tenderly in her arms. “Why does Bum feel sad,” I ask. “Her miss her mommy,” she explains. I know she’s telling me something important, and it might not be about her furry friend. I seize this opportunity […]
Positive Parenting: Mindset over matter and tips for positivity
by Kelsey Rasmussen We tell children that the friends they choose will influence them, but it’s also true that the people whom we spend time with as adults have a definite influence on us. Perhaps being around toddlers so much leads to my own mood swings or fixation on whimsical needs like having toys picked […]
Positive Parenting: Welcome back to school; we look forward to seeing more of you.
by Cathy Payne August 1st seems to be the unofficial launch of the Back to School season. Stores have back-to-school sales to inspire students, parents, and teachers to have an amazing school year. This time of year also informally marks the end of the summer. For many of us, the beginning of the new school […]
Positive Parenting
Welcome back to school; we look forward to seeing more of you. by Cathy Payne August 1st seems to be the unofficial launch of the Back to School season. Stores have back-to-school sales to inspire students, parents, and teachers to have an amazing school year. This time of year also informally marks the end of […]
Positive Parenting: Parent like a Navy SEAL
by Kelsey Rasmussen After children’s story time one Wednesday, I skimmed the back shelves of the Stockbridge Library where they sell used books for a dollar. Mothering boy-girl twins makes me curious about the different needs of boys and girls and how to best raise each, so “Raising Men” caught my eye. Author Eric Davis, […]