You’ve been there: Several parents get their preschoolers together for a playdate. As the grown-ups get down to coffee and chatting, the kids get down to play. All too soon, you’re pulled away from some much-needed adult conversation by Sharing Gone Bad – the sound of your child screeching, “Mine! It’s mine!” So much for […]

Shawna’s daughter Riley was one of those perfect, easy babies – she slept through the night, only cried when she needed something, and loved for grandma to read her The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  Shawna thought she had this parenting thing figured out. Then Riley turned 10 months old – and everything changed. Riley screamed at […]

When my first child started daycare, I made the same rookie mistake many new parents make – I didn’t ask any questions. I felt embarrassed – that somehow, asking questions made me look dumb. Four kids and several daycares later, I now know what I wish I’d known then – there’s no such thing as […]

I don’t surf. But I envy the other moms here in Hawaii who keep surfboards in the back of the minivan, just in case the waves look good. A mom friend says that one good session in the water energizes her for the day, keeps her body in shape and sets her priorities straight. “It […]

Novi, MI — How do you know you’ve chosen the right path for your son or daughter’s success?  Every child is unique, and finding the right early education solution isn’t easy.  You know your child best. Is she comfortable with new situations, or cautious around strangers?  Does he enjoy activities for large groups, or does […]

In the course of researching my book on modern motherhood, I interviewed hundreds of parents and pored over data reported by nearly a thousand American mothers. But one woman’s observation stopped me in my tracks. When I asked about how she made time for herself, she paused, scratched her head, and studied the floor. A […]

Algonquin and Lake Zurich, Ill., Oct. 13, 2011 — Deciding which preschool program is best for your child is not easy. Now, local families with children ages 3-6 have more reason than ever to select Tutor Time as their early education and care provider. As an alternative to their patented LifeSmart™ curriculum, Tutor Time in […]

Fall is ordinarily my favorite season. With field trips to the farm, pumpkin spice lattes and a dress-up holiday that’s fair game for adults, what’s not to love? But last October, my seasonal spirits took a nosedive when my older son said: “Why do you love your computer more than me?” That zinger came after […]

“A NINK in da SINK? Too silly, mommy!” Sasha is our youngest. She’s nearly 2, and we’re discovering that she loves Dr. Seuss.  Her current fave is There’s a Wocket in My Pocket! For some reason, that kooky Nink makes her shriek with laughter.  She has the tiny, toddler-sized version of the book, so she […]

My little friend Olivia is 4. She used to be a happy, fun, sociable girl. But since school started, she’s been crabby, whiny, and prone to meltdowns.  At school, she can’t sit still during circle time. And today, she got sent home early for biting her friend Joshua. Is Olivia in the wrong classroom? Does […]

Literacy is an amazing thing. It helps us read the instructions on a shampoo bottle (wet, lather, rinse, repeat) and make sense of the latest e-mail “good luck” chain (send this to 10 people, or else). As I have discussed in previous posts, oral language, reading and writing all come together in this idea of […]

Learning Care Group When my niece was six years old, she spent a week with me. Her favorite game was to write random letters in a line, push them in front of me, and ask, “What does this say, Aunt Shelle?” I would string the sounds together into a nonsense word that would send her […]