Good Grief: Helping Children Cope with Loss
It’s been said that loss is simply another word for change. Loss impacts children’s lives at every stage, from infancy through young adulthood, and can bring on feelings of turmoil, grief, and sadness. Whether a child experiences loss through the
Renaissance Dad: Fishing Fiasco
Fishing with little girls is unlike any version of the sport that you’ve ever experienced. Spending a day on the water with a small child would leave the boat captain from “Jaws” weeping and in the fetal position. Basically, you’re refereeing a contest between the two shortest attention spans in
The New Domesticity: Words of Wisdom
“Act smart and be respectful!” It started as a joke. My sister and I adored the 1985 “Anne of Green Gables” miniseries and committed many favorite lines to memory. One of the more memorable was the snippy dictum issued by Mrs. Blewett to
The New Domesticity: Bringing Forth
When the snowball bushes bloom in May, I am once again a 5-year-old in long brown braids and a gingham dress. Tucked away in my childhood backyard, I seek the shelter of the flowering bush. Buds explode in a riot of white, each
Five Parenting Principles Inspired by Fitness Classes
I love fitness classes, and I much prefer them to working out on my own. The social atmosphere and positive peer pressure to push myself keep me coming back for more. During exercise classes such as spin or Bodypump, the instructor provides cues
How Moms Do It: Transitions Between Home and Work
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 73 percent of mothers today work outside the home. Still, many moms leave the workforce or reduce the number of hours they work while children are young, often returning to work later on. These work
Renaissance Dad: Camping with Toddlers, and Other Really Bad Ideas
Having spent much of my f-f-fifty years camping, hunting, and fishing, I have gleaned a number of essential skills and tips on the subject that I feel it’s my duty to pass on to the next generation of outdoorsmen and women . .
Building a Whole Beautiful Life as an Adult with Disabilities
In a neighborhood near Columbia River High School lives a family of five brothers, two chickens and one dog. This family is like most families who have their own daily routines for meals, recreation and relaxation, except the “brothers” are actually residents of
The New Domesticity: The ABCs of Busy Books
“When I was busy they would take out . . . a ‘busy book,’ in which they could employ themselves in writing lists of birds, flowers, makes of cars, or any other things which interested them.” Dora Saint, known by many as Miss
The New Domesticity: The Happiest Hour
“I want to hear the fishy song again,” Elijah grinned. We reconfigured the goldfish crackers on the table and repeated our silly little song: “Five little fishies swimming near the shore, one swam away . . . and then there