Family

All Family

Ban homework before third grade; support children’s play

A homework ban before third grade would stop the increasing imposition on kids as young as kindergarten-age. After school free time for children's play actually Increasingly helps younger kids develop important skills, and learn to control emotions.
Etan Patz and other missing children have mom’s radar pinging

Etan Patz, who is still being searched for 33 years after he was kidnapped, and other cases of missing children have one mom struggling with her stranger danger radar.
Bullying: Teens take the lead as anti-bullying mentors, advocates

Bullying prevention starts with teens, and in communities around the country they are taking the lead as anti-bullying leaders, advocates, and mentors for their peers. It is an inspiring trend at a time when several high-profile teen suicides have been linked to bullying.
Parenting: Enjoying the finish line – happiness in the here and now

Parenting can be a search for your kid's next milestone, rather than reveling in the happiness of the here and now, or that finish line of the moment.
Hunger Games and Olympics spawn new generation of archery fans

The Hunger Games heroine, Katniss – and the coming Olympics – have created a boom in the archery business, as all across the country a new generation of young archery enthusiasts polish their prowess with the bow and arrow.
Mother's Day 2012 gift ideas: No spa day for me, please

Mother's Day 2012 gift ideas: Give me a fun day over a spa day, anytime.
Giuliana Rancic expecting, joins celeb surrogate trend

Giuliana Rancic, the E! News host, says she and husband, Bill Rancic, are expecting their first child, via gestational surrogate, this summer.
Silence, inner sanctimommy! I’m trying to find a parenting style

Don't put your baby on my dinner table, please, my inner sanctimommy said as I was on the way to finding a parenting style.
Iowa teen's suicide prompts strong anti-bullying statement

In a rare act of advocacy, an Iowa newspaper devoted the entire front page of its Sunday edition to an anti-bulling editorial in the wake of a gay teen's suicide earlier this month. The editorial called on the community to end such abuse.
Disney Princess flowers: coming soon to a garden near you

The Disney marketing machine is branching out, literally, with Disney Princess brand flower seeds. Princess parents hoping for a vegetable garden may be out of luck. Belle and co. adorn flowers only, with Mickey and friends promoting veggies.
Etan Patz and the helicopter parent fear of stranger danger

Etan Patz disappeared 33 years ago; the case is not good cause for today's continued anxiety and helicopter parent fears of stranger danger.
Etan Patz: His disappearance started the era of parent anxiety

Etan Patz disappeared in 1979 and so did a nation's innocence. He vanished in broad daylight in Manhattan, sparking an era of parent anxiety – Amber alerts, milk carton photos – and sheltered American children.
Molly Sims: Pregnant supermodel speaks honestly about cravings

Molly Sims, the pregnant supermodel and actress, shows refreshing openness as she speaks honestly about her cravings:. She says she's making no effort to reign in her sweet tooth, and is loving not having to worry about her figure.
Earth Day 2012: How to talk to kids about climate change

Earth Day 2012 is a time parents might wonder how to talk to kids about climate change and global warming. An interview with the man who wrote the book on it.
Earth Day 2012: Tips to help your family go green this year

Earth Day 2012: A handy list of tips and tricks to help your family go green this year, from gardening to recycling.
Earth Day and every day gardening with children

Earth Day – or any day – is the peak time to be gardening with children, sowing the seeds of a lifelong habit.
Mel Gibson: What I’ll tell my Jewish son about anti-semitic remarks

Mel Gibson is involved in another dustup over alleged anti-semitic remarks, and a Jewish mom contemplates how she'll talk to her son about hatred.
Young women want high-paying jobs – moreso than young men

Young women, more often than young men, prioritize high-paying jobs as "very important," a new study shows. Both value being a good parent even more.
How to pick a summer camp for a good first time away from home

Maximize your child's first time away from home: How to pick a summer camp and avoid the stress for parents and kids.
Fenway Park turns 100. Go Orioles!

Our daughter, we know, will one day revel in the story of the day Fenway Park turned 100. It will be hard for us. But maybe baseball, like parenthood, is bigger than team rivalry. Maybe. Meanwhile, go Orioles!