5 Tips For A Sweeter Holiday Season

There is something about this time of year – at least in the northern hemisphere – that feels heavy to many of us. The days are shorter. The lively colors of spring, summer and fall have turned to shades of gray. It’s hard to keep ourselves upbeat and on...

How to get your scared child back to sleep

Kids get scared of all sorts of things that take us, adults, by surprise. They might suddenly fear people with hats, or men with beards, or rabbits, or those floaty fuzzy things in the bathtub. Rather than try to convince them that there’s nothing to be scared of, or...

When your kid just won’t listen!

We traveled across the world and stayed with my brother-in-law’s family for five weeks this summer. His gang of six gave up their bedrooms and shared their food and washing machine (very important) with us without complaint. The least I could do was take my kid out of...

What to do when your 7-year-old calls you the “f -word”

My late stepfather was a gastroenterologist – you know, those docs who deal with those long tubes that start at your mouth and end at your bottom. He used to tell a story about a well-dressed woman who came into his office with abdominal pain. He asked her how...