Tag Archives: Parenting
Sharing special expertise
Parents and families of adults with serious mental health disorders carry a huge and ongoing burden. Figuring out how to lighten the load is the theme of a free conference on the afternoon of June 24 that’s open to families, caregivers, professionals and anyone else who’s interested. The event is sponsored by the National Alliance […]
Today’s breakups are plugged in
Taxes and romantic bust-ups. It’s April, the “cruelest month.” Based on unimpeachable data like miserable status announcements and no-comment relationship switches on Facebook — or in the hallway between classes — smart statisticians and even smarter high school students have confirmed that partnerships tend to explode between Thanksgiving and Christmas and then early in the […]
Office Moms bring love to kids in twilight zone
A couple years ago, foster mom Sarah Desjarlais was at a meeting at the downtown Vancouver office of the Department of Social and Health Services where she asked the obvious questions. “Who are all these little kids running around the office? Why are there two- and four-year-olds just wandering around in cubicle land?” Turned out, […]
Are we raising spoiled brats? Only time, and George Bailey, will tell
According to a quiz on Parents.com, my husband and I aren’t raising spoiled brats. But I stopped believing online quiz results after I was informed that if I was a classic ’70s rock band, I’d be the Eagles. So I need more assurance we’re doing enough to ensure our daughters won’t grow up to be adults who […]
Did you go “Doh!” when the power died?
Where were you, how were you, who were you when the lights went out? The whole region was treated to a brief stretch of blasting wind and unusual cold a few weeks ago, and power went out all over the place. Several times that same day and night, depending on your whereabouts. Remember? Or does […]
That effing Stampy
Confession time: Sometimes my husband and I let our daughters play with the iPad unsupervised. Our oldest just turned 9, and our youngest turns 6 next month. Usually they play Minecraft, but recently our youngest developed an affinity for YouTube videos narrated by stampylongnose, AKA Stampylonghead or Mr. Stampy Cat, Stampy for short. He’s some bloke […]
Legendary teachers and brave books
Sept. 25 was Legendary Teacher Day in Ridgefield. That’s not quite the same as National Teacher Appreciation Day and Week, the first Tuesday of the first full week in May — which, incidentally, have only gained semi-official status thanks to being declared annual observances by the National Education Association, but not by the U.S. Congress. […]
Morning drive, morning talk
Strangely enough, the morning drive is one of my favorite times of the day. That isn’t to say I love commuting. I do love my job, but the morning slog can be a joyless affair. Good thing I’m a parent. As long as my kids have been going to school, I’ve been taking them there. […]
Care deeply and play it cool
Keep calm. Keep an eye out. Keep communicating. (And keep some frozen dinners ready.) Those are the back-to-school recommendations of Caitlin O’Dell and Jon Joebgen, mental health professionals with Children’s Center, a Vancouver clinic for uninsured and underinsured kids and their families. (The frozen dinner idea — a fallback when you’re totally stressed — is […]
Quiet truths and big explosions at the movies: “Boyhood”
It’s summer, so moviegoers must by law shut down their brains and become laser fodder in extravaganzas like “Soldiers of the Solar System” or whatever’s raking in the megamillions now. But if you feel like keeping your brain — and heart — alive while ducking those mandatory big explosions, here’s an enthusiastic movie recommendation: “Boyhood” […]