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 […]
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 — […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 — […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]