2007 March
The Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences does a wonderful job of bringing Roald Dahl's The BFG to life on stage.
Love, life and family
Our families can be so crazy, and yet we seem to find a way to accept them, despite their quirks. Is anyone in your family a vampire? A stand-up comedian? A witch? A neat freak? A werewolf? The kids in these stories have it all and then some. These novels are about growing up, discovering the meaning of life and learning the truth about what makes a family.
Products recalled for lead
Recent recalls of products with lead hazards include: Children's Butterfly Necklaces by U.S. Toy Co. are recalled because the clasps on the necklaces contain high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children.
Hot fun in the cold city
This winter, Chicago is sizzling as the city celebrates the hottest it has to offer in music,
Fun twists on old tales
I enjoy being a part of the fun today's authors have creating new twists to age-old and familiar fairy tales.
Right in your own backyard
You don't have to leave home to teach your kids a lesson in nature appreciation.
In case you missed it
While you may not realize that 100 new laws went into effect the first of this year,
Learning through travel
Do you ever wish you could take the kids on a journey from China to the Mediterranean?
Basic Pilates stretches are a great way to get a start on your day.
Sitting tall, cross your right leg over your left (as a lady crosses her legs). Take a deep breath and revolve your body into the right side. Alternate by crossing your left leg over your right.
Respect can be learned at any school
DEAR PRAGMATIC PARENT: I have 2-year-old twins and have been researching preschools in the city. There seems to be a lot of competition for private ones, and the ones offered through the public schools are extremely variable. I'm not sure how crazy I should go applying to different places.
Need a break today?
Graduate acting school was a nerve-wracking experience, but my favorite memory of utter relaxation comes from the first of my three years in Philadelphia. I'd just taken the subway back to my South Philly apartment, after rehearsing a play that involved my stomping around the stage in a black leather jacket and periodically shouting at the top of my lungs. Exhausted, I walked into the apartment, threw down my bag and collapsed onto the thrift store sofa.
Viewing fun for kids old and young
Spring is around the corner but in the meantime find family pleasure with the indoor fun provided by this month's video
Sippy cup safety
Sippy cups are a life saver for many parents who want to keep spills to a minimum, but they can lead to dental problems if not used properly.
These kids know rock 'n' roll
Ten-year-old Luke Sangerman has been playing the drums since he was 5,
Sew it up
If you're anything like me, you have stacks of boxes filled with family photos sitting in your basement, waiting to be organized, labeled and eventually placed into a picture-perfect scrapbook. And if you're anything like me, that day is a long way off.
Do you have a picky eater?
One of the most frustrating aspects of parenting young children can be the dinner table. Frequent outbursts of "I don't like that" may tempt you to surrender to your child's demands. Don't. Your child is simply exerting his independence, behavior that is perfectly normal.
Kids' books offer lessons on money
The best parenting advice I ever received was to read to my children. I read to both my girls for as long as they would allow me. We read almost every night. I made twice weekly trips to our local library and each night we would sit down after dinner and I would read aloud. Excluding the hours they were asleep, this was the only time of the day they were still. Still and listening.
A healthy smile
Open wide and say ahh-February is National Children's Dental Health Month and your family could use a brush-up. To help protect those pearly whites, here is the toothy truth, by the numbers ...
Bookshelf
MOMFIDENCE! AN OREO NEVER KILLED ANYBODY AND OTHER SECRETS OF HAPPIER PARENTING
Toddlers get a sneak peek at school
Each morning, Shamile Harris takes her 4-year-old daughter, Nakariel, to a home daycare center.
Managing an emergency
Dec. 6, 2006, proved to be an important day for children in the greater Chicago area.
Children, not disabilities
For families with children who have special needs, there's so much more to their lives than what appears on the surface.
The single parent's dilemma
Eleven-year-old Dana Kaminski looks down into her hot chocolate, playing with it as she talks about the first time
Wanting to be heard
When Linda Streck gave birth to her third child, a girl named Katie, all she saw was a healthy, happy baby.
Testing Thomas
Eleanor Garrow-Majka herds a group of pint-sized boys into her kitchen, giving them each a slice of pizza
Cochlear implants 101
Last year was particularly eventful for the Haas family of Chicago.
Parenting with (your) personality
The quintessential mother is fun, calm and kind, with unlimited patience and impeccable organizational skills ... right?
A recipe for balance
It's barely 6 a.m. and celebrity pastry chef Gale Gand's carefully crafted daily schedule has already blown off course.
Learning to play, playing to learn
It's a typical morning in the Blue Room, one of the two 4-year-old preschool classes
Taking your turn
It's Friday night. Your family is gathered around the table ready to play the newest board game.
Summer camp 101
With Old Man Winter's chilly stranglehold tight as ever, summer might seem like it will never arrive.
Cruisin' for a good time
The problem with vacations planned around the sun is the sun doesn't always shine
Can-do kid
Alex Tobalin learned early about death.
