Chicago families are more diverse than ever
Once upon a time, America’s stereotypical family lived on Grant Avenue in fictional Mayfield where Ward and June Cleaver raised their boys, Wally and Beaver.

A kid-friendly Thanksgiving
Let’s face it: Not every kid likes the "grown-up" menu of Thanksgiving family gatherings. So we challenged Kiddy Cuisine staff and area kids to come up with something for Thanksgiving that kids will love.

Nov. 1, 2007
Letter from the editor. Welcome to Chicago Parent: The Weekend E-dition. We’ve given the old E-news Update a face-lift and a new name. Our goal is to provide you and your family with fun things to do around Chicago, discounts and giveaways. If you have any feedback, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me, Kate Pancero, and let me know what you think.

A Child of his Own
During thunderstorms, Marc, a single, 45-year-old gay dad from Chicago, spends sleepless nights in a cramped child’s tent comforting his toddler and loving it.

Life at its Fullest
Margaret Boyter-Escalona and Alejandro Escalona live in a big blue house on a tree-lined street in suburban Oak Park with a golden retriever, Niko, and two very active, bilingual kids, Isabela, 11, and Daniel, 13.

Second chance parenting
Don’t call Barbara Keller grandma.

Family grows by two
First came love. Jeff Radtke knew the day after their first date Karen was the one.

On Their Own
When Eric Behrenfeld’s wife died of brain cancer more than three years ago, life was tough. But when the grieving husband learned his toddler, Owen, had autism, his toughest day got tougher. Even so, the Chicago blues drummer and percussionist fought off depression to parent Owen alone.

Exploring the adoption option
You’ve seen Brad and Angelina do it. Madonna, Meg Ryan and Sheryl Crow, too. It’s seen as the hip thing to do in Hollywood these days, but adoption is far from a fad.

Suburbs or the city?
Whether from a bustling city ward or tranquil suburban subdivision, a child’s health and happiness depends less on where they’re raised and more on who’s raising them and how, experts say.

Country mom
Like many young professionals, Kristin Daus’ lifestyle revolved around Chicago—she worked downtown, rented an apartment in a trendy neighborhood, used public transportation and took advantage of Chicago’s many diversions.

City mom
Although she’s a child of the suburbs, Tracey Keenen’s a city girl at heart.

Liar, liar
It happens every day in every home. Your little darling sweetly tells Dad that Mom said it was OK if she has a cup of chocolate milk. Dad thinks about the huge piece of cake his daughter had after dinner and wonders if his angel could be lying.

The unbelievable headache
Imagine a headache that feels like "having nails shoved into your temples." Imagine a headache that often includes vomiting. Imagine a headache that forces you to quarantine yourself off from the world for some relief.

Take the bite out of the bard
It seems ironic that Shakespeare’s own words can be used against him. But for many students (and their parents) the thought of studying Shakespeare is comparable to learning Greek—unfathomable.

Launching yourself into the momosphere
It may be time to look beyond the local coffee shop, book club, park bench or play group to gather with other moms who will offer advice, commiserate over the daily grind and basically dish the playground dirt.

To your health
We all want our kids to eat healthy, but kids only want to eat what tastes good.

Get organized
A self-admitted clutter bug, Jane Carroo of Palatine knows what it takes to get the house organized and presentable for guests.

Can-do kids
Samantha Tracy, better known as Sam to her friends and family, may only be in fourth grade but she’s already a veteran chef. The La Grange resident started cooking at age 4 through a park district class. Now she’s using her skills in the kitchen to help her community.

Family matters
Thanksgiving revolved around family and food when I was a child. My mom spent days planning out how she was going to make everyone’s favorite dish and favorite pie (some years she made 10 pies) for Thanksgiving dinner.

Letters
Postpartum depression awareness needed
What lesson?

There's nothing to wear
In all walks of life and at any age, nothing to wear can masquerade as a closet full of clothes. But when you’re an 11-year-old girl in junior high, this is akin to a catastrophic wardrobe malfunction, not just another bad day.

Luckier than I thought
‘Better luck next time," my mother whispered into the phone after I confessed the ultrasound results: I was having another boy.

The cold medicine debate
Millions of children receive over-the-counter cough and cold remedies every year, but some medicines have been more harmful than helpful. In the last two years more than 1,500 children have visited emergency rooms for possible overdoses associated with those medicines.

Gifts that won’t break the bank
Here we are at the height of the holiday buying season, the moment when it starts to look like there’s no way we’ll escape December with our sanity, much less our budget and bank accounts, intact.

FAB mama
I love love. Reading about love is fantastic, especially when it’s true. Every time I pick up Project Everlasting by Matthew Boggs and Jason Miller, I find myself feeling good.

Eating healthy to reduce asthma risk
As Chicagoans well know, the rate of asthma and allergies is on the rise. Just why it’s more common puzzles pediatricians and epidemiologists alike.

Find time to relax for yourself and your kids
If you’ve been a parent for more than a nano-second, you’ve probably had a moment like this:

Make a pretty plate
Getting your kids involved in Thanksgiving dinner preparations is a great way to transform a traditional meal into a true family affair.

Life in Whyville
Alexis Bauer would make Al Gore proud.

Everything but the turkey
As we all know, Thanksgiving revolves around turkey. Each year millions of turkeys become martyrs for our tradition.

Parenting 101
While there are manuals for our cell phones and computers, no one issues us a handbook when we become parents.

The Field Museum's best kept secret
Instead of a clown or an arcade birthday party, why not entertain your kids with a dinosaur-themed party featuring a replica of Sue’s skull?

Looking at lunch
When lunchtime rolls around, a new survey says kids prefer a meal from home to one provided by their school.

Time for toys
No parent wants to get their child a toy he won’t like or play with, but for parents of children with special needs toy shopping can be especially difficult.

Little music makers star online
So you’ve invested in the drum set, paid for singing lessons and endured band practice in your basement. Now it’s time for the payoff. Releasing your child’s music worldwide, to the delight of Grandma, is as easy as a few clicks of the mouse.

Massive crib recall
About 1 million Simplicity cribs were recently recalled after at least three deaths, seven infant entrapments and 55 incidents.

Addressing urban asthma
Asthma is the primary chronic disease in U.S. children, affecting more than 6.5 million. It’s also the third leading cause of childhood hospitalizations and the number one cause of school absences.

Reading equals school successes
Trying to teach a child to read is anything but elementary. Two of my three sons had difficulty and by second grade required Reading Recovery, a reading intervention program.

Tracy Fisher
Tracy Fisher, a state Pre-K teacher at Chicago Public Schools’ Peirce School of International Studies, is a 2007 Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Award winner.

Books you and your kids will enjoy
I look forward to the opportunity to write this particular column every year even though it’s difficult because of the great number of books I review.

A music exchange
Before I get to my picks for the month, I need your help.

Adventure-filled books sure to entertain
In this, the third book of the series, it is time for Leven to travel to Foo, the land where all our dark, scary dreams and nightmares live.

Nov. 15, 2007
Get out and play. If you haven’t quite decided what you are going to tell Santa to get your kids this holiday season, don’t worry—we haven’t either. But a visit to this year’s Chicago Toy and Game Fair at the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center, located at 1551 N. Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, should give you a few grand ideas.

Oh, Christmas tree
Nothing says Christmas like loading up the kids and heading to a local tree farm to cut down your very own Christmas tree.

Nov. 1, 2007 Contest winners
Contest winners for Zula Patrol tickets and "The Pink Panther: A Pink Christmas" from the Nov. 1, 2007 Weekend E-dition.

Nov. 8 Contest Winners
Contest winners for Zula Patrol tickets and "The Princess Bride" from the Nov. 8, 2007 Weekend E-dition.

Nov. 8, 2007
Get out and play. This weekend grab your kids and your sense of adventure while you explore the Festival of Maps in Chicago. Thirty cultural and scientific institutions will be holding map exhibits through 2008 that feature maps, globes and artifacts. Some of the exhibits aren’t exactly kid-friendly and don’t open until early 2008, so we put together a few events that your family will enjoy this weekend.

Nov. 20, 2007
Get out and play. For most families in Chicago, Thanksgiving doesn’t just mean eating a ton of turkey—be it real or tofu—and pumpkin pie. In reality, it’s finding something to do while the kids are out of school. This is why the Weekend E-dition is coming to you early, only Turkey-fied.

Nov. 29, 2007
Get out and play. Have a howling good time this Saturday at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Fifth Annual Reindog Parade. For four hours only, costumed canines will be allowed to accompany their humans in the garden.

Let the kids play
South suburban focus
It was just supposed to be fun, a football game with the neighborhood kids in front of the house.

Parents to know
Jennifer Hoeksema says the hardest part of parenting is finding enough time to get it all done.

Get your kicks on Route 66
The Joliet Area Historical Museum is not your typical historical society storefront full of odds and ends of yesteryear.

What's in your neighborhood?
South suburban resource guide