Giggle, grin and guffaw
On a rainy Wednesday, one of my best friends convinced me to go to a Mommy & Me group.

‘A misunderstood disorder’
Robbie Picken was trying to talk about his football season, but struggled describing his position.

Look past the stuttering
Thirteen-year-old Jackson Montalbano wishes people knew that stuttering has nothing to do with someone’s intelligence.

A medical approach to treating stuttering
For kids and teens who have only limited success with speech therapy, new clinical studies on a drug for stuttering may hold hope for the future.

Searching for help
Debbie Picken knew her son Robbie was struggling with stuttering when he was 2.

Back to nature
This summer, Mother Nature will assume the leading role at dozens of summer camps across the Chicago region.

No limits for kids
Just as a specialty camp exists for just about any type of kid, kids with special needs can attend just about any camp.

Ew, gross!
If you watch little kids, you’ll see all sorts of bad habits. There’s nail biting, hair chewing, thumb sucking and

‘They are a gift’
When you look at a child with special needs, don’t feel bad, Downers Grove mom Lynn Rogers says.

Toddler teeth traumas
Several months ago, my 2-year-old son tripped and fell face first on our kitchen floor, breaking his two front teeth in half.

Protect those pearly whites
When Nicole Yaniz realized her 1-year-old twins’ teeth were starting to stain,

Finding the strength to let go
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As Nickia Williams sat by her son’s bedside, watching his little body dying by inches underneath his Spiderman pajamas,

Touchdown
Who says Super Bowl parties are just for big kids? Quit fumbling and get the little ones involved this year.

Can-do-kid
Eleven-year-old Jason Redford was in the car with his parents listening to the news on the radio and noticed that the war

Non-Jewish moms get help raising Jewish kids
When children are born to parents of different faiths, one of the first major decisions the parents face is

A Seasoned Parent
Karen Smith may have traded her first grade teaching position for stay-at-home mom status,

What’s in your neighborhood?
South suburban resource guide

Stranger danger not always strangers
Recently, while playing an online adventure game, RuneScape, my 10-year-old son’s friend received a message

Meant to have Billy
The huge blue eyes with long dark lashes catch you first. Three-year-old Billy Rogers can’t talk or move his arms

Does it take a village to raise a child?
I remember hearing Hillary Clinton on many occasions say that it takes a village to raise a child,

No regrets at all
The ink on her Doctor of Philosophy degree had not yet dried when my partner, Lara,

Someone you should know
Jil Ross became frustrated when she searched for chapter books for her kids, Julian and Jace,

it happened to me
During my first pregnancy, my mother confessed that she once soothed a newborn by placing the baby atop a running clothes

Love bits
Readers share the little things they do to show their families how much they love them.

Turn the housing crisis into a lesson
When I was 10, my grandmother told me about homes in our southwest side neighborhood that were—at one point—selling

FAB mama
One lucky Fab Mama will win a basket of gifts from It’s a Glam Thing, www.itsaglamthing.com, this month.

HEALTH matters
A few years ago I treated a 5-year-old boy who had
been severely burned in a house fire.

GOOD SENSE eating
It starts around the middle of September and runs its course by April: Cold and flu season,

PARENTING ISN’T FOR sissies
I was dozing on the couch, doing some last-minute channel surfing before surrendering the TV to my 9-year-old son,

A personalized pen
For school-aged kids, having the right school supplies is of the utmost importance.

Celebrating leap year
Feb. 29—what an exciting, elusive day. Leap year babies get to have their party on their REAL birthday

Why just February?
February is Black History Month. Use these facts as a fun jumping-off point

Special treatment
No parent wants to hear their child has cancer.

Take a virtual field trip
Donna Guthrie wants kids to go out and explore their own corner of the world. So she created a Web site

Talk with your hands
Psychologists studying the use of gestures at the University of Chicago say using their hands to work out a problem

New law with a clearer vision
Although it was more than 30 years ago, Nora Waliczek will never forget the fury she felt after discovering

Recall roundup
Recent recalls for lead:

Suffocation or SIDS?
The findings of a nine-month investigation by the Scripps Howard News Service show that often what is labeled SIDS

Is it plagiocephaly?
Newborns’ soft skulls can be misshapen in childbirth, which usually resolves on its own within the first month or so.

After the concussion
After a blow to the head, everyone wants to know when an athlete can play again.

Warm up inside with these activity books
These winter months give us plenty of opportunities to try out some ideas for indoor fun.

America’s story through song
It was a warm summer day last July when I first heard about a project called Song of America.

A perfect time for a blanket and a good book
When Henry’s parents are kidnapped, the 12-year-old must leave his life in Boston to live with his aunt and uncle

Feb. 7, 2008
Get out and play. This Sunday, broaden your musical horizons at 3 p.m. at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance at Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph Drive, with “Passport to World Music.” Fulcrum Point New Music Project and the Silk Road Theatre Project actors will use storytelling and multimedia to explore music and culture.

Feb. 14, 2008
Get out and play. Monday is Presidents Day, which means your little ones will probably have some time on their hands. We’ve got you covered with a few events going on this Monday around the Chicago area. If you want more events, visit our Calendar.

Feb. 21, 2008
Get out and play. Your family might just award you a blue ribbon when you take them to the International Kennel Club Dog Show at McCormick Place West, 2301 S. Martin Luther King Drive, Chicago, this weekend. A few of your favorite breeds—more than 150 in total—will be in attendance as they vie for the ultimate title of “Best in Show.” Dogs are first judged against other dogs of the same breed and the winners go on to compete in their group—Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding. The winners from each group compete in the “Best in Show,” demonstrating the breeds’ best qualities, which include physical structure, condition, coat, gait and temperament.

Feb. 28, 2008
Get out and play. As days go, this Friday is special since it only comes around every four years. Celebrate Leap Day with your family by making a visit to the Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. The best part, admission into the museum is free. The U-505 boat on-board tour and 3-D theater shows will require an additional ticket, however. The museum hours are 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.