No labels attached
Stupid, ugly, clumsy, wicked. Most parents know attaching these labels to a child

Surviving the field trip
When it’s your turn to chaperone your child’s field trip you might be excited, but apprehensive.

A rocky road trip fun for all
Hunting fossils, splashing in waterfalls, charging down endless staircases

Splash into Amish country
Looking for a novel spring break destination this year? Consider taking a three-hour drive from Chicago

Fun never ends at Nick hotel
‘Are you ready for the ‘slime’ of your life?" asked the bouncy Nickelodeon host,

Finds here at home
If traveling to Florida isn’t in your plans for spring break, no worries.

The most dysfunctional & dangerous
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Marcus* arrived here 39 days ago for a drug-related offense.

After baby is born
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Since the beginning of time, women have wanted to look beautiful.

Avoiding the awkward
Elizabeth didn’t know what happened. One day she and Kylie were best friends and the next day,

Playing safe
For most kids, an invitation to a birthday party or play date is just one of the perks

No allergens allowed
When Kim Lutz’s oldest son, Casey, was diagnosed with severe allergies to milk, eggs, nuts and peanuts

Can-do kid
Anyone who meets 6-year-old Finn Weiby knows about his love of performing.

Three things I learned this month
1 Good labels aren’t necessarily good. Mom called me the studious one,

Letters
Help stop child abuse
Commenting on parenting

Lessons from the pavement
A good friend and former running partner convinced me to train for a marathon with her.

Kicked out of day care for no reason
It takes a village to raise a child, but these days, the village men are too often perceived as just lurking

Out and about
One Sunday afternoon we were sitting on the couch with our daughter, Grace, then 2, when I noticed

How to keep the ‘gift’ in your gift cards
At her last birthday party, my daughter Allison, now 16, received almost nothing but gift cards.

Speech delay: When to worry
A few years ago I was at a children’s birthday party where a mother of a 2-year-old worried aloud

FAB mama
The idea behind Fab Mama is to remind moms that once in a while, it’s perfectly fine to take a little time out for yourself

Diet and ADHD: A new frontier?
The debate has been raging for years: Can diet influence behavior, specifically ADHD?

It’s OK to make mistakes (really)
My son, Noah, greeted me waving a half-eaten drumstick in one hand and a chubby fistful of steak fries in the other.

Little gardeners
After months of cold and snow, another winter is about to give way to the promise of spring.

Daddy’s favorite thing
As far as daddy’s girls go, Alena Estelle Anderson simply has to smile to make her daddy go weak

Hidden holidays
The holiday season seems like ages ago, but it’s never too late—or too early—to learn fun facts

Contests galore
Everyone loves a winner, and now’s your chance to enter contests to win everything from a preschool

Early detection helpful
A simple and inexpensive mental health screening tool can benefit preschool-aged children

Sharing the loss
A silver frame with a photo of their newborn daughter, Elliana, sits on a nightstand

Computer connects generations
When Villa Park mom Christine Beatty was growing up near Philadelphia, her grandparents came over

Recalls nearly record breaking
Last month, Kids in Danger, together with U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.,

Eat and don’t worry
Breastfeeding may help prevent babies from developing allergies, but there’s no indication that

Educate yourself to help your child
If you are a parent of a school-aged child with disabilities, learning to navigate the educational

A few sure winners
The Caldecott Medal, provided by the American Library Association for 71 years,

A chat with a legend
What would you ask the music legend Peter Yarrow (the Peter of ‘Peter, Paul and Mary’)

Exploding socks, flying horses and the really tall
Leo is a high school senior, president of the Young Republicans Club and headed to Harvard.

March 6, 2008
Get out and play. If you’re as bananas over sock monkeys as we are, you’re in luck. This weekend, bring your favorite sock monkey and go ape at the Sock Monkey Madness Festival in Rockford, the birthplace of the much-loved children’s toy.

March 13, 2008
Get out and play. You don’t have to be Irish or spend your pot of gold to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this weekend. Put on your favorite green attire, grab the ones you love and have a great time as you celebrate the patron saint of Ireland. Count your lucky stars, we have ideas from Friday to Monday that will give your family cause to dance a little Irish jig of their own.

March 20, 2008
Get out there and play. It’s all about celebrating fun in the sun, family style, at Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. Adler will host two sets of Family Day—the first is going on now through March 22 and the second is from March 24-29.

March 27, 2008
Get out there and play. Try to find Zen on Saturday and Sunday with your family at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, during the Malott Japanese Garden Spring Weekend. The festivities include Japanese-inspired activities, demonstrations and performances that will explore the culture, history and arts of Japan.