My mother used to tell a story I thought was about me. Later, when I was a parent myself, I realized that the story was actually about my mother and her style of parenting.
The story goes like this: I was about four years old and we had...
Read MoreAha! Blog
June 29, 2016
Four (Simple and Fun!) Ways to Stave off the Summer Slide
by Bibb Hubbard
Summer is here! And with the hot weather and longer days can come the “summer slide” – when children can lose months of hard-earned learning while they’re playing in the sprinklers and chasing the ice cream truck.
But, not to worry! A few...
Read More
June 23, 2016
How Comics Helped My Kid Love Reading
By Sierra Filucci, Common Sense Media Executive Editor, Parenting Content
When I was a kid my dad read to me every night. By age 5, I was traveling nightly through the worlds of The Hobbit or The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Even...
Read More
June 16, 2016
7 Things Every Kid Should Master
What do you really want for your children? What do you dream about for their future? It’s probably not fame or even fortune. Instead, parents simply want their children to be happy. “I think that, deep in their hearts, every parent would agree,”...
Read More
June 16, 2016
3 Places Families Should Make Phone-Free
By Caroline Knorr, Senior Parenting Editor
You're sitting down to dinner and -- buzz, buzz! -- your phone starts vibrating. You're driving your kid to practice and -- beep, beep! -- a call comes in. You're tucking your kid into bed and --...
Read More
June 09, 2016
To the Parents at the Minneapolis Airport Bar
It is early. 5:30 a.m. Dark o’clock. Bleary-eyed and slouched over my coffee, I am seated in a restaurant near my gate, contemplating breakfast. You are seated at the bar.
While I idly wonder why you are sitting there instead of sitting in...
Read More
June 02, 2016
To Make—or Not to Make—Their Lunches (That is the Question)
by Jill Smolowe
Her: “I cannot believe you’re still making your kids’ lunches. Let them make their own sandwiches!”
Him: “They don’t know how.”
Her: “Oh, please. Just show them. Slap a piece of bread on the cutting board and slather some peanut...
Read More
May 26, 2016
Help Preschoolers Handle Strong Emotions
By Christine Elgersma, Common Sense Media Senior Editor, Apps
When you're little, things aren't all fun and games. Big feelings can sweep in without warning -- and the resulting tantrums can be brutal for kids and parents. No one can ...
Read More
May 18, 2016
How to Set Screen Rules That Stick
By Caroline Knorr, Common Sense Media Senior Parenting Editor
In many homes, getting kids to turn off their cell phones, shut down the video games, or shut down Snapchat can incite a revolt. And if your kids say they need to be online for...
Read More
May 11, 2016
Who Wins When Everyone Gets a Trophy?
by Jill Smolowe
Perhaps you’re a soccer or softball mom. Me, I was a crew mom. Weekend after weekend, I drove to rivers hours away to watch my daughter race. Usually, I scouted out points along the bank that maximized the seconds I’d get to see Becky row by in a...
Read More