Recent Articles
A heart for the arts
For years, when teacher Lynn Eisenhauer encountered a struggling student, she could count on one way to help that kid connect: music. A former high-school choir teacher, Eisenhauer found that if she could lure a kid in the door to sing, she could eventually motivate him in his academics. Toda
Read More »'Child-centered' learning key to school readiness
Think back to your fifth-grade classroom. Chances are, your experience was more Ferris Bueller than Summerhill School. You sat at your desk and tried to stay attentive while your teacher droned on (and on) about places and dates you didn't remember two weeks later. "Very few people actually learn t
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Tater tots: New ideas for picky eaters
You’d think that we’d have it down by now. After all, we’ve been in the business of feeding our kids for a long time. But the same tired old questions keep cropping up: Why can’t we get our kids to eat vegetables? How bad are chips and pop, anyway? Is chicken soup really good for the soul? When I
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Don't bite me! Calming dental fears
If a trip to the dentist has your child sobbing and clinging to the door frame, you’re not alone. Dental anxiety is common in kids — and some adults. But a new, kid-friendly approach among dentists is gaining ground, and there are ways you can make dental visits easier for kids to face. What causes
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A talk with the 'Happiest Baby' doc
He’s been dubbed the new millennium’s Dr. Spock — and sure enough, Dr. Harvey Karp’s best-selling books, The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block, line the bookshelves of thousands of today’s parents. Karp, a nationally renowned pediatrician, child development speciali
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Tips for limiting TV time
Tips and resources for parents, caregivers and day care providers, provided by Seattle Children's Hospital. For babies: Avoid TV for children younger than age 2. Choose activities that promote language development and brain growth, such as talking, playing, reading, singing and enjoying music. F
Read More »Going hybrid: Best bangs for the family buck
It’s a rarity to roam the highways and byways of Western Washington these days without noticing them: hybrids, the environmentally friendly, easier-on-the-gas automobiles that have lately become far more ubiquitous in carmakers’ inventories — and in family garages. As manufacturers line up to intro
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Should you let your child win?
It started with a simple game of Memory at a recent family game night. We were all enjoying ourselves, right up to the moment when my 8-year-old went on a matching streak that caused my 5-year-old to spiral into a full-on tantrum. I watched this brewing, secretly hoping the little guy would get a ma
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