Recent Articles
When food bites back: Coping with food allergies
It started out as an innocent family dinner at a restaurant, but ended in a rush of panic. My 3-year-old son’s face was painfully swollen and distorted. He’d just eaten yakisoba noodles — something he’d eaten many times before at other restaurants. Knowing that my son is allergic to peppers, I check
Read More »Whidbey Island Day Trip: Explore Fort Casey State Park
A hundred years ago, Whidbey Island's Fort Casey bustled with activity. Guns thundered during target practice, breaking nearby windows. Light beamed from Admiralty Head lighthouse, guiding ships through Puget Sound. Now the decommissioned fort's enormous guns and mysterious empty rooms, the historic
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Anxiety: Helping kids who worry too much
Childhood can be a scary place. Creepy, crawly creatures, monsters under the bed, a barking dog, a dark room where you’re all alone — these are common scenarios that can evoke real fear, phobias and anxiety in small children. Usually, all it takes is a little reassurance from mom or dad to make thi
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Dealing with the 'Gimmes'
On the one hand, Seattle mom Schanon Ataee is glad that her 4-year-old clearly articulates how he feels: “I’m so parched! I’m so thirsty! My mouth is so dry!” The problem? Four-year-old Keyon declares this in a whiny voice — several times a day — to get his favorite chocolate milk. Not regular milk
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Get a little respect
Ask any parent: All they want is respect — just a little bit, to paraphrase the person who turned the R-word into an anthem. Yet the quest for it seems more frustrating than ever. How can you sell respect to your kids when the playlist they’re plugged into, the sitcom they’re watching and the cel
Read More »Bug deal: A father-son outing to an insect zoo
As the weather warms and spring turns to summer, unending yard work is the order of the day. While I yank weeds and lay pavers, my 5-year-old son, Geoffrey, joins in, excavating soil with pro-grade yard tools and peering under rocks in search of bugs. Usually the most he finds is a lowly worm or per
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Does your child need to learn cursive?
When’s the last time you obsessed about your penmanship? Come to think of it, when’s the last time you heard the word “penmanship”? Chances are, you haven’t stressed out about the state of your handwriting for a very long time. That’s because cursive — as a technique, an art or a way to communica
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The Do-Re-Mi of Children's Music Lessons
You want your little one to have a great musical education, but where do you start? The options are many for preschoolers; here’s a little help narrowing down your choices. Let’s start at the very beginning. The do-re-mi of music lessons can be divided into two types: private and group. For prescho
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