Recent Articles
Brace yourself! The latest in orthodontia
If it’s been a while since you’ve worn braces, you’re in for a surprise. A wide variety of alternatives — many introduced in the past 10 years — make braces easier to wear, less painful and more attractive for your preteen. And somehow, a taunt of “ceramic mouth!” doesn’t hold the same verbal punch
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Why your teen is cavity prone
They don’t believe in the tooth fairy anymore and they hung up that SpongeBob toothbrush long ago. But for many teens, new habits and new attitudes may be making them more prone than ever to dental decay. “We see teens all too often who went through childhood cavity-free; then, their diet changes a
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Teenage drivers: a mother's perspective
Margaret Larson is a Seattle television journalist and mother to Kyle, 16. Even the thought of my teenage son driving made my heart jump into my throat. Did he have any idea of the possible dangers? Could he avoid distractions? How could I make him understand that driving safely requires con
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When 'Leave me alone' means 'Play with me'
It seems that as soon as a child can string a few words together, the plea “Play with me” becomes a regular part of their vocabulary. As parents, we happily oblige, graduating from peekaboo to hide-and-seek as our children grow. But when the tween years arrive, “Play with me” is often replaced with
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Taming test anxiety
Your child is taking a test tomorrow and he’s a bundle of raw nerves. He can’t sleep. His stomach hurts and he knows — just knows — that he’ll blank on every fact he ever learned in history. Or math or English or even “life skills,” which is really code for sex ed. In fact, it doesn’t matter whic
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Are Bella and Edward good role models?
Lisa Plancich is a Lake Forest Park mom and Girl Scout leader. With the anticipation of the next Twilight movie, rabid fans are gobbling up movie theatre pre-ticket sales. Twilight is hot. Edward is tantalizing. And millions of girls would love to be in Bella’s shoes. Being a mom, and
Read More »Finding Bigfoot: Free-form family fun in the snow
Imagine: It’s a sparkling clear winter morning; everyone’s still in their pajamas. The kids want to play in the snow, but there’s not a flake in the forecast. You tell everyone to put on their warm clothes, grab a few hats and gloves and a hearty snack, and throw a couple of things in the car. You’r
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Tackling tween and teen rudeness
With open enthusiasm, a mom picks up her middle-school-age son and friends after soccer practice, offering them bagels as they pile into the car. “Nobody likes whole wheat” is all the “thank you” she gets from her son. Attributing his snippiness to low blood sugar, she wisely lets his little dig go.
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