Are we there yet?” takes on a whole new meaning when “family trip” means traveling with your kids and your parents. Sure, you figure that catering to the kids’ requests and, let’s face it, their demands, would be enough of a challenge. But how do you deal with your dad’s habits (vanilla extra-foam

The rest of the world has New Year’s resolutions. We Northwesterners have summer resolutions. We start summer so very ambitiously, making up lists of camping trips, cabin trips, day trips, must-do parks, picnic sites and playgrounds. Then reality sets in: We haven’t booked the campsites in time. Or

Struggles over what our kids read during the summer are not new. I know this because I remember the summer my mom had to wrestle a battered paperback from my hands, saying, “We did not pay for a family vacation so that you could read Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade over and over again.” Which was

For many of us, having a good plan for summer - early! - has never been more essential. This year's SummerMap issue packs plenty of fun for all ages -- with great ideas on multigenerational travel and expert tips for getting your kids into summer reading. Also not to be missed: we've got the scoop

The local summer festival season is hot, hot, hot — even if the weather isn’t. We’ve put together a sample of the area’s amazing array of outdoor fairs and festivals so you can start planning for summer break — but this is just a taste! Visit our calendar at parentmap.com for the full rundown on wha

Those long, hot summer days aren’t far away, and for some kids, neither are sunburns. Every year, lots of kids — especially those with fair skin, red hair and blue eyes — sizzle their pelts in the sun. Those burns aren’t just painful, they bring with them increased risk of ugly skin damage and even

How well do you know your neighbors? If you’re like too many of us, your contact is limited to driveway waves and the occasional Girl Scout cookie sale. The days of chatting over fences seem long gone, and borrowing a cup of sugar can feels forward, especially when we can just hop into the car and d

For many of our dear readers, life is more complicated than ever before. Having a good plan for summer - early! - has never been more essential. That's why this year's special summer issue includes our biggest summer program guide ever - more than 250 listings!   Featured SummerMap articles: Pla