ParentMap, June 2008 Issue

Published on: June 01, 2008

ParentMap June 2008 issue

Oh, Daddy-O! You bring the fun like no one's business. But did you know you play a huge role in your kids' emotional development? Our June issue gives you ways to boost that great dad-bond - and help your little ones thrive.

Also this month, come over to the dark side with us as we grapple with wild behavior issues. From coping with colic, to getting a leg-up on lying, we've got tips from the pros to help you tame your little monsters.

And, Johnny Depp, who?  It's your turn to play pirate when the tall ships take over Tacoma! Plus, dare to try it: Expose your kids to Shakespeare. Check out our handy how-to guide.

 

Feature: Why Fathers Matter



Ages & Stages:

Getting School Ready:
Write on! How to keep the love of writing alive

Out & About:


Media:
This month's featured media

Raves: Cool gifts for new (and gently used!) dads

Postings:

Web Only:

From our Readers: Letters to the Editor

About this issue


Dear Reader,

Somebody has to do it.

I’m talking about my grueling job working with insanely exceptional people, having crazy access to outstanding family events, and providing essential parenting information to you and your friends.

It’s rare that my palms get sweaty, my heart starts racing, and I have a sense of trepidation. It happened when I first saw our June editorial. Glancing at the “difficult behavior”-themed Ages & Stages, my mind scanned through the lives of my three children from their births to today, a time that spans 22 years.

After journeying through every age and stage with our kids, I wondered: Did we get the GOLD in this category of behavior?

From colic to the very long-overdue sex talk — with a bit of lying in between — we have dealt with it all. Well, not all quite yet — that long-overdue sex talk with big kid #2 is getting a shared calendar Evite before I shut down for the night. The upside to this “difficult behavior” is looking backward and forward and realizing how we as a family have grown up together. I had my own rough road to travel, and a much farther distance to go, than my more naturally gifted, emotion-coaching husband (“Why fathers matter”). We both needed more guidance than we were born with or were able to absorb through our own parent role models. I wish we’d had the insight to spend more time getting to the heart of what really matters in “conscious discipline” parenting programs than in career advancement.

It all works out in the end.

Our 6-year-old greatly benefits from “no” and our decades of on-the-job training. Our elegant 22-year-old lovingly and humorously challenges our increased clarity as a unified parenting team. And our wise, Zen Master-mellow 17-year-old son, who redefined family stress with his first six months of never-ending colic, may just prove an age-old theory: Getting “it” out (colic) when they’re young may be the silver lining to one of the truly most stressful times as a parent.

—Alayne Sulkin, Publisher/Editor

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