by Ashley Parks
For many of us with school age children, summer is a break from the routine and a time for new experiences and activities. As the summer break comes to a close, we should take pause and think about what this next school year may bring. What is the new routine going to look like? Get everyone on the same page so that expectation are set from the get go.
Individual sporting activities and “non-traditional” team sports lead to wonderful learning experiences for children. Keeping your kids active and interacting more with peers are both valuable to a young child’s development. I was a competitive figure skater growing up. I competed individually and as part of a team so I had the best of both kinds of sporting experiences.
The Dallas / Ft Worth area has numerous options for all kinds of sports-related activities. Whether it is a program with lots of structure or a more casual atmosphere, you will find diverse choices such as swimming, dance, martial arts, gymnastics, ice-skating and more.
by Bethlyn Gerard
Depending on the age of your child, ‘back to school’ may land somewhere between elation and dread. We parents know all too well that the student isn’t the only one feeling the pressure of the transition from summer to school days.
Big or small, the start of another school year involves adjustments for the entire household. Routines including eating, sleeping, dressing, shopping, packing and traveling are impacted. With all the forms to sign, supplies to gather, shots and physicals to get, cubbies and lockers to find, it may be difficult to imagine how a person could juggle what needs to get done without feeling stressed.
by Kerrie McLoughlin
As parents, we want to keep our children safe, and cell phones seem to promise to do just that. But at what age does a child become responsible enough to be able to handle all that might go along with a cell phone, like texting, the Internet, minutes and charges, manners and more? And what guidelines do you need to have in place before handing over that phone?
by Kerrie McLoughlin
I think many of us can relate to Deanna, mom of three girls (one a teen), when she said, “Dating? Not my babies!!!” My own first date happened when I was 16 ½, and my parents were hard-core: if I missed curfew by 1 minute I was grounded for two weeks (I was grounded quite often). For me, 13 or 14 would have been too young for dating because boys still freaked me out then, and I had no siblings to learn from.
Many parents take the issue of teenage dating on a case-by-case basis because every kid is different. Some are more mature at age 15, while some may not be ready for a first date until age 19. “We don’t have a set age yet for dating, and our oldest is 14. I think a numerical age is way too hard to pinpoint because of different maturity levels. I do see being a responsible driver as somewhat related to being able to handle dating,” said Wendy Budetti, mom of five.
Group Dates
