By Melissa Stefanec MelissaStefanec@yahoo.com A little more than eight years ago, I became a mother. In the years since then, I have given my
Parenting
Everything I Need to Know, I Learned at the Playground
By Melissa Stefanec MelissaStefanec@yahoo.com The sun is setting earlier and earlier, and spending an autumn evening at the playground is my family’s way of
Kindergarten
By Melissa Stefanec MelissaStefanec@yahoo.com This September my little guy will climb on the school bus for the first time and head off into a
10 Do’s for Vacation (with Kids)
By Melissa Stefanec MelissaStefanec@yahoo.com According to every advice column ever written for parents, I should be decompressing with my kids right now. I should
The Making of a Helicopter Parent
By Melissa Stefanec If you read any parenting blogs or travel in parenting circles, you often hear people throw around the phrase “helicopter parent.”
Have We Become Too Chummy with Our Kids?
By Melissa Stefanec MelissaStefanec@yahoo.com Being the parent of young children means being on the end of societal criticism. I have to imagine this is
What’s in a Toy?
By Melissa Stefanec MelissaStefanec@yahoo.com Recently, I came across an interesting toy advertisement. It showed a little girl happily tinkering with a 14-piece carpenter’s set.
Health and Home: A Painful Parallel
By Melissa Stefanec MelissaStefanec@yahoo.com In an age where Marie Kondo is a household name, the state of our homes has become a very public
Information: Friend or Foe?
By Melissa Stefanec MelissaStefanec@yahoo.com Parents today have access to so much information. Generations before us had to rely on a combination of people, books,
Little Expectations
What sort of expectations do I have for my children? By Melissa Stefanec MelissaStefanec@yahoo.com As we make our way through life, we become collectors