Splink 1: Good Gone Bad Find and offer some moldy bread or food (surely there is some in the pantry or fridge—the moldier the better) to your kids. For those who clean out their fridge or pantry too often, below are some steps to grow some mold. Collect dust on a cotton swab. You…
Yesterday was a strange day. This is the fifth election in which I was old enough to vote, and I cannot remember one with this level of intensity. Maybe I’ve forgotten. There were definitely intense feelings surrounding W. Bush and Obama, but nothing that felt like it carried the same level of emotion. When I…
On the day after the election, how are we supposed to talk to our kids about the outcome of the election? Listen in on this impromptu, thought-provoking discussion with Carlos Whittaker, Kristen Ivy, and Reggie Joiner in a special feature of our Parent Cue Live podcast. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/292327302″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] Listen…
Have you ever planted a fruit tree? I’ve always wanted to but never have gotten around to it. I have done a little research, though. Do you know if you plant a two-year-old apple tree, it could take another five years to bear fruit? Pear trees can take another six years and cherry trees up…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. We’re on the cusp of all things holiday and fun. The festivals. The fairs. The pumpkin patches. And the promise for more parties and holiday spectaculars just around the corner. It’s the kick off to a magical—if not insane—season, made all the more magical—and insane—with kids. Not…
Splink 1: Invisible, Yet Real Write each of the following on a slip of paper (air; atoms; electricity; sound waves; feelings; angels; etc.). Ask family members to play 20 questions—except shorten it to 10 questions. Invite a volunteer to pick a slip of paper and the others will ask him/her questions, which can be answered…
I grew up hating church. I didn’t have any theological problems with church, I was just bored. Sitting still for more than ten minutes was torture, and sometimes our services went on for two hours! The worst part is that my dad was the pastor, so we were there every time the door was open….
Right now, people seem inscrutable, rhetoric is flammable, the world looks combustible. But these kids of mine, they put everything in perspective. My darling kids, the ones with developing body odor and dirty rooms and expertise in sibling attack strategies a la Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. They are a respite from everything upside down, and is…
Teach your kids how to make a bird shadow puppet. (Remember trying that as a kid!) Make a two-handed bird by turning your hands so your palms face you, cross your hands over each other, and lock your thumbs together. Stretch your palms open to make the bird’s wings. To make the bird “fly,”…
How To Teach Our Children to Be Brave My two children are very different in many ways, and one of their differences is their sense of reality versus fantasy. Tuck has a pretty black-and-white approach to life, and he can tell what is real and what is not. Movies and books are easy…