Parenthood is never without challenges, but some parents have a tougher journey than others.
Andrew and Melissa Martinez Areffi have three beautiful children, all whom are autistic. When they tried to work with their doctors and therapists, they found there were few, if any, resources available to them and what did exist was nearly impossible to find.
Frustrated with the lack of order and the utter confusion of the system plus the challenges that come with raising children with special needs, the couple decided to write a guide for other parents of with children autism.
As Melissa said, “...continue reading
Back in my day (God, I feel old...), we had school assemblies where the local police would come and talk to us about "Stranger Danger."
We learned never to help anyone find their lost dog or accept candy from strangers unless we had the permission and presence of our parents.
Unfortunately, more recent studies of the "Stranger Danger" teaching method discovered that most crimes against children are perpetrated by people the children knew. Knowing that, it would seem that parents are in a sticky spot when it comes to preparing their children to handle situations on their own and keeping...continue reading
Pardon my enthusiasm, but it's about time someone made a movie about a princess who isn't swooning over a boy and dying to get married!
In Pixar's "Brave," Merida is a Scottish princess with a wild mane of curly red hair and insane archery skills. Even though her mother has brought her up to be a proper lady, fit to run the clan, the young lass would prefer to ride through the highlands on her giant Clydesdale, Angus.
When her parents initiate a contest for the eldest sons of the other clansmen to win her hand in marriage, Merida takes a stand for her independence. This does not go...continue reading
Kids ask questions. Yours have probably been asking lots of them ever since they learned the word, "Why?"
And that's all well and good as long as they're asking how car engines work and why the sky is blue... but there comes a time when you have to sit down with your precious little angel and explain puberty, sex, and all those wonderful topics to them.
First of all, put the wine down. This conversation is going to be even more difficult if you can't get your facts straight. Second, pick up the book Will Puberty Last My Whole Life? by Julie Metzger, RN, MN, and Robert Lehman, MD.
They've...continue reading
Color, learn, and play with School Zone!
The company’s “My First Little Busy Book” product line offers crossword puzzles, coloring adventures, and word-searches for young children. These booklets come complete with tear out pages (to show Mom!), easy to understand instructions, and big learning benefits.
My First Crosswords, Word Searches, and Coloring Adventure are made of tough cardstock, so they’re perfect for bringing along on car or airplane rides. The kids are out of school for the summer, but these “My First” books will keep their minds active and engaged at a time when it’s so easy...continue reading
Our family tried out Pikmin 2 for Wii and I have to say, my kids loved it.
In the game, you take a spaceship to the planet of the Pikmin, where “a tiny explorer on a strange alien world, Captain Olimar must enlist the help of the curious Pikmin creatures to find treasure and save his company from financial ruin.” (That's what it says on the back of the box.)
My kids tell me the objective is to find as much treasure as possible on the planet of the Pikmin. You can play as either Captain Olimar or Louie, who hail from the planet Hocotate, you’ll sail Olimar’s ship, the S.S. Dolphin to the...continue reading
Tim Allen has made quite the jump from his long-time role as the goof-ball dad on Home Improvement to narrating the Disneynature documentary titled Chimpanzee. The film tells the story of Oscar, a baby chimpanzee who is suddenly and tragically orphaned one night when his mother falls prey to a leopard.
Alone and afraid, Oscar roams the jungle, looking for his lost mother, but is too young to remember the survival skills that she has taught him. Burdened with their own babies, the other females of the troupe cannot afford to take him in and little Oscar is left without any support. Oscar...continue reading
Inspired by the perennial New York Times bestseller of the same name, What to Expect When You're Expecting is a hilarious and heartfelt big-screen comedy about five couples whose intertwined lives are turned upside down by the challenges of impending parenthood.
A few months ago, ModernMom had the exciting opportunity to visit the set of the film and get a behind the scenes sneak peak at the highly anticipated comedy. While on set, we caught up with one of our favorite, funny Hollywood moms, Elizabeth Banks, about how becoming a mother has changed her own life. Check out the interview below...continue reading
