April is Autism Awareness month. People all over the globe will be Lightning It Up Blue to shine a bright light on autism during World Autism Month! So what exactly is Autism? Autism is a neurological disorder that affects an individual’s social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and repetitive or restrictive behaviors. The incidence of...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: I have been noticing kids who look much younger than high-school age buying frapuccino-type drinks at Starbucks and similar coffee places. It worries me, because I didn’t think caffeine was good for children, and didn’t allow my own son to have any while he was a teenager. Is coffee really bad for...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: My father, who had been sick for quite some time, recently died. He and my 7-year old daughter were very close. Naturally, she’s sad that Gramps isn’t around anymore, but I know that she doesn’t completely get why. Do you think she’s old enough to grasp what death is? If so, what’s...Continue reading
Being a dad can be tough. Finding ways to balance work, life, relationships, and time for yourself can be exhausting. As a busy dad myself, I remember what it was like when my little girl arrived. Stress was piling up at work, the days were getting longer, I was sleeping about 2-3 hours a night,...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: My parents never talked with me and my siblings about money, but I’m feeling the need to give my kids—ages 4 and 7—a better financial education than I got. When’s the right time to start? A: What is it about money that no one wants to talk about it? Drugs, sex, and...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: My kids are 9 and 11 and they’re fortunate enough to be good at almost everything they do. But if something comes up that they don’t pick up immediately—whether it’s a sport, a board game, an art project, or something else—they tend to get frustrated and quit. How can I get them...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: My husband and I are both American and speak only English. We’ve heard that it’s good to expose children to other languages. Is it really? If so, when and how do we do it? A: There’s absolutely no question that learning a second language is good for kids (and adults). Here’s how:...Continue reading
Name something besides celebrity status that the following couples have in common: Rhea Durham and Mark Wahlberg, Tory Spelling and Dean McDermott, and Victoria and David Beckham. Bingo! They each have a brood of 4 kids. Whatsup with large families? A Big Brood I just got another birth announcement from a lovely couple in my...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: We’re a few months away from becoming parents for the first time and we’ve been sanitizing our house to prepare it for our baby. We’ve got antibacterial soaps all over the place—no one’s going to touch our baby with dirty hands! We’re planning to give away our dog—we’ve had him for a...Continue reading
It can be difficult for parents and teachers to know what to do to help a child reach their potential when they have a developmental disability, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). About one in 68 children in the United States are diagnosed with ASD, a diagnosis that is nearly...Continue reading