A nest is thought of as a place, representing home, where the offspring, or children, grow with their parents watching over them and guiding them as they slowly move into adulthood. When the children become more independent and begin making their way in the world, they usually do so somewhat gradually, as, for example, going to college or spending a year or two in

I sneaked out one night after putting the kids to bed last week to buy them some new shoes for the spring. I was on a mission to begin my pre-Pesach clothing shopping, so that at least they would have things to wear for the holiday. This was supposed to be my tshuva for not getting anything for Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot, because that happened before school

I can still fondly recall my childhood. Years spent playing with my assorted dolls and their accessories. Envisioning and creating imaginary worlds of glamor and adventure. My dolls were an outlet-as for most little girls, the opportunity to forage into the social realm with Barbie in tow. A 12-inch blonde-haired perfectly proportioned piece of perfection,

There was a bloodcurdling scream from upstairs, and even though voice was emanating from a bathroom tucked into a bedroom, it was loud and sharp, and pierced through the air, reaching my ears in the kitchen below. There are some screams I ignore—ones that reek of gesturing for attention, of sibling rivalry, of overly-dramatized minor pains. But this one was

(StatePoint) It is natural for parents to be curious about how their children are developing mentally, emotionally and physically. And it’s even natural for parents to experience some apprehension about what is “normal.” But experts say that by better understanding your child, you can put the anxieties aside and help guide your children through each age

In the previous article, we ended with the comments of Rav Shlomo Wolbe, zt’’l, who discussed the importance of building a warm relationship with one’s children during the early years of a child’s life. This relationship and connection serve as a ‘protective shield’ for children during the years of adolescence, which is a time period that brings

As we approach the holiday of Purim, we are once again confronted with the delicate balance between the physical mitzvot of the day and the very real dangers that some of these aspects present.  There is of course much discussion on the nature of drinking wine on Purim and how this is balanced with the dangers of substance abuse that plagues our society. While there

There was a time, several years ago, when I had only one child, Nikki (her pseudonym of choice). I thus had the luxury of spending exorbitant amounts of time trying to get her to sleep. It was the early days of parenting, when I actually sat down and read baby books to her and enrolled in Mommy-and-Me sign-language, yoga, aerobics, singing, cooking, and arts and

I hate shopping. I have always hated shopping. This could be because my mother and sister love shopping. I would come home from school and my mom and sister would be at the mall. They could shop all day and all night. My mom has gotten locked into malls around the country. My dad would be with my brother and me, in the car, waiting for them at the designated location

We were packing for vacation and, as always, I made a bag of toys and games for the kids so that during any down time, flight-delays, or rainy days, they would have entertainment that didn’t rely on a small, portable screen. My “travel toys” have changed over the years. Whereas it used to be small cars, polly pockets, mini-Barbies, and coloring books, I now can

“Okay kids, bedtime…” Time for the nightly routine of whisking our children into bed.

I turn to our 3-year-old, “Avi, what CD do you want to listen to tonight?”

I know the answer, but I ask anyway to humor myself. He wants to listen to the same CD he listened to last night, and the night before, and the night before that. Some nights I’ll

Those of you that have read my articles know that I mainly write about children and parenting. Having focused on many different topics, I wanted to focus this article on what I think is potentially one of the most important foundations of parenting, which is “Being a Proud Parent.” The specific impetus for this is based on my own personal story.

It was