Keeping your child safe, (also the name of a seminar I offer), is every parent’s top priority. And each time the internet explodes with news of another abuse to a child, parents are shaken to the core. Fear reverberates across the county, and we ask, “How did... Read more...

There’s nothing like a toddler’s tantrum or an older child’s melt down to bring a parent to her knees.  It’s one of those behaviors that makes you feel inadequate and helpless, to say nothing of incompetent. Put that tantrum in a public place—a restaurant, the grocery store, the... Read more...

First it was red jello. Then it was sugary juice. Now summer is the enemy!  And it’s getting a bad rap. Summer Slide. Brain Drain. Whatever you call it, what was once the most carefree and welcome season of the year is being vilified as a threat... Read more...

An Interview with Betsy by Heidi Stevens of the Chicago Tribune Q: Your kindergartener is extremely shy around strangers. How do you get her to warm up to relatives she only sees at the holidays? Few topics are more complicated than family at the holidays, which is why Betsy... Read more...

The “perfect” family—mom, dad, and two girls probably ages 6 and 9—sat across from my husband and me as we dined at a local restaurant to launch our weekend As hard as I try, when I am out in the world I cannot help but notice... Read more...

It had been a work week filled with families who had lots of heavy issues, and I was drained. A relaxed, peaceful dinner out with my husband was just a parking spot away. Our destination— a lovely, local restaurant, upscale but informal, delicious martinis, and no kids’... Read more...

A friend who is an event planner and I recently shared the dilemma of what to do when guests, often family, want to bring their (young) children to formal events.  Having planned three weddings in the last 22 months, it is a question that is not unfamiliar... Read more...

The approach of summer is laced with so many expectations—relaxed schedules, lazy days, warm evening bar-b-ques, no homework, lighter responsibilities, and vacations!  So many parents have memories from their youth of  family vacations that were fabulous. And for the kids, vacations are usually just that… fabulous!  But that’s not always... Read more...

It’s not likely that your car arrived factory equipped with a chauffeur’s screen, the one you flip up at the touch of a button. So, what the heck is a parent to do when the kids’ fighting in the back seat drives you nuts.  To your kids, the... Read more...

 Recently my friend Brent shared with me a story about his 11 year old daughter, Taite,  He said,  “I know you are going to love this story.”  He was right.   Taite was given two birthday gift cards to Target. Coupling those with a little additional cash, she... Read more...