Money-Saving Vacation Tips
When it comes to a family vacation and managing a budget, planning is essential. Family vacations play an important role in keeping families close. Here are some ways not to break your wallet and make...
View ArticleRoles Models (and the young people they inspire)
Every decade has its icons: Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s, The Beatles in the 1960s, John Travolta and Farrah Fawcett in the 1970s. Today’s top celebrities include Jimmie Johnson, Kate Middleton,...
View ArticleAutism: 8 Things Everyone Should Know
I recently found out the active little bundle I’ve been carrying in my womb for nearly six months is a boy. And he appears healthy. He has two legs and two arms. All his organs are developing well and...
View ArticleBe the Best Dad You Can Be
There is probably nothing quite so gratifying for a dad as to watch your children grow up and do well—to become productive citizens contributing good values to their families, neighborhoods, and...
View ArticleSummer Break’s Three Little Words
There’s a countdown underway. My boys announce it each morning as they bound down the stairs to leave for school. “Seven more days of school, Mom!” Jack called out happily as he slung his backpack over...
View ArticleSmart Fathers Were Perfect Boys
“Dad,” said my 16-year-old daughter Wendy, “can Mary and Jessica sleep over tonight?” “Mary the Thief?” Wendy replied angrily, “That was a long time ago.” Wendy’s circle of “frenemies” rotates swiftly,...
View ArticleSeniors: Smart Options for Part-Time Employment
I spotted a headline the other day that claimed, “70 is the new 30!” That particular claim may or may not be true, but it does seem true that individuals entering their senior years have many life...
View ArticleWhy You Should Drive a Beater
Are you tired of having a car payment? Drive a beater. That’s what one of The Village Family Service Center’s financial counselors, Morgan Almer, does. He has saved thousands of dollars over the years....
View ArticleGeocaching
Children know well the thrill of finding a hidden prize, be it colored eggs at Easter or miscellaneous items on a scavenger hunt. Adults reminisce over youthful adventures when they pretended to be...
View ArticleLightning: What You Need To Know
Lightning is the most underrated weather hazard. It is the third greatest storm-related killer in the United States and causes nearly $1 billion in damages each year. Lightning makes every single...
View ArticleDefining Dads: What It Really Means to be a Father
Ward Cleaver. Archie Bunker. Al Bundy. When you think of the American fathering experience, these iconic television characters might spring to mind—for all the wrong reasons. Cleaver was a typical...
View ArticleGrowing Up Online: Is Technology Rewiring Your Baby’s Brain?
It’s a rule nearly every parent breaks. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under the age of 2 have no exposure to screens. That guideline was hard enough to follow when...
View ArticleSmall Moment, Big Question
Last night, we heard the familiar sound of footsteps on the stairs well past bedtime. From the living room, I heard my husband talking in the kitchen to the kid who couldn’t sleep. Over the years,...
View ArticleThe Reality of the Obamacare Nightmare
Very soon we will begin building our 2014 fiscal plan for The Village Family Service Center. That’s not a problem in itself. Someone here has been doing that since 1891, and we’re generally pretty good...
View ArticleI Can’t Wait to Get Homework!
It was my son’s favorite question, and he was asked it frequently by kind friends, neighbors, and grocery store clerks: “So, are you excited about being in kindergarten?” “Yeah! I can’t wait to get...
View ArticleVamps With School Spirit
They fly through the air at night, they have superhuman strength and agility, they put the bite on you time after time, and they can completely take over your life. Vampires? I wish! I’m talking about...
View ArticleFood Fight! Conventional vs. Organic Food
They used to say, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But the ever-changing landscape of food and nutrition might have us thinking otherwise. Now, it depends on which doctor you ask, if the apple...
View Article12 Tips for Handling Toddler Tantrums
While I was growing up, the pastor of our local congregation went by the title of “Bishop.” One day in church, a little boy about 3 years old started acting up and raising a fuss. The more his parents...
View ArticleGrief: Helping Children Cope
Thirteen-year-old Ashley Nedrebo was sleeping in her room with her dog, Cody, when he starting whining and woke her up. She got up to let him out, and when she opened the door, she saw her mom and...
View ArticleIn Defense of the Shy Kids: The Benefits of Raising a Shy Child
My nephew can stick 12 French fries up his nose. My daughter’s friend regularly hangs up the phone on her mother, and my son’s buddy refuses to play if he doesn’t win at Mario Kart. But my children...
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