Stop the Yelling
Is your toddler making you want to pull your hair out? Local parenting expert Julie Baumgardner knows how you feel. Here she shares her own hard-won tips for keeping your cool.
Back to Work After Baby
How to successfully ease the difficult transition and maintain a healthy work-life balance There’s no such thing as a perfect parent, so don’t beat yourself up if things don’t go exactly as you planned. It’s ok to look forward to going back to work and striking back up your social life. No matter what, make […]
Raising Healthy, Happy Kids
Want to get your little ones off to a good start? Begin with these eight basic health tips. Educate them about health. When they are old enough, have conversations with your kids about what it means to be healthy. Explain why it’s important to eat nutritious foods and exercise – and encourage them to ask questions. […]
Soothing Your Child’s Cold
Sometimes, there’s not much you can do to keep your kids from picking up a cold this time of year. To help you cope, we’ve rounded up the best cold-fighting strategies here. Have Her Take it Easy Position your child in bed or on the couch, and ensure she has a supply of magazines, books, […]
Kids & Social Media
Teaching Social Media Smarts Parenting in the digital era comes with a whole new set of concerns. As you talk to your kids about what’s OK and what’s not OK online, here are some tips to help you along the way. First, don’t allow your kids on social media until you feel they are prepared […]
Solutions for Sibling Rivalry
Growing up as a middle child, I experienced my fair share of sibling rivalry. My special needs brother was two years older than me and my sister was five years younger. “That’s not fair” was a common phrase in our home, along with “Why does she get to do that and I don’t?” and “He […]
Bonding with Daddy
I’ll never forget watching a friend of mine hold his infant daughter for the first time. A robust, manly guy, his face was dripping with sweat as he gazed down at her fragile little frame and whispered, “She’s so tiny! I’m scared to death I might break her.” Of course, he certainly wasn’t the first […]
Stopping Prejudice
Before It Starts Defined as “a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience,” prejudice is one of the biggest barriers to healthy relationships. Children often learn prejudice from adults or their peers, but is there any way to counteract it? Julie Baumgardner, president and CEO of First Things First, weighs in. […]
Balancing Marriage, a Baby, and Friends
Sure, you’ve got more responsibilities now, but that doesn’t mean you have to kiss your relationships goodbye. First Things First President and CEO Julie Baumgardner offers this sage advice for expecting parents. I remember 22 years ago anticipating the birth of our daughter. Jay and I had been married for four years. Our marriage was strong, […]
Learning to Step-Parent Together
Blending two families can open new doors into love and life together, but it usually comes with growing pains. Here are some important things you can do to help make the transition easier. According to a Pew Research Center survey, more than four in 10 American adults have at least one step relative in their family […]
