Child specialists

No, not the specialists who know a lot about children. Rather, the children themselves who know a lot about their chosen specialty. Is it better for today's kids to be well-rounded generalists or hyper-focused elites? That is the question I examined over the summer. You can read all about it here.

The risks and rewards of ‘specializing’ early, LearningMap, October 2007

Put those kids to work

You certainly can't tell by looking, but our kids love to help clean the house. Unfortunately, this is one thing I'm sure they didn't learn by example. If I enjoyed it even half as much as they do, we could probably do something crazy like invite people over for dinner once in awhile. Maybe someday they'll be able to do it all by themselves, but until then, here are some helpful techniques.

Choosing age-appropriate chores, ParentMap, January 2007

Kids Making a Difference

This was a fun assignment -- find out what local elementary schools and teachers are doing to teach philanthropy and community to their students. There were some great ideas, and the enthusiam behind the projects was truly inspirational!

"Little kids can make a big difference," ParentMap, December 2006

Newborn screening tests

This short article, about newborn screening tests, was the second half of BabyMap's Decision Digest column for the Fall/Winter 2006 issue.

"Prenatal and newborn screening tests," BabyMap, Fall/Winter 2006

Prenatal testing decisions

This short article, about the pros and cons of various prenatal tests, was the first half of BabyMap's Decision Digest column for the Fall/Winter 2006 issue.

"Prenatal and newborn screening tests," BabyMap, Fall/Winter 2006

In over their heads?

Here's another somewhat controversial topic: should babies and young children take swimming lessons? The AAP says they're not ready, but many parents (including myself) believe there are big benefits to starting early.

"Should your baby swim?, ParentMap, July 2006

Hot topic - bed sharing

I enjoy doing these Decision Digest columns for BabyMap because I get to explore both sides of a controversial topic and then try to present an unbiased summary of all the pros and cons. So many of the questions we encounter as parents don't have a "right" answer. We gather all the (often conflicting) information we can, and then we have to just make the decision that feels like the best fit for us. I hope this article will help parents feel good about their choice and their reasons for making it, whatever they decide.

"Should you share a bed with your baby?", BabyMap, Spring/Summer 2006

Organized chaos

Writing this article inspired me to buy all kinds of bins, and some of them even have stuff in them now! Unfortunately, I've got a long way to go before our chaos gets organized.

"Help your preschooler control toy chaos", ParentMap, March 2006

Integrated preschools, for kids with and without disabilities

This was one of those topics that I definitely had an opinion on before I even started. Fortunately, that always makes me even more careful to research thoroughly. It's always fun to do an article where the research and interviews force me to completely change my previously uninformed opinions. This one will stand out in my mind for a long time, and I'm thankful I had the opportunity to write it.

"Integrated preschools provide benefits, lessons for all", EveryChild Special Supplement, Spring/Summer 2006

They're only baby teeth... Why bother?

Here's a topic I am all too familiar with. Despite my best attempts, which admittedly are neither thorough nor consistent, both my children had cavities by age three. I thought I'd done all the research, asked all the right questions, and made all the right decisions to prevent it from happening again, so I was sure I knew exactly what would go into this article. Research is my favorite part of writing, though, so I dug into it anyway. I found out there's always more to learn. That's what I love about research.

"Taking care of your preschooler's teeth", ParentMap, February 2006

My first "review"

This month I got to review a new children's museum which opened near our neighborhood. I was excited to see the museum, and excited to try something a little bit different with my writing - a review. It turned out I loved the museum and couldn't wait to take my kids there, so here is the glowing review.

"KidsQuest Children's Museum -- Exciting new Eastside space for fun and learning", ParentMap, January 2006

Write what you know

This is an article in which I got to be my own expert. My husband and I have had plenty of experience traveling with our two small children. Many of our friends and family think we're crazy (and some of our trips have occasionally bordered on insanity), but we love having the opportunity to expose them to new things. I'm confident it is good for their development, even if they're too young to remember the actual experiences.

"Holiday travel with babies and toddlers", ParentMap, December 2005

Ask the experts

This was an easy one -- not much writing or interviewing. I just found a bunch of parenting experts and asked each one the same question, "What's the most important thing for new parents to know?" Here's what they said.

"Expert education tips for new parents", ParentMap, October 2005

Decisions, decisions

BabyMap runs a regular column called Decision Digest, where they summarize all sides of important issues that expectant and new parents face. In this issue, I tackled two questions: whether to bank cord blood for personal use, and using cloth diapers versus disposables.

"Decision digest -- Private cord blood banking and diapers", BabyMap, Fall/Winter 2005-2006

Keeping love alive after baby arrives

Here's one where I have some hands-on experience -- maintaining a healthy marriage after kids join the family. My extraordinary husband and I will celebrate our 10th anniversary this year. We make time to care for each other and our relationship, as well as for our two young children.

"Keeping love alive after baby arrives", ParentMap, September 2005, pages 13-14

Jogging? Ugh.

I love hiking, but my bike has been parked for years and jogging has never been my thing. To look at me is to clearly see that I am not a great authority on fitness. Nevertheless, I accepted an assignment for an article on exercising outdoors with a child under two. Yes, I actually got out the sneakers and went jogging for this one, all in the name of research. I broke a sweat but had a good time. If you look closely, you can see I also took the photo.

"Get out and get fit -- with your baby", ParentMap, July 2005, page 13

A little stretch

All of the articles I've written before this one have been on topics that I already knew something about or have had some firsthand experience with. Not this one! It was really fun to do, though. Most of the research came from interviews, so at first I was a little nervous. Everybody I talked to was so helpful and inspiring, however, that now I look forward to interviewing.

"Young teens need practice managing money", ParentMap, June 2005, pages 19-20

Tiny article, but extremely important

Here is a very short article about a topic I am quite passionate about, umbilical cord blood. Several major hospitals in our area have teamed with the blood bank to collect and store the stem-cell rich cord blood and donate it to individuals in need through a national registry. Now something that is typically discarded can instead save lives -- magnificent.

"Donate cord blood and save a life", BabyMap, Spring/Summer 2005, page 4

[Note: Because this ran in the Postings section, it was not archived on the ParentMap web site, so there is no link to an online version. Sorry!]

Early language delays can hamper learning

This article is about diagnosing and treating language delays before children enter school in order to prevent learning difficulties later. My daughter, as well as the children of several of my friends, are fortunate to have received speech therapy as preschoolers.

"Early language delays can hamper learning", ParentMap, November 2004, page 13

Hike and seek with geocaching

My first published article is about taking kids geocaching -- a growing sport where handheld GPS systems are used to locate hidden "treasure". Although we don't go often enough, my family really enjoys hiking, and geocaching adds a nice twist to help keep the little ones motivated. The Pacific Northwest is a particularly great place for geocaching, but you can try it just about anywhere in the world.

"Hike and seek with geocaching", ParentMap, August 2004, pages 22-23