Learning and Fun on Family Field Trips What is a family field trip? When you and your child travel into the wide world with learning as your goal, you are on a field trip! Your destination can be as close as the front porch or as distant as a museum in another town. What are the secrets of...

Good Communication is Important Good communication is essential in all aspects of our lives, but it can sometimes be hard to accomplish. In a time where people have never been more "connected" to each other with technology, our skills in meaningful communication...

Throughout 2017, I'll be taking a close look at common concerns that caregivers experience, such as important caregiving skills, asking for help as a caregiver, and understanding your loved one's condition. Watch all of these videos at our...

Recently my niece posted a copy of a contract that her father developed when she and her brother were little that set out the rules for playing with Legos.  The contract has 6 (!) segments, with my favorite stating that the contract starts on February 12, 1995, it ends at the year 2002, with a...

Should my child be walking by now?  Is my child saying enough words for his age?  Is my child supposed to be recognizing written words?  When do kids begin to write their name?Sound familiar?  Many parents are not sure if their child's development is on track or not.  One...

Since April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, I thought it might be a good idea to shed a little light on the issue of child abuse in our communities, and highlight a resource that is available for the victims and their families. In fiscal year 2016, there were 245,388 calls to the Child...

Were you spanked as a child? While in elementary school in the 80's, I have vivid memories of the "board" in the principal's office. The rumor was, if you were sent to the principal's office for misbehavior, you would be spanked with the board. While I cannot confirm if this practice was true, it...

As part of our community wellness effort, this month we want to talk about the importance of volunteers. What a volunteer gives to an organization in time, expertise and spirit can never be repaid. However, there are also many benefits to the individual that make it one of the most rewarding things...

While on vacation a few weeks ago, I noticed there were many elementary and middle school aged children present at our resort. I also noticed that many of them had something in common.- their rudeness, lack of manners, and disrespect for others. What was interesting was that when...

Child's play is a phrase that describes something that is very simple to accomplish.  However, child's play is actually increasingly complex tasks that have a large impact on a child's social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development.  Infants play by themselves, called "solitary...