Parenting

The Baby Wait

Virginia Prescott — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:10:48 +0000

Since 1970, the average age of first-time parents has increased markedly, from twenty-one years-old to twenty-five. Now, many parents wait even longer to conceive, and science makes it possible with advances in fertility treatments. A new era of freedom for women and men looking to have children later in life is now more a reality than a possibility, and the consequences are becoming more apparent.

Free-Range Kids!

Laura Knoy — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 13:00:00 +0000

We talk to the author of a new book who says that today’s hovering, hyper-safety-conscious parents are doing their children no favors and that overprotective adults have created a generation of fragile kids who fall apart once they hit the real world.

Beating the Lunchbox Blues

Virginia Prescott — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 15:45:40 +0000

Back-to-school season means new notebooks, pencils, and pens, and for at least one very lucky kid – a brand-spanking new lunchbox. J.M.

When Young Girls Grow Up Too Fast, Keep Them in Ballet Class

Virginia Prescott — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 15:19:50 +0000

Parents of girls dread the moment when freckles and flats first make way for lipstick and heels - when soon-to-be-teen girls start flirting with adult styles and sensibilities. A new study reveals there’s one activity that might help shelter young girls from the cultural rite of sexualization for a few more years… ballet.

Ballet is for Boys too!

Rebecca Lavoie — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 15:07:46 +0000

We’ve recently noticed a trend of all-boys ballet classes popping up in dance schools, including the Southern New Hampshire Dance Theater in Bedford. Word of Mouth Senior Producer Rebecca Lavoie, herself the mother of two boys, wanted to find out more about all-boys ballet, so she reached out to that school’s artistic director, Patricia Lavoie (just coincidence…no relation) for more on their all-boys ballet program, and the trend of these classes popping up all over the country.

You Can't Bully the Pounds Away

Virginia Prescott — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:13:45 +0000

A writer and mother weighs in on the worst way to encourage a kid to get healthy.

How a Preemie Changes Everything

Virginia Prescott — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 14:56:13 +0000

Kasey Mathews seemed to have a perfect life. Terrific husband, a place in the suburbs, an adorable son with another baby on the way. Her nicely placed plans for a second child went awry when her daughter, Andie, was born at just 25 weeks, weighing under just under 2 pounds. The traumatic birth launched her family into an emotional and logistical wringer through surgeries and scares that did not end when her tiny baby came home.

The Spanking Hypocrisy

Virginia Prescott — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 13:45:47 +0000

Parents who choose to spank their children are also choosing to remain undercover.

Pre-Camp Preening

Virginia Prescott — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 13:34:27 +0000

Before heading to the great outdoors of summer camp, young girls embark on a pre-camp preening regiment

Ignore 'The Mama's Boy Myth': Keep Your Boys Close

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 19:37:00 +0000

There are plenty of pop culture references to the dangers of a close mother-son relationship. From the myth of Oedipus to the movie Psycho, narrative after narrative harps on the idea that mothers can damage their sons, make them weak, awkward and dependent.

But for millions of men, the opposite has turned out to be true, author Kate Lombardi tells NPR's Laura Sullivan.

State Supreme Court Considers Counsel for Indigent Parents

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:54:55 +0000

Do indigent parents have a constitutional right to a lawyer when the state charges that parent with abuse or neglect of their child?

That’s the question put to the state’s top court.

Last year, lawmakers passed a historic budget – making cuts to General Fund spending for the first time since World War II.

One of the casualties....the $1.2 million dollars provided to indigent parents for legal representation in child abuse and neglect proceedings.

Over the past several years, 350-400 parents a year are charged, typically for neglect.

Paula Poundstone hates sex...

Virginia Prescott — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:35:49 +0000

...but she loves her kids, political comedy, and being a panelist on Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me.