Father’s Day Wisdom from a Dozen L.A. Dads
A million questions run through your head when you become a father – most of them driven by panic because you and your partner are now responsible for another person. Yikes. But as things settle down and life takes on more meaning as you realize that you’re a parent, you start looking ahead. You wonder […]
Reflections on a Mother’s Day Like No Other
The paradox of being a mom is that you can feel deeply loved and appreciated in one moment and just as deeply misunderstood and undervalued in another. We live in a culture that puts motherhood on a pedestal every Mother’s Day, but as moms we know that the real work of motherhood – the daily […]
Meet the Founders of Hope in a Suitcase
The idea for Hope in a Suitcase (HIAS) was born out of a chance introduction between L.A. moms Marsha Austen and Rebecca George, who struck up a conversation outside their children’s elementary school one day. Saddened by the plight of the more than 30,000 children separated from family in L.A. County’s foster care system, the […]
Local Programs Support Teens and Young Adults with Disabilities
Imagine if parents made birth-style announcements marking their children’s transitions into young adulthood. One might read something like this: “We are excited to announce we are now the proud parents of a teen. Weighing in at 130 pounds, and 67 inches tall, our teen comes with a healthy dose of attitude, eye rolling and a […]
Products for Greener Parenting
L.A. parents are, in many ways, at the forefront of ecoparenting. Many Angeleno kids grow up visiting farmers markets, recycling their trash and spending time outdoors hiking or at the beach. But many products that our children use every day still contain a cocktail of chemicals. Children’s soaps, moisturizers and other personal-care products often contain […]
Ripe for Satire: A Taste of this Summer’s Farmers Market Scene
On a lazy, unseasonably chilly Sunday morning in L.A. this May, my 3-year-old son exclaimed, “Let’s go to the farmers market!” It was 7 a.m. My wife Kate and I, still half-comatose, were hardly through our first sips of coffee. We looked at each other as Hank continued his demands. Defeated, we shrugged, downed the […]
9 Kid-friendly Work-friendly Spots
School is out and your kids are on the loose, but you might still have work to get done. When it’s inconvenient to hire a babysitter, or you just need to get your children out of the house, we’ve found amazing places where you can work and they can play. From child-friendly coffee shops to […]
Our Breakfast-to-Bedtime Back to School Guide
Remember last year’s back to school photo? The kids wore big, happy grins and fresh haircuts. Inside their shiny new backpacks awaited orderly pencil cases and a homemade-with-love lunch filled with summer veggies and nothing processed. Cut to the second week: Running to the car five minutes late, the day’s completed homework forgotten on the […]
Dina Kimmel Chats About Inclusive Play
Dina Kimmel has always been an entrepreneur. She launched two successful boutiques in North Hollywood in her 20s and 30s. But her business adventures turned personal when her son, Gabriel, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 2. With diagnosis came an overwhelming array of therapy appointments for Gabriel and the quest to preserve […]
Questions to Ask During Your Summer Camp Search
As summer-camp-search season continues, it’s time to think about what you actually want to know about the camps you are considering for your kids so that you can ask the right questions when chatting with camp directors and staff. “Over the years, I have encouraged parents to attend an open house and meet the director […]