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Three Kings Day for kids
Now that all the presents are unwrapped, the ball has dropped and holiday decorations are put in storage for another year, life is beginning return to normal (or as normal as it can ever be).
You can almost feel the collective sigh of relief as the holiday season comes to an end. But is it really the end? For many people around the world, the holidays aren’t quite over, as today marks the celebration of Epiphany, also known as “Three Kings Day.”
Epiphany, also known as Trys Karaliai, is traditionally a Christian holiday, marking the twelfth day of the Christmas season and the celebration the revelation of Christ as the son of God. It is also often a focus on the three magi (or “wise men”) and their visit to baby Jesus in the manger in Bethlehem.
How can you explain Three Kings Day to your kids in a way that is fun and interesting? And what can your family do to celebrate the holiday of Epiphany? Continue reading »
What resolution will your family make?
Christmas is nearly upon us, which means we have 10 days left to make New Year’s resolutions. (30 seconds before the ball drops — by which time you might have had quite a bit of champagne — isn’t the time to start thinking about it.)
A good resolution sets your course for the rest of the year, which is why it must be both attainable and challenging.
Recently, we posted a list of 25 New Year’s resolutions every family should make. The Strollerderby team weighed in with their parenting resolutions, and then we asked our readers to share theirs. Here are a few of our favorites (after the jump!): Continue reading »
How similar is friendship to the mother-daughter bond?
A guest post from Dana Rousmaniere:
Have you seen the previews for Thursday night’s Barbara Walters interview with Oprah Winfrey? (A Barbara Walters Special: Oprah, The Next Chapter airs Thursday, December 9, 9:00 – 10:00 pm ET, on ABC.) In a preview video, Oprah is asked to describe her relationship with her best friend Gayle King and says through tears:
“She is the mother I never had. She is the sister everyone would want. She is the friend everyone deserves.”
Oprah has spoken very little in public about her own mother, Vernita Lee, who was an unwed teenager when she became pregnant with Winfrey. Oprah has stated that she respects her mother for choosing to go ahead with the pregnancy, even though it was difficult, but she has widely credited her father, Vernon Lee, for helping to raise her and make her the woman she is today. She once commented that she had chosen not to be a mother herself because she had not been mothered well.
Oprah and Gayle King have done countless segments on the show about mothers and daughters, and the tenuous relationship that often exists between the two. It’s a complex relationship, to be sure. So, what is it about Gayle King’s relationship with Oprah that’s strong enough to make her the mother Oprah never had?
The Worst Best Friend by Alexis O'Neill
A guest post from Melissa Taylor:
Today on Babble, I wrote how much pleasure moms take in Young Adult fiction. Likewise, the children for whom these books are written, learn so much about life through a fictional story: how to solve problems, how others have the same issues, and so forth. One of the biggest issues for children is friendships. With that in mind, here are my picks for the best children’s books about friendships — making, keeping and dealing. See what you think — and if these give your child new ways to look at friends.
1. The Worst Best Friend by Alexis O’Neill, illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith (ages 4+)
When a cool new boy comes to school, Mike’s best friend Conrad decides to be friends with the new boy, leaving Mike feeling sad and lonely.
2. Who’s Your Best Friend by Todd Parr (ages 3 – 6)
Todd realizes that he doesn’t need to have just one best friend — he can have four!
3. The Sandwich Swap by Her Majesty Queen Raina Al Abdullah and Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Tricia Tusa (ages 3 – 7)
Based on events in the Queen’s own childhood, this story shows how two best friends can learn to appreciate each other’s differences. Continue reading »
Elizabeth Edwards with her children at the 2007 Glamour Magazine "Women of the Year Awards."
A guest post from Dana Rousmaniere:
Just a few days before she died, Elizabeth Edwards made a decision that no mother should ever have to make: to stop her cancer treatments on the advice of her doctors, who said that further treatments would be futile. Edwards, the estranged wife of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, posted a goodbye letter of sorts on her personal Facebook page:
“You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces — my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined.
The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren’t able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It’s called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful.
It isn’t possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know.
With love, Elizabeth.”
On Tuesday, People magazine’s Sandra Sobieraj Westfall told Today co-anchor Matt Lauer that Elizabeth Edwards has been preparing her children, Cate, 28, Emma, 12, and Jack, 10, for her death for a long time:
“[Elizabeth started] writing a ‘dying letter,’ so she would have the advice to pass on and always be there with a mother’s wisdom when she couldn’t be there physically.”
As a mother to three children myself, I can’t fathom having to write that “dying letter.” Continue reading »
1. Keeping Christ in Christmas … via sonogram? British religious group ChurchAds.net has created a sonogram image of baby Jesus in utero — complete with halo — that is intended to somehow remind the public of the religious nature of Christmas. Carolyn asked how that could possibly work out as intended, and acknowledged the possible pro-life agenda behind the ad.
2. Early puberty in girls linked to high body fat. A study of over 100,000 women on three continents found that several genes already associated with BMI (Body Mass Index), fat metabolism, and hormone regulation are among 30 genes that also control puberty age, Heather reported. But does high body fat actually cause early puberty, and if so, how?
3. Disney’s Tangled premieres. Disney released what is supposedly their last princess movie last week, to the tune of $69 million in revenue over the five-day weekend, according to the L.A. Times. Paula reflected on the end of an era, then saw and reviewed the movie with her daughters, Jesse, 8, and Ruby, 5. Lest we miss the princesses too much, Carolyn posted 3 hysterical videos reminding us of the less magical messages cartoon damsels have transmitted to girls over the years. Continue reading »
Dear Parents,
Strollerderby and Babble are thrilled to announce Babble’s Breaking Parenting News Page. There’s nothing else like it on the web: a one-stop source for top parenting news, covered as it’s happening. Think of it as “all the news fit for parents” — from headlines, health and education to analysis, personal takes and those weird news items that just make us say OMG. Continue reading »
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