Parker Grelecki was born with hydrocephalus, a condition that causes a buildup of fluids in the brain. He was only two days old when doctors placed a shunt in his brain, the first of many procedures to drain the excess fluid and reshape his skull. His parents had no idea how much the condition might...
A Secret Life of Mom Highlight Story: Sometimes there are stories that can help raise and maintain awareness of important subjects. That’s why we scour the archives and bring some of them back to help keep parents in the know. They may be touching, and even make you shed a tear, but they are meant...
Life is not easy when you get old. In fact, many older adults face so much pain and loss as they outlive their loved ones, one by one. Then there are the many health ailments that accompany old age. One widower already faced his share of troubles after losing his wife and fishing partner, but...
An Australian woman named Kayla wrote to lawyers and sisters Alison Barrett and Jillian Barrett with a troubling query. Kayla explains that her friend uses a “self-checkout trick”. Essentially, she “regularly puts through more expensive veg — such as avocados — as brown onions”. As in, she purposely underpays for her groceries. But Kayla’s friend...
Weddings are expensive. For anyone who hasn’t been behind the scenes, here’s the gist: Everything costs more than you think. From the flowers, to the venue, to the gown, to the cake, yes, even the cake. In fact, the average wedding cake in the United States costs around $350. This all of course depends on...
It’s not easy to be a kindergarten teacher. You don’t even need to ask one to know why. Just ask any parent juggling one or several young children. Just imagine handling a whole class of little kids! And you can’t just handle them, you have to educate them. However, it’s almost impossible to teach a...
A hospital sign shaming new parents about phone use in the special care baby unit (SCBU) of Yeovil District Hospital sparked great debate on Twitter over modern parenting’s greatest question mark: Parental phone use. (1) Hospital Sign Shaming New Parents Sparks Debate on Twitter Dr. Ash Cottrella was in the SCBU with his five-day-old baby....
Sometimes children’s picky eating is a sign of something much more serious. It could be a sign of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), where people restrict the types and amounts of food they eat. But unlike other eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, ARFID has nothing to do with body image or the desire...
Ceramic cookware seems to be all the rage nowadays. They look gorgeous with their colors and patterns. They can match different kitchen aesthetics with pretty pastels, bold jewel tones, and retro-inspired shades. But aside from looking attractive and aesthetically pleasing, how do they compare to other materials like stainless steel and cast iron? Ceramic comes...
Dawn took a video of her six-year-old son’s party 30 minutes after it began. The park is set with party decorations, cupcakes, candles — but no one came. The entire park is empty. She had invited over 20 people to the outdoor gathering, which was allowed according to her local lockdown rules. In a video...
I am not an organized baker. While cooking tutorials use pre-measured ingredients in cute little glass bowls, I’m running around the kitchen trying to find vanilla extract for half-mixed brownie batter. Finding the right cooking substitutions can be even harder. Sometimes, I use my “put away” method, usually for time-sensitive recipes. I take out all of...
The first kiss is a milestone for many people, although not all experiences are as magical as others. For bestselling author William Cane, his first kiss inspired a new book for his repertoire. “I was 17, and the girl I kissed was a friend that I had in high school, and it was a terrific...
