Parenting Wisdom

It was a typical week night. After working a long day and running my boys to activities, we were finally at one of my favorite parts of the day — bedtime. I was tucking my third grader into bed...

If you are the parent of an adolescent child, you’ve probably heard about the HPV vaccine and may have some questions about getting your child vaccinated. At Essentia Health, pediatricians strongly recommend parents get their child vaccinated against the HPV...

Before I even started having family, I had this idea of how I wanted my children to be: well mannered, responsible, good citizens; independent, law-abiding, true to themselves, and the kind of child that wouldn't care what a bully...

My 12-year-old daughter and her friend came inside the house today looking like they won the lottery. They each had earned $10 for "babysitting." I noticed a few of the younger kids from the neighborhood in our back yard,...

A child's food allergy diagnosis is a lot to process. And  it can be a huge adjustment for the whole family. Depending on how you learned about the allergy or allergies, the diagnosis may provide some relief. But still...

As I write this, my baby will only be a baby for six more days. I've simultaneously dreamed of this transition and dreaded it. I've dreamed about this one year milestone because I have learned I'm not good at the baby...

"You look great! Have you lost weight?" "Oh look at how tall you've gotten! You're almost taller than me now!" "You're so cute and little. I wish I were as tiny as you." We've all heard the comments — and made the...

As I was laying on my hospital bed in labor with my first baby, I closely watched the fetal heart monitor beside me. After every contraction my baby's heart rate would dip down to the low 90's. I am...

My experience co-parenting is something I have wanted to write about for awhile; but honestly whenever I went to write about it, it either ended in tears or frustration. Because it is so darn hard to talk about.  I am...

My daughter, Gracelynn, failed her hearing test at birth. As expectant parents, we had fantasized about what her personality traits might be, who she would resemble, and what her journey might be. We certainly did not expect that she would...