Author Archive: Central Valley Moms
Smarter baby monitors
The cry has been heard: After 20 years with little change to baby monitoring devices, new designs premiered in January at the Consumer Electronics Show promising Wi-Fi connectivity and high-definition video that streams live to a smartphone. Some new monitors will have two-way audio, allowing parents to whisper comforting words in their baby’s ear without [...]
Mourning 101: How to pay your respects
There will be a time, many times actually, when a friend, co-worker or casual acquaintance will face the death of a loved one. There will be mourning. There may be a visitation or memorial service, perhaps reflecting religious, family, cultural and regional traditions. And you will wonder whether to attend one of these social gatherings [...]
Fast and fun room fix-ups
Add a major dose of personality to your child’s bedroom – and do it on a budget. We’ll show you how to dress up a dresser, create a headboard, customize bed linens, and jazz up those tired old walls. Make-a-Face Dresser An assortment of drawer pulls and a little imagination can revive a plain old [...]
Herding Squirrels: Always and never
I’ve been a working mom for almost 20 years. I’ve been an obsessive mom for about the same length of time. I find it ironic that, as a single person without kids, I was the perfect parent. I knew everything there was to know about raising children and my parenting vocabulary was peppered with the [...]
Caroline’s story: Mom gives away $40,000 to help children
APTOS, CALIF. – Cece Pinheiro, who runs the Special Parents Information Network, was ecstatic. “This is the largest donation SPIN has ever received,” she said, beaming over a $10,000 gift. Devon Dabbs, co-founder of Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition, got the same gift: $10,000. So did Ann Carney Pomper, who runs Hospice of Santa [...]
Imaginary friends are common, and help children practice social skills
The Wachs family had just moved from Utah to Traverse City, Mich., when, suddenly, 3 1/2-year-old Eden began talking about a new friend named Kelly. “She said, ‘Kelly brings me cookies; Kelly gets in trouble,’ ” said Eden’s mother, Rachel Wachs, 29, who first heard about Kelly [...]
Child Sense: Toilet training
Toilet training is one of the major life skills we all master in order to lead a normal life. Approaching this lesson with patience, compassion and understanding will go a long way with helping your child master this skill. By understanding how your child’s dominant sense affects their mastery of toilet training, you will be [...]
Nameberry: America’s favorite baby names
What are America’s favorite baby names? Not the top names on the Social Security list, not even Nameberry’s own favorites, but the most well-liked names chosen by popular opinion. Recently we collaborated with Huffington Post Parents to create a brackets challenge, asking readers to vote for America’s favorite baby name. We picked the 16 contenders [...]
Stop the complaining and feet-dragging at chore time
Are you sick of battling your children in hopes they will happily do their chores while beds remain unmade and toys seem to rule your living room floor? Have those midnight walks to the kitchen become treacherous journeys complete with landmines and hidden traps? If so, I’m here to help. I have created, with time [...]
Family Meals Matter: Ready for some football
Whether you tune in for football or the ads, Super Bowl Sunday is a day-long celebration for many families. Often, pizza and wings, potato skins, dips, chips and other high-fat, sodium-rich foods sideline healthy eating during the game. This year, get ready for some football with healthier versions of fan-favorite foods. Serve your family a [...]
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