Parenting Journals

I have a 21 month old daughter that isn’t milk’s biggest fan. She’ll drink a little bit, but not nearly enough to get her day’s worth of calcium in. So one morning, I thought I’d give her some chocolate milk to see what would happen. She didn’t drink it–she guzzled it! Ever since, it’s chocolate milk every morning–she’s underweight as well, so I figure the extra calories won’t hurt. This is why an article in yesterday’s LA Times Health section caught my eye. Entitled, Pro / Con: Should chocolate milk be allowed in schools?, it gives the debate on whether or not flavored milk should be offered at your child’s school.

Rachel Johnson, a dietitian at the University of Vermont in Burlington whose research has been funded by the National Dairy Council, says yes–it’s better than no milk at all. However, Marlene Schwartz  a psychologist and deputy director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University says no–that we’re teaching milk is only good when it’s sugared up. More »

Meningitis is an infection that results from inflammation around the brain and spinal cord coverings (or membranes). It occurs most often in children (including teenagers) and young adults, though it can pose a risk to some older adults who have weakened immune systems.

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By Cyndra Neal

Many parents can probably relate to having a child who seems to be sick all the time. Often times, parents find themselves wondering why their kids get sick so often. They may even feel like their kids are sick more often than other people’s children. The reality, however, is that most kids get sick several times a year, particularly when they are younger.

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I (right) was in a bilingual school from kindergarten until junior high. Here, I celebrate Cinco de Mayo in 6th grade.

When I was going through elementary school, my mom would always have me in a bilingual classroom. She’s bilingual (English and Spanish), and when I was a preschooler, so was I. (We lived in Chile then, and when we moved back to California, she wanted me to be able to maintain my Spanish). At the time, there were classes where the majority of students were English learners (ESL) with a handful of students, (such as me) that were Spanish learners (SSL). These days, more and more parents want to have their child learn a second language and as a result, we’re seeing the popularity of bilingual programs rise. Learning to speak a second language is a wonderful experience, but how can you tell if it’s right for your child? Breezy Mama turns to Corie De Anda, M.S., Bilingual Program Specialist for Carlsbad Unified, for the answers. –Alex

Part 1: Learning a second language before kindergarten
(For Part 2: Learning a second language in elementary school — click here)

What is the best age for beginning to teach my child a second language? More »

By Jameel Andrews

When children have personalities that are drastically different from their parents or siblings, it frequently causes a bit of frustration for everyone else, particularly the parents. If you find yourself becoming frustrated because you do not understand the temperament of your child, there are some steps you can take that will help your household to run smoother and experience more calm.

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The thought of adoption can be overwhelming–where do I start? What are the advantages of adopting from the United States? From abroad? In the following story, two mothers open up to Breezy Mama about how their families began through adoption. From financial costs to the emotional pay-offs, Mindy discusses her experience adopting (“I thought she was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen! I got to hold her right away and I just “knew” she was meant to be with us”) in the United States and Lisa, an Adoption Co-Coordinator for San Diego RESOLVE , gives the details (“We knew pretty instantly he was our son. Adoption has completed our family, and brought More »

By Marc Courtiol

While many parents often mention the fact that they wish they had learned more at an early age about how to handle money, many of them are surprisingly hesitant to discuss such matters with their own children. This seems a bit odd, since so many of us wish that our children had a better grasp of the reality that money does not grow on trees; nor is it available in an endless supply for the majority of us.

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By Jamell Andrews

Divorce is a stressful event for everyone involved. Just because parents are the two individuals who are directly going through the process, it does not mean that the children involved are immune from the negative effects. For the most part, the various reactions that children have to news of divorce will depend upon their ages, temperament, and the specific circumstances that surround the divorce.

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By Marc Courtiol

There are various stages of puberty that most of us are painfully familiar with. Even though the majority of us understand what happens to girls and boys as they hit puberty, many of us do not completely understand the science behind the changes that occur during that time.

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We really like the internet learning resource developed by Bryan Knysh. Kidport is an educational service that helps kids hone their fundamental learning skills in math, language and science by self-reflection on the learning process itself. The course is composed of multiple learning modules that include cognitive, curriculum and experience based components. More »