*Please note, I am not currently updating the blog or accepting guest posts. Nevertheless, I hope you will find the past resource posts interesting and helpful.
Hey friends! Hope your summer is getting off to a great start. As promised, I have rounded up some fun activities for families road tripping to Houston. I’ve also created a list of great podcasts for kids to help make your trip(s) more pleasant. Enjoy! If you missed our last post on San Antonio, check it out here.
Read MoreI am dreaming about a vacation. I would love to go to a beach somewhere tropical, but given all.the.things, I think a short-ish Texas road trip is more realistic. So, I have rounded up a Texas family road trip idea and stuff to do, destination: San Antonio. Stay tuned for a future post on Houston. I’ve also created a couple of favorite kids’ podcasts lists (ages 5+ and under 5) to make your trip(s) more pleasant. Enjoy!
Read MoreI want to share a free resource that may be helpful to your family, a friend's family, or to the families you work with: The Bright & Quirky Child Summit presented by Bright & Quirky, whose mission is to “ease the struggle for bright and quirky kids and parents, help them self-actualize with the help of experts in the fields of mental health and education, and inspire the hope that new ideas and possibilities bring.”
The 7-day summit will occur online January 28-February 3, 2019. Registration for the free summit gives parents links to watch the summit talks over the 7 day summit. Each talk is free and accessible for 24 hours from when it airs. Presenters include…
Read MoreOur children have been asking for a pet for a long time. My initial, internal reaction was: "Like I need another thing to take care of!" However, our children are currently 8 and 6, and I work from home now, so somehow it seemed more doable. Cats were out of the question as our neighborhood is always losing cats to coyotes. So, we started looking around for the right rescue dog. It took about six months, but thanks to @austinanimalcenter and @happyfosterdog, we found our dog! As you can see from the picture, he is adorable (yes, I am biased, but objectively, he is just darn cute).
I am discovering daily what a joy it is to have a puppy, and also what an undertaking! Whew. As I didn't grow up with dogs due to family allergies, this is pretty new for me. So, I did what I always do when facing the unknown and put on my researcher hat. I thought I would share the results of my research for other folks out there who are getting a dog for the first time.
Read MoreParticipate locally in one of the Families Belong Together events that will be held around the country this Saturday, June 30th!
Austin, get out there this Saturday, June 30th, to rally for immigrant families separated at the border! Enriched Family will be there. Hope to see you!
If you live outside of Austin, there is likely a local rally in or near your community. To find a local event near you, go to familiesbelongtogether.org, a project of MoveOn.
Read MoreEarlier this week, I wrote a blog post about immigrant family separation and what we can do to protest this human rights issue. Today's post is an update since President Trump’s executive order halting the policy of family separation (but not zero tolerance) and focuses on the work still to be done.
Read MoreAs a mother, human being, and as an American, I am heartbroken and sickened by the current U.S. policy of family separation, under which ICE, Border Patrol, and Homeland Security is separating immigrant parents and their children who have been caught attempting to cross into the United States "illegally" or without documents. Children are being separated from their parents and sent to shelters, with the explicit intention of using these families as examples to deter immigrants from attempting to cross the border.
Regardless of your politics or stance on immigration policy, we should all be able to agree that separating children from their parents is NOT the way to fix our immigration system. The Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy of "deterrence" is cruel, morally reprehensible, and un-American.
So, what can we do today about this disgraceful policy?
Read MoreEach May, organizations and individuals across the United States, like the National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI, work to promote awareness about mental health issues. NAMI's theme this year is "CureStigma" …
Read MoreHi all! Summer and extra hot weather will soon be upon us. This blog post focuses on a compilation of fun Austin area activities to keep you and your family busy (and hopefully sometimes cool) all summer long. Think swimming spots, splash pads, free museum days, kids eat free days, movie days, library days, family service activities, and so on.
Read MoreApril is Financial Literacy Month. In honor of this important month devoted to increasing financial knowledge and increasing the recognition of the importance of financial empowerment, I have updated a post on allowances and included some additional resources for parents.
Read MoreAs the end of school nears, many of us are thinking about summer camps, summer plans, and road trips. To help you on your road warrior journeys with kids, I have updated a blog post I did in January on podcasts for kids (aka road trip survival tools). I have added some new favorites to the list, dropped some podcasts that are good in a pinch, but are no longer at the top of our frequently played list, and kept those that continue to be top picks.
Read MoreCheck it out this weekend! Nurture My Child Summer Camp Fair 2018
When: Sunday, February 25th, 2018, 1-4pm
Details: The Nurture My Child Camp Fair is a friendly, community focused camp fair to help parents select the right summer camp for their child. Free admission and free parking. Fun, free, hands-on activities. Learn about spring break, summer, and overnight camps for ages 4-18. There will be over $10,000 worth of free camps and giveaways to win at the fair.
Where: Norris Conference Center (2525 W Anderson Lane), Austin, TX
Read MoreI want to share a free resource that may be helpful to your family, a friend's family, or families you work with – the Resilient Child Summit presented by GoZen! will occur online next week, January 22-26, 2018. By registering for this free online summit, each day you will receive access to 3-4 expert interviews (from 20 of the world's top resilience experts) packed with practical tools to help kids cultivate resilience and manage stress better.
Read MoreOur family recently took a road trip from Austin to Marfa, TX. Having two daughters so close in age (8 and 6 years old) is wonderful in so many ways, but there are also times that the girls get on each others' (and our) last nerves, especially in the car. There’s just something about the close proximity of being in a car, not to mention the loss of autonomy that comes from literally being strapped in, that can lead to not-the-best behavior from the kids, and us adults.
Enter my abiding love for podcasts. I use them in the car all. the. time. The girls love them and I love their rapt silence as they listen to their favorites. On a long road trip, podcasts are our family's sanity-saving survival tools. As we have tried out quite a few podcasts for kids, I thought I would share our favorites.
Read MoreMy husband and I went back and forth deciding whether or not to give our girls allowances. The main sticking point was that we did not want to pay our kids (or train them to expect payment) for cleaning up after themselves and contributing to the family. At the same time, how many of us work for free, you know? The other thing that delayed us was deciding on all the details (e.g., How much to give them? For what?). Eventually, with my oldest turning eight, it seemed time to take the plunge…
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