Parenting

Heather Heath Chapman

Column: Swedish Sabbatical: Our own private Ikea

Goodbye basement drain that clogs unpredictably.

Goodbye 12 toy light sabers I got suckered into buying because, even though they look alike, my son says they each have a “unique Force crystal.”

The kids waved, too, and we drove toward the airport. Our next home would be an apartment in Umea, Sweden.

An open letter to Chelsea Clinton on the occasion of her wedding

Dear Chelsea,

First off, congratulations! It's your wedding weekend and I know the emotions are running high. It's being called the Wedding of the Decade — no pressure there. So anyhoo, I just wanted to drop you a quick note to offer my best wishes and support.

Secondly, you're probably wondering who the heck I am to be offering my best wishes and support. Well Chels (can I call you Chels?), I know we've never met but I've always felt a kinship with you. I've followed you (in the most gentle, non-stalker-ish way) since you first set foot in the White House back in 1992. You were 12, I was 19, and behind that mop of naturally curly hair, the awful plaid jumpers and the whole awkward tween thing, I saw a kindred spirit.

You see, you and I are both what is sometimes kindly referred to as "late bloomers" who both struggled with what is not so kindly referred to as "a head full of frizz."

Parenting: Get your kids reading — and get free stuff from local businesses

Of course my son has begun to notice the back-to-school sales and the circulars with school supplies, and he's noticed me buying school clothes. What has him really worried, however, is getting his summer reading hours logged.

Why would he care about that, you ask? Because he knows about all the great freebies and incentives to get kids reading. Here's a roundup:

with video: Maker Faire is coming - time to get your DIY on!

The Maker Faire is coming to The Henry Ford Museum this weekend. It promises to be an event for inspiring creativity. For example, do you love doing the Mentos in Diet Coke experiment to the delight of squealing children? See EppyBird, the guys who turned that idea into a business, create an entire fountain performance. A front row seat might not be advised for this show.
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Enjoy a sundae this Sunday at The Ann Arbor Art Center

After a week of very HOT, humid weather I'm personally ready for a break. I've been cooped up inside with the A/C blaring, coming out only after dark. I'm starting to feel like a vampire ...

Maybe that's an exaggeration, however, I know of families everywhere who have been hiding from the heat, and that's where this fun (and cool) event comes in. How about having a "Sundae" at the Ann Arbor Art Center?

From 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Ann Arbor area families are invited to head over to the Art Center to paint their very own, one-of-a-kind, ceramic ice cream bowl. Your bowl will be fired and ready for pick up after the event, and while you wait, enjoy your very own ice cream sundae! Since the kids typically get finished much faster than the adults when doing craft projects, the folks at the Ann Arbor Art Center will also have face painting, balloon animals, and a building scavenger hunt for the day.

'Netflix for baby clothes'? University of Michigan student entrepreneur earns national recognition

University of Michigan senior Allen Kim calls it the "Netflix of baby clothes."

Now the industrial operations engineering major is getting national attention for his business, Bebaroo.com, which helps parents rent baby clothes, similar to how Netflix allows movie enthusiasts to rent DVDs through the mail for a monthly fee. 

Scouting for Boy Scouts

'Driver needed. No speeding tickets. Reliable vehicle a must'

Wanted: Drivers. Compensation: Priceless (answers to questions you may never have thought to ask).

Dell Deaton | Contributor

Was I looking at a three-hour drive, or four?

There never was a question whether my Chevy Avalanche would be pressed into transport service yet again. Still, I would have just been more comfortable (in every sense of the word) if this truck could have evidenced a bit more discretion before screaming out: “Seats six!” No such luck.

So, up went my center console, down went my elbow room.

Ann Arbor poets represent at the Brave New Voices Festival in Los Angeles

At the finals of the International Youth Poetry Slam on July 23.

Life Coach: What a night: The very old and very young know how to let loose

Home Depot, Lowe's offering free building clinics for kids in August

Take your kids to participate in free building clinics. They are a great way to build self-esteem while bonding with parents!

Lowe's Build and Grow kids clinics

Kids who love to build or work with their hands will enjoy the free building projects available at Home Depot and Lowe's. I encourage families to sign up in advance because it becomes impossible to sign up in very short order!

August projects focus on bugs and (gasp!) back to school projects.

August kids build it projects:

On Aug. 7, children ages 5-12 can build their own school bus pencil or crayon organizer at a Home Depot kids clinic. Between 9 a.m. and noon, kids can spend quality time with a parent building the fun (and free) project. The workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills and tool safety, while at the same time helping to instill a sense of accomplishment. Besides receiving their free constructed project kit, each child receives a kid-sized orange apron and an achievement pin.

Parenting: Activities to keep a hyperactive child engaged this summer

How do you entertain a hyperactive child? Certainly not by floating casually down the lazy river at a water park. What should have been relaxing was like a tidal wave. Instead of drifting, our double rider inner tube was bouncing and turning the entire time. The reason for the brief tsunami? My son was jumping off and onto the tube and diving underneath.

If you have a hyperactive child or have worked with hyper children, you know that dealing with them can be exhausting. Information that I have read indicates that structured activities help keep hyper children on track. One article stated that, “many overactive children do not use free time productively”. What is the solution?

The Extraordinary Moms Network Presents ...

Faith & Families: Fixing the household messes: One mom's solution

Photo by Heidi Hess Saxton

After a long day, my husband frequently comes home from work and kicks off his shoes. Invariably he leaves them where they fall, in the middle of the living room floor, where I trip over them later that evening as I let the dog out. "Would it be possible, Sweetheart, to put your shoes by the door?" I ask every time. And every time, he agrees.

Most of the time, I just kick the shoes aside with a (barely) tolerant sigh. Then one night I looked down and saw a second pair of shoes. Christopher had lined up his own sneakers beside his father's with the same casual air of abandonment.

Quest Martial Arts holding bullying workshop to help kids protect themselves

Is your child frequently a target for older or stronger children in the neighborhood? Do you just want to be sure that your children know how to protect themselves, in case something happens at school?

Giving your child the skills he needs to stand up for himself is an important part of building up a healthy sense of confidence.

Quest Martial Arts is hosting a "Bullying" workshop from 2-3 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free, but pre-registration is requested no later than Thursday by calling 734-332-1800. Quest Martial Arts is at 2111 Packard Road, Suite E in Ann Arbor.

EVERYDAY PARENTING QUESTIONS FOR KERRY

It's my vacation too!

Dear Kerry,
My family has really been looking forward to our summer vacation, but I confess that I am kind of dreading it. Our routines are already disrupted when there’s no school and there isn’t much vacation for me. When we go away, I’m still responsible for everything. I don’t want to whine, but I wonder if there is a way I can anticipate our vacation at a rented cottage with some of their excitement too!
JL, Ann Arbor

Dear JL,
This is a familiar dilemma for parents, especially for the main person who usually organizes the household. The school year and work responsibilities structure the day and the week for families, defining when people leave the house, what they need to prepare and take with them, what tasks will fill the afternoon and evening, and when everyone will need to be in bed. You probably have regular ways that the ordinary tasks of the household get done - who does the laundry when, who takes out the garbage, how the dishes get washed, and so forth.

Summer vacation changes the whole situation. Child care or day camp or hanging out don’t follow the same schedule. The days are longer, so no one wants to go to bed. Play dates or sports activities may affect mealtimes. Part of the pleasure of summer in most people’s minds is the idea of more flexibility and freedom. But that should be a pleasure for every member of the family. I don’t think you are whining when you raise the problem of making sure that the summer isn’t just fun for everyone else. The challenge is to share enjoyment of the change in routine while still sharing out the necessary tasks.

Humor: Swedish Sabbatical: A day of lasts and firsts