PTAN Retro Memory – Pet Rocks
The Ultimate in Low-Maintenance Pets Would you buy a rock in a box? Probably not. But back in the latter part of 1975, so many people did. “Pet Rocks” were all the rage, and the lowest of...
View ArticleCBC Parents Article: Parenting Young Children in Middle Age
“I don’t know how you do it, Sam!” I hear this often. It’s apparently supposed to be a compliment. Truth be told, I don’t know either. What I do know is that whatever “it” is, it’s done through...
View ArticleThe Back-To-School Burden
Maybe it’s time to rethink the whole “back-to-school” season Many kids stress about going back to school, but not for the reasons you may think. Ever hear of “keeping up with the Joneses? You’re a...
View ArticleIN THE NEWS: Talking to Your Kids About Racism
The topic of racism is not one any of us can continue to avoid Sadly, this is a topic that I’ve discussed one too many times, both at home and in the media. When recent events occurred in...
View ArticleThe 5 Things My Kids Learned From the Solar Eclipse
Natural events such as the eclipse can be used as “teachable moments” for children There’s nothing like a solar eclipse to get people talking. The recent event was exciting to say the least, not only...
View ArticleIN THE NEWS: Some Things Are Non-Negotiable
Negotiating grades? I don’t think so. Well, we’ve really done it now. We’re living in an upside down world where not only is the tail wagging the dog, but in is out and up is down. It’s a mad, mad, mad...
View ArticlePODCAST EPISODE: The Psychology of Parenting
Parenting Today: What are we afraid of? Things sure have changed for kids in the past 30-40 years. Ditto for parents. Life seemed easier and less threatening back in the day. Children could be latchkey...
View ArticleScare Hunger Away This Halloween!
WE Scare Hunger Food Drive Halloween’s a time of the year that so many kids look forward to. From the lead-up to the big day, picking out a costume, planning the trick-or-treat route and decorating the...
View ArticlePODCAST EPISODE: How to Travel Around the World in 8 Months
Ever wish you could just pack up everything, sell your house and travel the world? This one family did just that. Throwing caution to the wind and embarking on the adventure of a lifetime, Jennifer...
View ArticleChild’s Play
Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned play? The news that Toys R Us had filed for bankruptcy was, sadly, not surprising. For those of us who’d been navigating the crazy world of parenting in...
View ArticleIN THE NEWS: Give Grandma a Kiss!
Is it okay to force our kids to give relatives a hug or kiss? “Come on now – give Auntie Jane a kiss!” These words and similar are told to our children daily, upon meeting, visiting or otherwise...
View ArticlePTAN Retro Memory #7 – Mood Rings
How are you feeling today? In 1975, all it took to find out the answer to this question was a quick glance at a person’s ring finger. Like its ‘70’s counterpart the Pet Rock, “Mood Rings” burst onto...
View ArticlePTAN Retro Memory #8 – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Remember Ferris Bueller’s (brilliant) Day Off? Ferris Bueller was every teen’s hero back in 1986, and his smooth yet deceptive style got him both the car and the girl, and not necessarily in that...
View ArticleParenting Then and Now Podcast #8 – Video Killed the Radio Star
Stewart Reynolds aka “Brittlestar” joins Sam to discuss kids, social media and how things have changed When Stewart Reynolds (aka “Brittlestar”) was a kid, he used to amuse himself by making radio...
View ArticlePTAN Retro Memory #9 – Video Stores
Before Netflix was the go-to digital destination for movies, there was this quaint thing called “The Video Store.” The Friday and Saturday night ritual for many of us included a trip to this...
View ArticlePTAN Podcast Episode 9: Free-Range Parenting in an Age of Fear
Free-Range Parenting in an Age of Fear She was crowned the unwanted title of “World’s Worst Mom” when she decided to let her nine-year-old son ride the New York subway alone back in 2008. And while...
View ArticlePTAN Episode #7 – Around the World in Eight Months – With Kids
When a life-changing loss occurred, Jennifer Powell took a long, hard look at her life. Realizing that tomorrow is never promised to us and all we have is today, she knew that the time was now to live...
View ArticlePTAN Retro Memory #10 – Home Economics and Shop Classes
Whatever happened to Home Economics and Shop classes? Once upon a time, they were the norm, not the exception, and kids came away from school knowing how to cook, sew, build and repair. Not so much...
View ArticlePTAN Retro Memory #11 – Barbie
Ever wonder how Barbie came to be? She was the brainchild of an enterprising American mom who, in the late ’50’s, visited Germany and fell in love with a doll that was modeled after a real-life adult....
View ArticleTeens: If You Eat Tide Pods, Things Won’t End Well
Because eating detergent is never a good idea Teens are eating Tide Pods. And while this may sound like the beginning of a comedy skit, an entry into the Darwin awards or not something in the grasp of...
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