By: Staff Report Protecting our children is what we – as parents – should be doing best. We want to make sure they’re childhood is free of any pain, fear or harm. It’s the reason why we go to great lengths to enroll them in the best schools, programs and activities. We want the best of this and that and that, and all to make sure

By: Carolina Pichardo We’re told that we have it as soon as we become moms. Although at first we doubt it, it’s there when we need it the most. It helps us navigate the mystifying terrain of parenting. This young moms, is what we call - instincts. The other day I was talking to a friend. She has a young step-daughter that she’s been raising and caring for

By: Carolina Pichardo According to a recent survey by Self Magazine/Today, 84% of respondents claims to have had a "toxic friend" at some point in their lives. Out of a pool of 18,000 women, that's a large number. Which only makes us wonder, are our daughters susceptible to these types of friends too? With the rise of cyber bullying and mean girls' stories, the answer to that is more

By: Carolina Pichardo I am a slow, drag my feet into the back-to-school scene sort of shopper. And by that description, I mean that I wait until the last minute and usually after scouring every store for ideas, reminders of what I have to get this time around, and most importantly - finding some big sales. Big sales are the smart, quick and simple buys that make

By: Staff Report When you think of corporal punishment  in schools, it's easy to think of a time from long ago or a place completely foreign from here. However, that topic is a reoccurring, still-recent phenomenon affecting children worldwide - including the U.S. And by recent, we mean very recent. Well, to give you a little history lesson, it was only in 1977 that the Supreme Court weighed

By: Carolina Pichardo Since we know you're probably a little short on everything - and mostly time - this part of the year, we'll make the following back-to-school tip sheet quick and painless. For those that already started school in parts of the U.S., it doesn't hurt to try a few of these still - especially the last point on this list. A week or two before

By: Carolina Pichardo It's been a rough couple of days. I'm not sure if it's part of a pre-teen phase I'm not familiar with, or the "only child" syndrome or maybe it's even the damn, summer heat. Fact of the matter is that my daughter and I have been bumping heads. When I say that the sky is blue, she has an argument that

By: Carolina Pichardo We received the following from a local, New York City organization that's offering free summer programs for young adults and volunteering options for YUMs. If other organizations and non-profits have similar programs, let us help you spread the word. In 1995 Dr. Betty Shabazz set about to found an institution that would permit the courageous work of her late-husband El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz – Malcolm

By: Maria Smith Contrary to popular belief, there is such a thing as a free lunch (and dinner and breakfast)--as long as your under 10 years old.  Eating out could be expensive for anyone, especially when you have several kids. So don’t stay home and pout, just put in a little research to find the “Kids Eat Free” nights. To get you started, here are a

By: Maria Smith I love going to movies.  It’s like you’re in a different world for two hours.  I started taking my kids to the movies when they were only weeks old, keeping them in the Baby Bjorn and nursing them when they got fussy. Now that they are lively, energetic 4, 2, and 1 year olds, I hardly ever see movies with them.  It is