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Written by Jessica Vanden
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 Before I had kids, I truly believed that boys and girls acted differently more because of how they were raised and not because of their gender. Boys tend to be rough-housed more, cuddled less, given trucks, cars and diggers. Girls are dressed in pink, frilly clothes, played with quietly and given dolls.
I was determined to raise my kids equally, letting them decide what they liked. When my daughter, Josie was born, I started the gender equality wheel rolling. Of course I dressed her in pink. My mom made sure I had a nice supply of fancy pink outfits with cute hairbows to match. I preferred the boy clothes more. I scoured rummage sales for jean bib overalls and flannel shirts.
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Written by Jessica Vanden
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I'm a tree hugger and proud of it. My dad is, too, though I doubt he'd admit it. He's more of an undercover tree hugger. While growing up, my dad took us on long walks through the woods, nurturing my love for the Earth. He could identify trees and flowers, muddy animal tracks and birds by their songs. It amazed me then and his knowledge still amazes me today. I can identify some tracks and a few easy trees but just don't have an ear for bird songs. Maybe my kids will be blessed with that gift.
A love for the Earth and nature is important to me. Even more important is passing this love on to my kids. We spend lots of time outside looking at bugs, listening to birds and watching our big maple trees swaying in the wind. We're lucky to live on a half acre lot with mature trees, wildlife and lots of different bugs.
As Earth Day approaches (April 22) why not introduce your kids (and maybe even yourself) to nature. We have at least five nature preserves or
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Written by Jessica Vanden
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Reading is so important! Experts agree, reading to your children every day promotes language development, reading skills and a love to read as they get older. Here are some reading suggestions for April, in honor of Earth Day.
* The Berenstain Bears Don't Pollute (Anymore) by Stan & Jan Berenstain
* The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
* The Family Earth by Schim Schimmel
* It's Earth Day, Little Critter by Mercer Mayer
* Water Hole by Graeme Base
If you want to check out any of these great books, visit your local library or go to www.barnesandnoble.com.
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Written by Jessica Vanden
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All babies cry. This is a fact of life. However, some babies take it to the extreme. Doctors call this colic, I call it hell. Colic is diagnosed with a "3" pattern. If a baby cries more than 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, for at least 3 weeks in a row, it's colic. As a survivor of two colicky babies, I empathize with anyone suffering through this stage.
The big question of what causes colic is unknown. Experts suggest a variety of things, including an immature digestive system, allergies, overstimulation, or the temperament of the baby. Regardless of the cause, it's frustrating when your baby cries constantly.
My son had a bad case of colic. Really bad. So bad, in fact, it wasn't unusual for my husband to find me, my son and my 2 1/2 year old daughter, all sitting on the couch crying when he got home from work.
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Written by Jessica Vanden
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 Have fun with your kids this St. Patrick's Day (March 17). Surprise them with a fun Irish accent when they wake up in the morning. Serve that with some green shamrock-shaped pancakes. If you're not quite so kitchen-savvy (like me) serve Lucky Charms with green milk, can't get more Irish that that!
For lunch, make shamrock-shaped pb&j sandwiches. Just don't serve the kids green bologna -- that sounds gross! In the afternoon, get out the green play-doh & have some fun. If crafts are your thing, make some lucky shamrocks to hang in the window (or give to Grandma & Grandpa).
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