Parenting

Kids and “Stuff”

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

The holidays have arrived, bringing with them the ritual of gifting wish lists. Yet, as every parent knows, last year’s treasures don’t always stand the test of time. While some presents do become beloved companions and favored sources of entertainment, others unfortunately break, or gather dust, or get lost in the abyss. When asked about it, they simply shrug before adding a nearly identical (and equally useless) toy to next year’s list. UGH! The audacity…

As the season of giving begins, we can’t help but wonder: If kids want these toys so badly, why don’t they care for them? And if they don’t, why ask for them at all?  There must be a good explanation for this, right? Turns out, there is.

Continue reading →

Child(ish) Reads: How to Dungeon Master Parenting

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

I’ve written a ton about video gaming and how my husband is a huge gamer. This includes ongoing Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, roleplaying games, Magic the Gathering, and anything else that uses a D20. So I was super psyched to get How to Dungeon Master Parenting by Shelly Mazzanoble. Yet another super late review for NetGalley, but I wanted to save this one for October.

How to Dungeon Master Parenting: A Guidebook for Gamifying the Child Rearing Quest, Leveling Up Your Skills, and Raising Future Adventurers by Shelly Mazzanoble

The blurb: For years, millions of fans have looked to the beloved roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons for fun, friendship, and entertainment. And now parents and parents-to-be can use D&D to gain inspiration and how-to when it comes to their most challenging and rewarding role yet. Dungeon Masters are not just expert storytellers and arbiters of the rules, they’re compassionate, creative, quick-thinking leaders who embody the same traits that make a great parent.

Continue reading →

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble: Twin Identities

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Aunt Agatha: I have Lynn!
Kelly Farmer: I’m Kelly!
Aunt Agatha: Oh, whoever. I have your sister! If you care about her, you’ll give yourself up now!

Twins are often seen as a packaged deal, especially if they are identical. You can’t say Mary-Kate without thinking about Ashley Olsen, or Tia and Tamara Mowry. Even my own twins are known at school simply as “the twins” or “H and K.”

Mix-ups and mistaken identities are common; and while they may seem harmless, these moments subtly shape how twins see themselves and relate to others. That’s why it’s so important for parents to recognize each twin as a unique individual, with their own personality, behavior, and strengths. This isn’t always easy as physical resemblance, emotional closeness, and family dynamic can make individuality harder to nurture. Factor in the reality that they’ve had a constant companion since the womb, and the journey toward individuality becomes even more layered.

Continue reading →

Don’t Scream, It’s just the Class Clown

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Sidney: Stu, Stu, what’s your motive? Billy’s got one, the police are on their way, what are you gonna tell them?

Stu: “Peer pressure. I’m far too sensitive.”

Oh, Stu Macher. Not only was he part of the very first Ghostface duo, but he’s also the ultimate class clown. Loud, impulsive, and constantly cracking jokes, Stu masks chaos with charisma. But beneath the blood and comic relief lies something eerily familiar: The emotional blueprint of a kid who uses humor to connect, deflect, and survive.

Continue reading →

Child(ish) Reads: This is So Awkward

| Patti Webb

It’s now October and we usually try to work in our fun, tongue-in-cheek tone throughout for Halloween. The book I picked out for today was an Advance Reader I got from NetGalley (again, tragically late for a review), and as Mary and I started talking about it, it became a little…scary.

This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained by Cara Natterson MD and Vanessa Kroll Bennett.

Here’s the blurb: Almost everything about puberty has changed since today’s adults went through it. It starts, on average, two years earlier and stretches through high school . . . and for some, beyond. Gens Z and Alpha are also contending with a whole host of thorny issues that parents didn’t experience in their own youth but nonetheless need to understand: everything from social media and easy-access pornography to gender identities and new or newly-potent drugs. Talking about any of this is like puberty itself: Awkward! But it’s also critical for the health, happiness, and safety of today’s kids.

Continue reading →