Missy Chase Lapine

A couple of years ago, when my daughter Sammy was 9, some health issues she'd had pretty much since birth -- asthma and eczema -- suddenly became a whole lot worse. Her breathing tests showed reduced lung function and her entire body was itchy, red and dry. Sammy was also...

I always draw a sharp breath when I see the school's number pop up on my caller ID in the middle of the day. I know I'm not the only parent who kisses their kids goodbye at the bus stop and silently prays it'll be just another normal, uneventful day....

It's a weekday evening and I'm standing in my kitchen. Our dogs Princess and Buddie are chasing each other around the island, my daughter Emily is looking for a notebook she needs for her homework, and her sister Samantha is finishing violin practice -- with gusto. Everyone, including my husband...

So maybe you've heard about this whole childhood obesity epidemic. I kid -- a little attempt at levity. Because really, how could you not have? Lately, especially, it seems the news about how heavy and unhealthy kids are these days has been coming at us in one long, loud, continual...

Normally, a bean casserole should not inspire huge amounts of anxiety. But it's the holidays -- a time of year when the expectations are often as big as the celebrations themselves -- and you can't stop worrying about that the huge get-together at your in-laws' house, with all their "important"...

6 Ways to "Feed a Cold" for Natural Relief

'Tis the season of runny noses, watery eyes and aching ears -- ah the joys of winter approaching us! With the October snowstorm that blanketed the Northeast recently, we can't be too prepared for what's heading our way. It seems that...

Let's be honest...the Thanksgiving feast doesn't just last one day -- it marks the beginning of a free-for-all eating season that lasts through New Year's. A time when we celebrate less, not more, structure in our food lives. However, the holiday food fest doesn't have to derail any work you've...

Would you act differently if your kids were secretly videotaping you?

The recent YouTube post by Hillary Adams, the daughter of Texas Judge William Adams, showing her father beating the then 16-year-old girl with his belt, is disturbing beyond words. According to a description of the video, the...

Halloween is a nutrition nightmare, literally. It will always be the most health-challenging holiday. For almost every one of us, it represents the endless battle between parent and child to control the level of sugar rush our kids (and we parents who can't resist either) will experience. I, for one,...