Rhiana Maidenberg

Unfortunately, these days it appears that every minute milestone warrants a mortar board. By the time a child graduates from college, she may have already sported a cap and gown at least five previous times!

In a few weeks my oldest daughter, and all of her little friends, will be...

"If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers." -Edgar W. Howe

Spring break (and winter and summer, and the average weekend for that matter) always gives me a new appreciation for teachers. Over the...

On May 10th I will attempt to conquer my tremendous fear of public speaking by telling an audience of over four hundred people about my struggle with depression; I will be participating in the Listen to Your Mother show in San Francisco. Before the curtain rises, you may...

I never really intended to be able to write "homemaker" above the occupation section of the joint tax forms I share with my husband, but "parenting blogger and budding freelance writer" doesn't quite fit in the designated space. Yet, this is the situation in which I now find myself. As...

For the past five years I have been attempting to stay carefully balanced in the center of a parental seesaw. On one seat rests my children's independence and creativity -- this side is strong and heartily managing its position. On the opposite side sits obedience and respect for authority, which...

I know what many of you are thinking: How does she raise two young daughters, maintain a career as a struggling freelance writer, and still find the time to throw her hair into a ponytail, jump into an old pair of faded yoga pants and feed her family nutritionally balanced...

Halfway through my second trimester with my first daughter, my husband and I went to dinner with a couple who deemed themselves seasoned parents of a 5-year-old. "There are two types of parenting," the husband informed us, "Attachment or detachment parenting. You must choose one."

Not knowing what either...

Every few months, my husband and I have the same argument: he likes a neat, clean, orderly house and children, I allow the girls unfettered access to a wide variety of art supplies. On any given day, my 4-year-old may arrive at preschool with her face covered in watercolor paints...

When my first daughter was a year and a half old I replied to an ad on Craigslist from a young woman, I'll call her Y, looking for work as a part-time caregiver. I was newly pregnant with my second daughter and in need of a few days a week...

I am a proud, social security card carrying member of Generation X. In high school, I dressed in the latest grunge fashion (plucked fresh from the bins at Goodwill), and drove my beat-up Honda Civic in the rain while listening to REM, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana. My fellow Gen X'ers...

I've started jogging, an activity I vowed never to participate in. However, due to my two young offspring, I find it to be just the right exercise to distract my mind from the chaos running amok in my home. It gives me time to think about my writing, listen to...

When my first daughter was six weeks old I introduced her to my teenage cousin, Alex. After appropriately oohing and aahing over her spit up and gas-induced smiles, Alex asked, "What activities are you going to sign Elana up for when she's two?" At that point I hadn't thought much...

I am a liar. I lie daily to my children, if not two or three times a day. Some of these lies are mere bluffs. Imagine my lovely four-year-old refusing to brush her teeth before bed. Frustrated, I tell her that if she isn't polishing her pearly whites by the...

Last year I made a considerable New Year's resolution -- to stop judging other parents. It was a good goal, and for the most part I succeeded in curbing this ugly behavior. This year I didn't have a large objective. Since I have made the decision to embrace...

My husband is a very frequent flier. In fact, he travels so much that he uses the super-secret United security entrance and is more likely than not upgraded on every flight. While I often enjoy these perks, along with free checked baggage and access to the airline lounge, they can...

My four-year-old daughter, Elana, is beginning to understand giving and, more importantly to her, receiving. December is a magical month for her, filled with Hanukkah, Christmas, parties and presents. It's a time when Daddy doesn't go to work, and we visit grandparents. Since we live in San Francisco and they...

My four-year-old daughter is illiterate. She can only sight read her own name, has not memorized short board books, and can barely write five letters of the alphabet. I am more than fine with all of this. In fact, I am proud.

Don't get me wrong, my husband and...

Like many new parents I feel torn between two mindsets. On one hand, I have the primal urge to protect my children, to catch them every time they slip and shelter them from all things sharp and pointy. The other part of me desperately wants to raise my children with...

I'm a really good mom, but I'm far from perfect.

I've been known to buy myself twenty minutes of peace with a cheap Disney princess toy from Target. Both of my girls can readily identify the theme music from at least a half dozen cartoons and even the...

A recent study by researchers at Kenyon College in Ohio has found that nearly one-third of all girls' clothing being sold at major retail shops can be considered "sexy". The study states that most of the offending clothing either emphasizes a girl's (lack of a) chest or her...