by Christina Refford | Tips + Tricks, Toys + Playthings
After such a long winter, it’s finally bike-riding season: Hooray! And, whoa are you all getting on those bikes! I’ve seen so many kids riding bikes in our neighborhood, that my son’s mountain bike team has doubled in size since last year. Bike shops...
by Kristen Chase | Thinking : Parent
As someone who didn’t grow up around animals, I’ve learned a lot raising kids who love them, especially my youngest who is an avid horseback rider. When she first asked to take riding lessons, I thought it might be a passing phase, especially considering she had tried...
by Kristen Chase | Books for Kids
This is a sponsored message on behalf of Star Stable Entertainment What do you get when you combine magic, friendship, and horses? The answer is… Soul Riders, the popular trilogy from Star Stable Entertainment, the makers of the popular Star Stable Online that...
by Christina Refford | Holiday Picks
While our youngest kids may be content with a stuffed rabbit and a basket full of plastic eggs, I’m excited to spoil my three teens with some cool Easter gifts for teens that up the ante just a bit. After all, they’ve had one hell of a year trying to...
by Cool Mom Staff | Podcast
As parents, we have a general idea of the conversations we need to have with our kids before they to the throes of teendom – like the sex talk, and the drugs and alcohol talk – for example. But there are actually a whole lot more conversations that we...
by Cool Mom Staff | Podcast
It’s a bit of a statement say we fan-grilled a bit over this week’s guest on the Spawned Parenting Podcast, two-time Newbery award-winning author Kate DiCamillo. Surely you know her incredible children’s books like The Tale of Despereaux, Because of...
by Cool Mom Staff | Kids, Tips + Tricks
We keep looking for the silver lining in the past Year That Was Like No Other, and as we talk to other parents, one thing comes up over and over: “my kid discovered they really love _____.” Whether it’s manga or chemistry, dystopian fiction or...
by Christina Refford | Toys + Playthings
Here’s what I suggest for the weekend: Entice your teens out from their bedrooms for a hilarious family game night using your set of What Do You Meme? game cards. Only surprise them when they open the box, to find that you’ve booby trapped the deck with...
by Kate Etue | Books for Kids
Readers, get excited! The 2021 ALA youth media awards have been announced, and it’s time to update our reading lists! In case you’re not fully in the book-nerd world like me, that means our 2021 Caldecott, Newbery, Coretta Scott King awards and more have...
by Kate Etue | Thinking : Parent
My kids and I were glued to the TV last Wednesday, watching history take place on Inauguration Day. We were sobered by the national guard presence, excited about the achievements of our new VP Kamala Harris, and just so totally and completely relieved to see President...