Christian Science Monitor | Modern Parenthood Blog

Watermelon Oreos: The public weighs in on social media

Watermelon Oreos, the dunkable cookie's newest makeover, went on sale June 10, but the typically social media savvy company hasn't marketed the limited edition cookie as they have others.

Parenting the littlest media users: A study shows what concerns new parents

Are parents concerned about their wee ones becoming addicted to new media? Meh, not really. Nor are they saying media use is a source of conflict, a new study says.

National Pollinator week: How to get your family involved

From June 17-23 is National Pollinator week, a chance to get outside and learn about the animals responsible for supporting our ecosystem. Here's how to get your family involved.

Ground control to undergrad: Prepping your college student for home reentry

Your college student is coming home. Reentering the atmosphere of their childhood will be bumpy, but a few preparations can ensure as safe a landing as possible.

Father's Day: Children always need you, no matter their age

Time passes quickly when you're a parent, but Father's Day allows a chance to look back at the younger days of children and appreciate where kids are now.

'You're not special' graduation speech: David McCullough spins it into a book

When his 'You're not special' Wellesley High School graduation speech went viral last year, book agents came calling. Now you can look for a book on the same theme tweaking the modern parenting culture of praise in which, he says, 'if everyone is special, then no one is.'

Empty nest: Diverse paths find an American family all in China, then gone

An empty nest fills when an American couple goes to China to work, and finds their trailing offspring with them. But now the Beijing-ensconced parents see their adult kids moving back to the US.

A son asks to go to temple and his mom's religious enthusiasm grows, too

After her son asked to go to temple, one mother wonders what he gets out of it – spirituality? Familiarity? Either way, it makes her happy.

Boys get trucks and girls get flowers? One mom says enough with the separation

Boys' products are blue or red with cars or trucks and girls' toys are pink or purple with hearts, one mom has noticed. Why can't certain toys be for both genders?

Not all Seaboard communities are battling cicada infestations, but what if yours is?

Some areas, it seems, won't be witnessing any cicadas this year, while others are definitely hearing the horde's chorus. If you're subject to the swarm's din, here's what to do.

How to make a bed in Norway

Making a bed in Norway is different than in America. The sheet sizes come in metric, not full, queen, or king, and it is the custom for couples, though they sleep on the same bed, to have their own sheets and duvet.

My teenage daughter refused to learn to drive, and she's not alone

The driver's license is an American rite of passage for 16-year olds, but not my daughter. She wanted nothing to do with a car at that age, and statistics show others at that age feel the same.

Rhode Island mom sics pit bulls on reporter: privacy versus the right to know

A Rhode Island mother of a recovering shooting victim sicced two pit bulls on a reporter who asked for her reaction to the news the shooter was arrested. Did the reporter violate the mother's privacy? Did the mother overreact?

Pope: Wasting food is tantamount to stealing from the poor (so how can you help?)

Says the pope, wasting food is no different from stealing from the hungry, during his Wednesday catechesis. How can you help? Lisa Suhay, through her volunteer activities, found mouths that needed feeding.

Senior shot: Graduation for injured athlete a surprise for students

A shot senior's graduation went off without incident, inspiring his classmates with the speed of his recovery. Balaal Hollings, a senior, was shot in the head two months ago at a birthday party.

Smithfield sale to China casts a new light on your kid’s ham sandwich

A Chinese pork producer is looking to buy Smithfield Foods, one of the largest producers of pork products in the US. Should the sale cause parents concern about China's food safety issues?

Though reports about bullying are increasing, the behavior itself is not

Bullying, according to new data, is down among US middle school students, despite an increase in media reports coving the subject. In fact, violence has dropped nearly 75 percent in the last two decades.

Chicago school closings: Shuttering these institutions is shortsighted, says one local mom

Chicago school closings are the largest number of school closings in the history of the country, and media reports haven't captured the anguish and dismay of more than 30,000 children and parents as they've lost their educational institutions.

Sunscreen and umbrellas: What you need to know about sun safety this summer

Sunscreen is only the beginning. Do you know how to keep your kids safe in the sun this summer? Check out these tips.

'We don't sell junk food': McDonald's CEO's comment sparks backlash against 9-year-old

'We don't sell junk food,' McDonald's CEO told 9-year-old Hannah Robertson, but now Hannah's also a target of toxic comments. Hannah's mother and McDonald's discuss the controversy that occurred when the 'We don't sell junk food' comment hit the Internet.