I don't think that complimenting a little girl on her looks chips away at her self-esteem. I cannot see how simply telling a girl she's pretty somehow translates into telling her she's not pretty enough.

A study by Today.com that suggests three is the most stressful number of children to have. A mom of three explains that the stress level increases when it comes to things like crossing the street, versus two kids. But I have four kids, and to the best of my recollection, I don't recall sprouting an extra arm when that last child arrived.

In my life, I have enjoyed 15 Mother's Days. The first one got off to a bit of a rocky start, (let's just say there's a certain man in my life who wil...

I'm grateful that you see art in everything. I'm grateful that you go to a school with the time to teach art that allows you to be expressive even if I can't put it in the recycle bin because you will just take it out again.

Max James Murphy, you sneaky rascal. How are you growing up so darn fast? You are four years old today. I am in awe. When people asked how old you...

The thought of entering a public bathroom with your kid is more than you can bear. Have no fear the next time this scenario presents itself. There are, thankfully, some very simple tips and strategies that parents can use. Following are the top five ways to deal with public bathrooms when out with the kids.

In my part of Toronto, I have noticed a new understanding of traffic regulation. Stop if it is convenient to do so, but if you are in a hurry, forget about it. If we only teach children that red means stop and green means go, we could be courting disaster.

Being the first-born-generation as a Filipino-Canadian and growing-up in the 80s conjured the kind of awkwardness that kids today will never know. I had to turn to art to escape and find my voice. And even since a very early age, it was one thing, one simple idea, I seemed to always turn to... Art.

Moms at the park playing with their kids are a common sight in most neighborhoods. Not surprisingly then, is it any wonder that there are as many different types of moms at the park as there are days of the week? Read on and you'll find that you'll likely recognize at least a few of these parents at your local playground.

You never really know what kind of youngster you've got until you test him out in the real world. Our recent trip to Orlando confirmed that our little junior is quite the joiner. We shouldn't be surprised by his courage, I suppose. His nickname is Turbo Ginger for god sakes.

March Break doesn't mean breaking the rules or the routines -- in terms of bedtimes, meals and, let's face it, personal hygiene -- but it can be a great time to break out some new activities that don't normally fit into your schedule. If you have more than one child to organize during the week, have a discussion with all of them to find out what they'd like to do, beyond just "not go to school".

While it's undoubtedly true that one of the best gifts we can give our children is a happy and loving marriage, it's difficult to wrap one's head around the notion of placing children second. Especially young ones. One would hope that parents could be mature enough to realize that once they have a child, that child should be the first priority.

I began putting together the pieces of the puzzle: new toys broken -- no, decimated -- in under 60 seconds; clothing cut up with scissors; unfinished food smashed with a toy "hammer"-- my children had been displaying destructive behaviour. Here are some steps I put in place to get my house back, which I call SCABS for short: Supervision, Consequences, Activities, Boredom and Segregation.

American Idol is a great example of what can happen if you aren't honest with your children, and you send them out onto the stage, to fail. My kids are terrible singers. I am a terrible singer. They won't be one of those show contestants who are so painfully awful but are convinced they are the next Kelly Clarkson because their mom said so.

Lately I've been struggling with writing about my boys. When I first started blogging they were young, a toddler and baby. Now they are older, boys with opinions and experiences all their own and those stories no longer belong to me -- they belong to them. I wonder if by writing those stories, I'm taking something I have no right to.

The message that we're sending to our children is loud and clear: we want you to excel at sports, so you'd better do it. We want to see you become an athletic star, regardless of your interest (and often skill level). Until we let go of our collective dreams of athletic super-stardom, of touchdowns and home runs, we will continue to negatively affect our children's psyches.

Unless we self-reflect and make a change we risk becoming the voice we grew up defying. We might live long enough to see ourselves become the villain. The circle of defiance continues except now our children are the rebels and we are the evil empire.

Almost every child a will go through a picky eating phase, if not many. As frustrating and worrisome as it is, it's normal. And nine times out of 10, your child is eating a more well-balanced diet throughout the week than you think. So take a deep breath, and read on for some tips on how to deal with your little picky eater...

If you're a parent, you know that your little darlings may not always be telling you the absolute truth. Yes, it's hard to believe, but kids lie. A lot. Just because you've been lied to by your child doesn't mean that it has to continue. It's you against them when it comes to the truth. You're their parent, so you should win.

Gone are the days when you waited for New Year's Eve with anticipation. No, you are in a different stage of your life now. You are a parent of children. Young children. Though it may seem this way as you approach December 31 with the family, all hope is not lost. There are things that you can do with the kids where you and the little ones can enjoy the celebration.

I am of the mind that parenting, when done correctly, involves delicately hopping over the line between imaginative play and outright deception. But man, does this time of year challenge even me. I'm not saying parents shouldn't indulge in the Yuletide traditions, old and new. But at this point, I'm not sure about how to handle the Santa thing once the hard questions come.