Families of every income level in Charlottesville and across the country are struggling to find quality childcare, and studies show that costs are still rising as gaps in licensing and training requirements persist. Nonprofits and government agencies have been examining the issue for years, and experts say they’ve always known how the numbers add up: […]
This is the third installment of a four-part series on childcare in Charlottesville. The first story looked at choices parents make in regards to their careers, with input from working parents and stay-at-home moms. Part two focused on the most expensive options in the area and families’ financial sacrifices for quality. Parents and providers agree that every […]
Charlottesville is home to a broad spectrum of childcare providers, from nanny-shares and under-the- table babysitters to corporate-owned centers that cost as much as college tuition. Parents are faced with tough decisions before even giving birth, and families everywhere have the same question: Why is childcare so expensive? Tuition for top-notch centers in Charlottesville can […]
Laketa Kelley couldn’t afford to send her daughter to the daycare center where she worked as a teacher for six years. Kelley loved her teaching job at Westminster Child Care Center, but when she found out she was pregnant in 2010, she knew her salary wouldn’t cover the center’s $800 per month [...]
Drawings of ponies and dragons frolic across the glass of the large picture window that faces the front of 4-year-old Makenzie Lee’s home. The word pony is written in red washable glass marker. The Fontaine-area duplex is tidy and decorated with brightly colored accents, Makenzie’s mom [...]
Watching a happy puppy or kitten bounce around the living room, it’s hard to imagine anything that isn’t perfectly adorable about your new friend. Of course, the first time you find a pile of poop under the coffee table, you might adjust your assessment. And then you step barefoot in a warm [...]
Getting back to the school routine is fun for about a week and then it starts to feel like Groundhog Day. Varied meals get my foodie daughter, Maisie, and me going each morning. Breakfast is some variation of fruit, yogurt, and oats or whole grains, and dinner’s based on the season and how much [...]
“Oh, he lets them do anything,” boasts my client while her two kids play tug-of-war with a hound dog’s ears in the exam room. Judging by the nonplussed expression on the poor creature’s face (and the complete lack of expression in his tail), I suspect she’s right. He will let them do anything. [...]
Whether your little one is just starting school or is about to transition into a new grade, you want to make sure he gets the very best schools in Charlottesville have to offer. Here are a few things to consider. How do I get involved? With the start of the school year, you’re likely getting [...]
Here’s a familiar scenario: Preschool-aged girl walks into a room sporting a pink tutu, butterfly wings, and a plastic tiara. She’s wielding a fairy wand and spinning on child-sized high heels emblazoned with the cameo of a Disney princess. She seems delighted with both herself and her [...]
When I was asked to write an article about how sex and parenthood mix, here’s what I ended up with as a first draft: What sex life? I’m exhausted and there’s a toddler in my bed. The end. Just kidding! But sometimes it does feel that way. It’s ironic that the shenanigans that caused parenthood [...]
“You allowed her to drive home from the DMV?” my shocked friend asked me outside the high school that our daughters both attend. “They all want to, but nobody actually lets them. Are you crazy?” That’s precisely what I asked myself on a sunny March afternoon when, spanking new driver’s permit [...]
Too often, grocery shopping with kids is the scene of blood-curdling screams and tantrums. It’s no accident that balloons, gumball machines, and colorful packaging abound, transforming the best-behaved child into a pile of flailing limbs. Executives bank on the fact that parents will give in to [...]
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(Illustration by Dongyun Lee) Thirteen-year-old Alexis is a talented singer who reads at an 11th grade level. She says she wants to go to college and then law school, so she can become a lawyer and “defend people who can’t defend themselves.” Her mother, Samantha, makes sure she frequently [...]
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Kids may say the darndest things, but you could learn a lesson or two from your tot. When it comes to eating, exercising, and even beauty, they’ve got the right idea. Quick! Get a pen! Make your pointe Mark our words: Ballet will be the next big thing in fitness. Its health benefits—the [...]
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It’s true what they say: Those who play together stay together. A recent report from The National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia reveals that couples who carve out time for each other (no kids allowed!) at least once a week are less likely to experience disappointment with their [...]
Wash, rinse, repeat: Maisie and Megan prepare kale for a pot of minestrone. (Photo by Cramer Photo) Not only does my 4-year-old know the difference between bolognese and besciamella, she knows how to make them too. Since her birth, Maisie’s kept me company in the kitchen. It’s where I [...]
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Few things are more wholesome than children in the garden. Growing plants with your kid has it all: fresh air, science, and life lessons on everything from patience to self-reliance. (Plus, eating dirt is said to boost the immune system.) But how do you actually get your kids gardening? Grow [...]
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Sure, unstructured time is great for kids—whiling away the hours banging on pots, giggling at penguin documentaries or rolling down hills. But now and then, even the most schedule-averse parent is bound to feel the need for an outing. Whether for exercise, education or just plain fun, an [...]
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From where he stands on the Albemarle High School football stadium bleachers, band director Greg Thomas has a good view of about 80 teenage musicians. Gathered in a haphazard semicircle on the track below, the Marching Patriots have just completed their final run-through of “Pursuing Red,” a [...]