Rating: All-Star

Sometimes the best thing you can do is scoop up your toddler, step away from the noise, and head out for a one-on-one adventure. That’s exactly what we did with a trip to the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park—a day full of dinosaurs, snacks, and lessons in rolling with whatever family outings throw your way.

Rating: All-Star

A dull knife makes everything harder. A sharp knife makes everything smoother. And in some ways, that principle applies beyond the kitchen.

Rating: All-Star

There are some parenting battles that repeat themselves daily. One of ours? Sunscreen.

Rating: All-Star

Flying to Honolulu with kids can feel like a test of endurance. Long lines, cranky passengers, and the constant worry that your toddler might melt down at 30,000 feet. But our recent trip from Oakland (OAK) to Honolulu (HNL) with Southwest Airlines turned out to be the opposite—it was one of the smoothest, most family-friendly flights we’ve ever taken.

Rating: All-Star

When our toddler’s dentist pulled us aside and casually mentioned that constant sippy cup use could affect tooth alignment, my first thought was: Really? Even this? Parenting already feels like a minefield of small choices with long-term consequences—sleep routines, screen time, snacks—and now sippy cups were on the list.

Rating: All-Star

I used to think of snacks as fillers—something you grab when you’re hungry between meals, usually whatever’s easy and within arm’s reach. Chips. Crackers. A bar with more sugar than substance. But then I realized those “snacks” weren’t doing me or my family any favors. I’d get the short burst, the quick fix, and then the crash.

Rating: Role Player

I remember when our toddler was barely steady on his feet, wobbling from couch to coffee table like a pint-sized tightrope walker. Now, he’s scaling playground equipment and charging across open fields like he’s training for his own action movie.

Rating: All-Star

I remember holding my baby girl in one hand in the classic “football hold” designed to keep a newborn secure in your arm. She’s in elementary school now, playing sports afterschool, and growing faster than the Millennium Falcon in the Kessel Run.