Some kids rise at the crack of dawn each day, lace up their skates and get on the ice rink. Then it’s off to school for a full day of classes, yet another activity, homework and,  finally, bed. It’s not unusual for kids to be involved in three, four, even five activities. Parents shuttle them from school to music lessons, sports, theater groups, religious school, tutoring, scouts and more. Every day of the week is booked. But not my kid. She functions better with a healthy mix of activity and downtime. And I’ve learned that’s OK. Don’t get me wrong. My 11-year-old’s engaged. She competes on …

I knew there was a problem when my 11-year old brought her cell phone to dinner one night at Marcello’s with family friends. Why would you choose to “text” when you have real live dinner companions in front of you? It was embarrassing—but more than that, it was worrisome, too. I see it everywhere I go. Walking through Northbrook Court, kids are engrossed in their cell phones. Their heads are buried, their fingers feverishly working the keyboard.  Younger kids have the same fascination, playing Nintendo games relentlessly, given the chance. Does anybody talk face-to-face anymore? Granted, kids…

You pack the kids off to school, pour yourself a cup of joe, and get down to business. For an increasing number of us, working from home is the ultimate balance of work and family. Where else can your professional life merge —or, on some days, collide—with your personal life? Despite a few missteps, several Northbrook moms have made it work.  Maureen Deegan became an independent representative for Silpada Designs Jewelry in 2004, doing what she calls a "three-quarters" time job. While her three kids—6th, 8th, and 10th grade—are in school, she makes phone calls to book parties, enters party …

Take a look around. More kids than ever are overweight, even obese. Even some on physically demanding sports teams seem to struggle with weight. Statistics back it up, too. One out of three kids in the United States is now considered overweight or obese. These kids are more likely to become obese as adults—and we all know the health risks of obesity include diabetes, heart disease and cancer. In the past two decades, more and more children have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a disease usually reserved for adults over 40, according to the Centers for Disease and Prevention. It begs the …

One of the byproducts of growing up in an affluent community with excellent schools, first-rate park districts and an abundance of resources is thinking that everyone lives this way. The closest that some of our kids get to learning about those less fortunate is through the pages of a textbook or sorting through their cast-off clothing before the Goodwill pickup. Many of our kids live in a world of elite sports, private lessons designed to nurture budding talent, Juicy Couture, electronic gadgets, sleepaway camps, and pricey, cream-based Starbucks Frappuccinos. Have our children developed a …