Mari Walker

When Miss Seven started Kindergarten, her dad and I decided to limit after school activities to two: one sport or otherwise something physical and one more arts focused activity. My, how times have changed. Right now, we have four extracurricular activities, and the possibility of another huge time commitment on the horizon. Where did I go wrong? I have trouble saying no–both to her if she asks and if another friend suggests something our kids could do together. And I have trouble letting go–like of activities we’ve been doing and enjoying for a while, especially those skill builders that only pay off if you keep at them. Read the rest on the Baton Rouge Parents Magazine website .

As I established in Suit Up, Mama , I’m living my life in a fat body. It’s not good or bad, it just is. I certainly wish my body were smaller sometimes, and I do exercise and try to be healthy. But I also accept it for what it is: my body that allows me to exist on this corporeal plane is fat. Several times in my life, children have commented on my body, specifically its size. Long ago, pre-kids and when I actually wasn’t even at my heaviest, an eight-year-old friend bluntly informed me I was fat, as if I didn’t know. It was an awkward moment, and I don’t remember how I responded, if I did at all. Kids are honest and straightforward, sometimes to a fault. I don’t want to limit their expression or to think that talking about bodies with trusted people is bad. It’s good! But there are social skills learned through these types of interactions. I’d rather the lesson be “ask in private with someone you trust” rather than “fat people are bad, but we shouldn’t tell them...

Julia Hawkins has been a mother for 73 years, giving birth for the first time on her 30th birthday, and now she is 103. Such a long, healthy life is remarkable in itself, but Hawkins is also a decorated athlete who competes in the National Senior Olympics. She is believed to be the oldest woman to formally compete on an American track. Known as “Hurricane” Hawkins, she set a world record for her age category, running the 100-meter dash race in 39.62 seconds in 2017. Read the rest on the Baton Rouge Parents Magazine website .

As Community & Education section editor, I wrote pages 16-25 of the September 2019 issue of Baton Rouge Parents Magazine , except for Dads & Daughters, which was added during layout. See the layout on the magazine's website . I also wrote Pathways to Parenting: Anger or Anxiety? and Exceptional Lives: A Gold Medal Life, Full and Wondrous .

Character counts for Collin Sprouse , and his parents, Johnathon and Allison Sprouse, work hard to ensure that the 11-year-old keeps his focus on what matters most. Collin has been honored for that work and his academic excellence. Read the rest on the Baton Rouge Parents Magazine website .

From the initial click of buckling up our newborn on that first ride home until we eventually hand that baby the keys to drive the car, we as parents only want to keep our kids safe as passengers. The leading cause of death for Louisiana children is motor vehicle crashes, and the proper use of child safety seats and seat belts can reduce that risk. This summer, state legislators unanimously passed changes to child car seat requirements to keep children safer and ultimately reduce the number of deaths. The new law went into effect August 1. Read the rest on the Baton Rouge Parents Magazine website .