parenting

Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book

Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.

13 podcast episodes to make back-to-school season easier on kids and parents

The new school year can be exciting, but also stressful. Kids may be feeling anxious. Parents may be juggling new responsibilities. Experts share tips on how to manage this season of change.

Cooking with kids is messy. This dad chef wants you to do it anyway

Chef David Nayfeld has been cooking with his kid since she was 2. In a new book, Dad, What's for Dinner?, he shares easy ways to involve kids in meal prep, and a weeknight recipe for meatballs.

A disabled mom’s message to parents: We all need help, and it’s OK to ask for it

Raising two kids while living with an autonomic nervous system disorder taught Jessica Slice to embrace interdependence. Her story is a reminder to parents of the power of asking for help.

‘That was masterful’: How a stranger’s words made Vivian Curren feel like a good mom

After Vivian Curren's young son threw sand on another child at a park, she assumed she was about to be judged for poor parenting. Instead, a stranger's response made Curren feel like a good mom.

City officials want parents to combat gun violence. Community leaders say it’s not that simple

Officials point to parents and the need for strong community networks to stop gun violence in Birmingham. They say it takes a village. But it’s not just the people in charge saying that, it’s also kids, activists, and the parents themselves.

Parenting Hotline Shows The Rising Stress Of Coronavirus At Home

Parenting is hard enough as it is, much less during the coronavirus crisis. A parental hotline offers help for those stressing out over their kids.

When Your Child Isn’t the Child You Expected

Sometimes children turn out differently than parents had hoped or expected. Writer and psychologist Andrew Solomon, author of Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity, looked at how parents manage to find profound meaning in raising exceptional children.

Register for Issues & Ales: Concussions and the Price of Playing Football

In Alabama, football is a way of life. But after recent revelations about the dangers of football-related head injuries, players and parents are reconsidering their involvement. How are health concerns […]

What Alabamians Think About The Free Range Parenting Debate

In a scene from the film adaptation from of Harper Lee’s "To Kill a Mocking Bird," Scout, Jim and Dill walk unaccompanied through town. Adults they pass just smile and nod. Now take into account these kids are ten, six and seven-years-old. Back then, that didn’t seem out of the ordinary. But recently, there’s been a rise in the number of parents getting in trouble with authorities for letting their kids walk or play alone outside. Nick Patterson is the editor of the weekly newspaper WELD, and he wrote about free range parenting in this week’s edition. Patterson tells WBHM’s Rachel Lindley about this new—and old—parental philosophy.