Caroline Shannon-Karasik
Caroline Shannon-Karasik is a writer and editor living in Pittsburgh, PA. Her writing has been featured in several publications, including Narratively, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Tonic and Prevention. She is currently writing a collection of essays. More can be found at carolineshannon.com.
Recent Articles
If Your Kids' Toys Are Taking Over, Here's How To Purge Them & Downsize
If you have ever whacked your knee on a dollhouse or found yourself with a teeny, tiny figurine underfoot, then you know just how overwhelming kids' toys can become. Whether your child has a surplus of all things with a motor or collects horse figuri…
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
Here's Why Your Child Doesn't Seem Interested In All Those Toys In Their Playroom
It's not often that you hear a parent say, "Gosh, I wish my kid had more toys." After all, moms and dads spend a lot of their days cleaning up messes and tripping over Legos, am I right? But if you've been wondering "Why doesn't my child play with to…
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
10 Mother's Day Gifts For Your Sister To Show Your Love & Support
My sister Amanda is pretty flipping cool. I've said it before, but I will say it again: There are a few people I need by my side to do this thing called life and she is one of them. Sure, Amanda can be a pain and she doesn't understand the concept of…
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
Here Are The Recommended Ages For Take Your Child To Work Day
Oh how 9-year-old me was thrilled when Take Our Daughters To Work Day launched in 1993. Not only did it mean I would be heading to work with my dad, but it also involved having access to a ton of office supplies. And that was a thrill for a girl who …
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
7 Ways You Can Turn Mom Shaming Into A Positive, According To Experts
Mom shaming. Whether it's the number of kids you do or don't have ('"Only one, huh?"), side-eye about how you handle public meltdowns, the good ol' breastfeeding versus bottle feeding convo, the method in which you gave birth, or commentary on your c…
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
15 Children's Books About Mother Nature, Because Earth Day Is Coming Up
When it comes to life questions (both big and small), it's not uncommon to find me with my nose in a book, searching for answers. Because whether I am looking for a particular beloved passage or simply advice on how to navigate a sticky situation, I …
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
If You're Having Creepy Pregnancy Dreams About Spiders, Here's Why
Pregnant or not, I have the weirdest dreams. And perhaps the worst part of it all — at least for my patient, listening husband — is that I remember every odd detail and am prone to taking them quite seriously. (See: Waking up mad because my husband c…
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
Here's Why Your Baby's Always Snoozing After Breastfeeding
Perhaps the most common topic related to sleep and babies is how to get them to do more of it and more consistently. It's not often that you hear parents saying, "How can I get them to stay awake?" But when it comes to feeding time, it's important to…
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
Here's How Child Custody Works If The Parents Aren't Married
Parenting is complicated — there's no doubt about that. But things can get especially sticky when two people make a baby (or a few) and then discover that they don't want to be together anymore. This can be heartbreaking for a number of reasons, incl…
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
7 Ways Your Kid's Bones Are Different From Your Adult Bones
Remember when you were a kid and your parents would say things like, "I wish I had that kind of energy" or "that bed is killing my back"? And you would be all, "What do you mean, I feel fantastic and everything about life is amazing?" Yeah, now that …
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
13 Popular Dog Names That Are Also Perfect For Your Human Baby
When my cousin was about five months pregnant, she stopped over to meet my new baby girl and brought me provisions that would have made any ravenous breastfeeding mama gleeful. She also visited with my cats because, well, you really can't sit on our …
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
Here's The Truth About The Old Wives' Tale That Twins "Skip" A Generation
Parents can pass along all sorts of attributes and personality traits to their kids, like eye and hair color, cute little dimples, and quirks and kinks that they can blame them for later in therapy. It's all part of the science behind genes and other…
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
16 Sibling Quotes for National Sibling Day, Because You Kinda Love 'Em
I've often said that my sister, brothers, and I are siblings by the grace of this universe (and our pretty awesome parents), but we are friends because we choose to be. Because while being the oldest of four has been one of my favorite journeys thus …
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
Here's How To Talk To Your Partner About Stepping Up Their Emotional Support Game
Never is my husband Dan hotter than when he sees me through a particularly emotional time. It sounds like I'm joking, but I'm quite serious. My love for Dan quadruples when he shows up for me. But it's not always easy to find a listening ear, whether…
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
7 Signs Your Toddler Has A UTI, Because The Symptoms Can Be Tricky
When my daughter was treated for the stomach flu this past January, one of the items on the hospital staff's checklist was making sure she didn't have a urinary tract infection (UTI). After all, she had a high fever, was lethargic, and had vomited ea…
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
16 Children's Books About Martin Luther King Jr. To Introduce Them To The Icon
Whether I am seeking answers to a problem, searching for a bit of an escape, or looking for inspiration, one thing is for sure: I'm bound to flip the pages of a book for a solution. Books, it turns out, are magical (if you haven't discovered this yet…
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
Here's When Kids Are Actually Ready For A Dog, According To Experts
Nearly a year ago, we said goodbye to our family dog, Rudy. He lived for almost 15 years and had a full life. But no matter how many times we tried to reassure ourselves of that, we were grief-stricken. Rudy, it turns out, was more than just our furr…
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
If Your Baby Needs A Good Burp, Here's How They'll Let You Know
Interpreting the many sounds and symptoms of a baby can feel a bit like a guessing game, especially when you are trying to do so while operating on too little sleep and not enough coffee. Because, really is there ever enough? If your little one start…
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
Here's How Your Baby's Late Birthday Impacts Your Taxes
Tax season. Two dreadful words that are outweighed by few others. I mean, all of the rules and numbers are enough to make even a math teacher cringe. Adulting, right? But no matter how hard you try to escape taxes (surely you've heard that they've be…
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
7 Red Flags That Your Partner's Anger Is Something More
Everyone gets angry, yours truly included. Whether it's a silly spat over who left a pile of laundry in the middle of the floor or something serious that requires a sit down chat, human beings are, well, human beings. And that means we all have the a…
By Caroline Shannon-Karasik
