North State Parent magazine

A MAGAZINE SERVING FAMILIES IN BUTTE, GLENN, SHASTA, SISKIYOU & TEHAMA COUNTIES SINCE 1993

Shannon M. Dean

Shannon M. Dean

Shannon M. Dean specializes in writing about families. Her son recently enthusiastically replied “Cool mom!” when she confided her dream of writing fiction.

Author Archive

Red Classic Alarm clock isolated on white background

Daylight Saving Time and Children’s Sleep: Why the Clock Change Hits Families Hard

The Monday after the springtime time change often looks the same in many households. A preschooler is wide-awake before dawn, convinced it is time to start the day. A middle […]

Teenage Girl In Car Having Driving Lesson From Female Instructor Or Parent

How To Share the Emotional Labor Of Parenting

Many modern families share domestic duties in a way that would have been foreign to previous generations. Dads today will often willingly do a load of laundry, change a diaper […]

Teenage Girl In Car Having Driving Lesson From Female Instructor Or Parent

LETTING GO without LOSING SLEEP: Finding the Right Balance of Teen Independence

Parenting teens today feels quite different from a generation ago. On one hand, we’re encouraged to raise confident, self-reliant young adults. On the other, we’re bombarded by headlines, social media […]

Child making greeting card with colored paper at the table.

Charity Begins at Home: Encouraging A Giving Spirit in Children

We live in the age of selfies, where bullying is on the rise and civility is on the decline. Not-so-subtle societal messages tell us that our worth is defined by […]

halloween

A More Meaningful Halloween: Teaching Empathy and Compassion Through Costumes and Candy

It’s easy to see Halloween as a blur of plastic pumpkins, costume stress and frantic trick-or-treating. But what if it could also be meaningful? What if Halloween allowed us to […]

1023-sm

Staying Safe on Social Media – Eight Ways to Protect Your Kids

Like it or not, social media is an important part of our children’s lives. By the time they are teenagers, 95% of kids have used it and 45% admit to […]

a family - Family New Year's Resolutions - north state parent

Family New Year’s Resolutions With Big Rewards

Six easy, enjoyable family resolutions As this year ends, the promise of new possibilities emerges with the coming of a new year. In addition to personal goals, many parents set […]

Boost Your Child’s Brain Power with Creative Arts

Boost Your Child’s Brain Power with Creative Arts

In a highly competitive world that places a significant premium on easily measured achievements, creative arts are sometimes considered expendable. Yet, experts stress that the arts are just as beneficial […]

grandparents bonding with grandchildren - north state parent

The Bond Between Grandparents and Grandchildren

Grandparents Day is September 9th, but smart parents regularly celebrate the vital role that grandparents play in their family’s life every day. The strong bond between grandparents and their grandchildren […]

art-1015-get-a-life

Putting Yourself On The Shelf? Parental Permission To Get A Life!

Don’t expect any alarms to go off when you turn your back on the things you once loved now that you have children. Most parents are unaware of any conscious […]