Today, Priya shares strategies for coping with the missing mommy blues: Until recently, the fact that I worked outside of the home didn't really seem to bother my daughter, but there was a noticeable change in her attitude once she turned two. She now clings to me more when I am around, asks her dad for me when I am not there, and often, if she goes to bed before I get home, is cranky in the morning when she sees me. If I thought I knew mommy guilt before, hearing her cry "Mommy, don't go! Mommy, don't work!" as I was walk out the door elevates my guilt to a whole new level.

Today, Hillary of Mass Audubon shares tips on befriending bugs: If you caught my last post about dragonflies, you will know that my daughter's fear of bugs borders on insanity. Lucky for me, I work for a wildlife organization where bugs are revered. In order to tackle this fear head on -- both for my daughter's benefit and to share with those of you wrestling with the same issue -- I checked in with Tia Pinney, teacher naturalist extraordinaire at Drumlin Farm, and Bob Speare, camp director at Wildwood, Mass Audubon's overnight camp for advice. Here's what I learned.

Today, Jules shares an important lesson learned from her miscarriage. And resources to share with those in need: October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and having miscarried just a few weeks ago, the month holds a very new meaning for me. I was ten weeks pregnant when I stared in a blurry eyed panic at that flat line on the screen...just one week earlier, I had seen that fantastically fast flicker of my baby's perfect heartbeat. I was crushed, and at my D&C the following day, the tears flowed heavily, particularly knowing that, ironically, it was the labor and delivery entrance that took us to the day surgery ward where the fetus -- and my high hopes -- would be removed.

Today, Debbie (also of Two Adopt Two) shares five tips for how to engage kids in chores: We've all likely experienced one of these scenarios: We're folding laundry while the kids read, watch TV, or horse around, and we wonder, Why don't they help? There's always housework and our kids have tons of energy, but somehow we don't ask for help. Or we do ask for help but when our kids don't follow up, we don't enforce the need for them to do chores.

Today, Judy (also of Talking Thirty) shares five ideas for engaging kids in volunteerism: As someone who has spent the past decade working in the field of philanthropy, it's incredibly important to me to raise kids who understand the importance of showing compassion for others and acting on that compassion. However, it can be difficult to find local volunteer opportunities that are age-appropriate and do not require long-term commitments (which may not be realistic for many at this hectic stage of life). I've done some research, though; here are five Boston-area volunteer opportunities that family members can participate in together:

Today, Priya shares six tips for planning and communication related to balancing work and trying to conceive: Waiting longer to start a family has increasingly become the norm and for some good reasons. Women are pursuing advanced degrees in increasing numbers and the decision of how to balance career with motherhood is a complicated one. (I trust by now you have all read Anne-Marie Slaughter's article in The Atlantic, which I thought did make some great points about this.)

Ten days ago, I did something incredibly -- and somewhat unexpectedly -- impacting. I walked a runway with a wonderfully talented, diverse, and ready-for-anything group of women bloggers in BlogHer's first fashion show. And while yes, from the perspective of a working mom who usually has 15 minutes to take care of clothes, hair, and makeup (10 of which typically involve prying Violet off my leg or out of my cosmetics drawer) it was awesome to be styled and beautified, this event ended up opening the door for an amazing conversation with Laurel about body image, confidence, and -- in a phrase best reflected by my friend Karen Walrond -- the beauty of different.

Today, Judy (also of Talking Thirty) shares 6 tips for negotiating in-law to grandparent transitions: When you have kids, not only do you become a parent, but your in-laws become grandparents -- sometimes overzealous ones who suddenly want a lot of contact. This can be fantastic when you are blessed with wonderful in-laws, but I know many people who are not so fortunate -- the most common complaint being that the frequent visitation requests become burdensome (e.g., time to tidy the house, make food, explain how to handle things, etc.) rather than fun or helpful. Today I wanted to share 6 things to keep in mind to help you adjust your perspective as everyone tries to sort out their new roles.

Today, Judy (also of Talking Thirty) shares 8 tips to help diffuse tension due to differences in parenting styles: It's not surprising that many families -- mine included -- wrestle with tension due to different parenting styles. After all, many factors (e.g., personality, culture, education, how we were raised) contribute to our unique perspectives, and it's unrealistic to expect that couples will agree on every parenting decision, whether it's related to sleep training, discipline, nutrition, or something else.