Advice

Featured Articles

Back‑to‑School Social Anxiety Tips for Collier and Lee County Students

As the new school year unfolds in Collier and Lee Counties, it's not just about school supplies—it’s a social reset that can heighten school social...

How to Set Parental Controls on Your Child’s iPhone

Want to keep your child safe online? This guide shows you how to do parental control on iPhone. You’ll set limits, restrict content, block downloads,...

Bear Creek Elementary Opening in North Naples

Bear Creek Elementary, the newest addition to Collier County Public Schools and home of the Cubs, will welcome its inaugural class of students on Aug....

Plan Ahead with the 2025–2026 Collier County Public School Calendar

Families in Southwest Florida can begin planning now with the board-approved Collier County Public School calendar for the 2025–2026 school year. This guide outlines key dates...

New, Innovative Educational Microschool Model in Naples

Students sit on comfortable couches learning about electricity. Later they might go out and gather eggs or plant some vegetables while integrating math or reading...

Adoption

Fostering Journey Final Chapter: Celebrating Adopting Our Son

After eight months in our home, I am thrilled to share that this past week, we adopted our sweet boy into our family. The adoption...

Our Foster Parenting Journey: Summer Reflections

We’re wrapping up our first summer as a foster family, and our permanent placement (a 7-month-old baby boy) has been experiencing the daily outpourings of...

Five Months into Our Fostering Journey: Eucatastrophe

A friend of ours came for dinner Easter weekend. He asked me, pointedly: “What have you learned – what has God shown you – this...

Finding Joy in the Unexpected: Celebrating Foster Motherhood in Southwest Florida

We’ve had our little one for four months now, and although there are no guarantees and I can’t share details, the placement feels long-term. We...

The Learning and Chaos as the Fostering Journey Continues

This is the latest article I've written about our journey as a foster family. It’s been almost three months since we took our first permanent...

Fielding Questions as a Foster Parent

This is the latest installment of my fostering journey. Previously I shared about the circumstances surrounding the placement of a newborn baby in our home....

Education

How Schools Blend Technology and Traditional Learning in Collier and Lee Counties

Across Southwest Florida, schools are blending technology and traditional learning in Collier and Lee Counties so students get the best of both worlds. In many...

A Year of Progress for Lee County Schools

When I was sworn in just over a year ago as Lee County’s first elected school superintendent in 50 years, I embraced the role with...

Sunshine State Scholars Collier County 2026: Meet CCPS Rising Stars

Sunshine State Scholars Collier County 2026 celebrates two exceptional Collier County Public Schools juniors: Maximus “Max” Bogert of Palmetto Ridge High School and Sarah Dabees...

Naples Teens Lead Community Service Projects

When Gabe Garcia and Jayden Herrera stepped into leadership roles at Palmetto Ridge High School in Naples, Florida, they made it their mission to redefine...

School Anxiety in Collier and Lee Counties: When School Feels Like Too Much

For many families, school anxiety in Collier and Lee Counties is no longer a rare crisis. A kindergartener is having severe anxiety after starting school...

Bright Futures: Florida’s Top Student Scholarship

If you’re raising a student in Florida, the Bright Futures Scholarship Program is one opportunity you don’t want to miss. Funded by the Florida Lottery,...

Financial

$20,000 Scholarship Applications Now Open for Collier County Seniors

Attention High School Seniors: The 2026 Schulze College Scholarship Application Is Now Open. Apply Today! The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation is once again awarding up...

Local Scholarships Often Go Unclaimed in Collier and Lee Counties

Bonita Shores offers three $500 college scholarships for high school seniors in that community, but in 2025 nobody applied. Longshore Lakes in North Naples offers...

Domestic Violence Resources in Southwest Florida

October marks National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time when communities unite to support survivors, educate families, and work toward ending intimate partner violence. For families...

Tips for Affordable Family Fun and Entertainment in SWFL

A typical family with parents and their two kids are ready for a typical family outing. The movies, bowling, and mini golf have been long...

Many SWFL Parents Now Need Second Jobs to Pay the Bills

Despite working full-time jobs, Southwest Florida moms struggle to make ends meet due to rising costs. From social workers to stay-at-home moms, many are turning to side hustles and starting small businesses to survive.

A three-step guide to uncover what college REALLY costs

Here are three things you can do to learn which colleges may fit into your family’s budget.

Grandparents

A Grandparent’s Guide to Supporting Neurodiverse Grandchildren with Love and Patience

The role of grandparents in families with children with special needs cannot be underestimated. Here is a guide for how to support neurodiverse grandchildren.

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Amidst Challenges and Love

Explore the heartwarming journey of Celeste Lynch, one of millions of grandparents in the US raising their grandchildren. Discover the love, challenges, and resilience in their unique story.

Destination: “Me” Trip with Grandparents

Grandparents get special bonding time when they take their grandchildren alone on vacation.

Collier Grandparents Making Huge Difference at Parkside Elementary

Supporting the efforts of the staff are Parkside’s volunteers. One of the most significant efforts at the school recently has been the recruitment of more volunteers, principally retirees.

Memories of My Grandparents

Grandparents are the windows to our past and, through their experiences, the keys to our future if we choose to grab them.

Health

What an Autism-Friendly Dentist and Certified Autism Center Means for Kids in Collier and Lee Counties

Choosing an autism-friendly dentist in Collier and Lee Counties can transform a stressful appointment into a calmer, more predictable experience for your child. For autistic...

Free Children’s Dental Screenings in Collier County on Feb. 28

Free children’s dental screenings in Collier County are happening on Feb. 28 at Nichols Community Health Center in Naples. Hosted by the Florida Department of...

How to Improve Indoor Air Quality for Kids in SWFL

When parents think about keeping their children safe, they often focus on car seats, helmets, and healthy meals. But what about indoor air quality for...

How is the Super Mom Myth Shaping Burnout for Collier and Lee County Moms?

The super mom myth often looks like cold coffee on the counter, a never-ending to-do list, and the pressure to keep every ball in the...

SWFL Family New Year Resolutions That Actually Stick

Family New Year's resolutions offer a meaningful way to set intentions and strengthen bonds. But while many SWFL families start the year with high hopes,...

How Can Telehealth Help Families in Collier and Lee Counties?

Telehealth for families in Collier and Lee Counties makes it much easier to fit healthcare into real life. Instead of rushing across town, sitting in...

Parenting

What the Winter Olympics Can Teach kids in Collier and Lee Counties

If you have a young athlete in Collier or Lee County, you might be wondering what the Winter Olympics can teach kids beyond who wins...

How is the Super Mom Myth Shaping Burnout for Collier and Lee County Moms?

The super mom myth often looks like cold coffee on the counter, a never-ending to-do list, and the pressure to keep every ball in the...

School Anxiety in Collier and Lee Counties: When School Feels Like Too Much

For many families, school anxiety in Collier and Lee Counties is no longer a rare crisis. A kindergartener is having severe anxiety after starting school...

How Can Telehealth Help Families in Collier and Lee Counties?

Telehealth for families in Collier and Lee Counties makes it much easier to fit healthcare into real life. Instead of rushing across town, sitting in...

Children’s Privacy on Social Media: What Parents Should Know Before Posting

Children's privacy on social media is becoming a growing concern for parents in the digital age. Those cute photos of a toddler covered in spaghetti...

Parenting with Discipline, Respect, and Communication

When a newborn baby enters a home for the first time, a question many proud parents ask is, “What will they do as an adult?”...

Special Needs

What an Autism-Friendly Dentist and Certified Autism Center Means for Kids in Collier and Lee Counties

Choosing an autism-friendly dentist in Collier and Lee Counties can transform a stressful appointment into a calmer, more predictable experience for your child. For autistic...

Developing Executive Functioning Skills in Teens with Additional Needs: How Summer Routines Build Growth and Independence

Supporting Healthy Development During a Critical Transition Adolescence is a pivotal time when teens begin to seek independence, even as the brain—particularly areas governing impulse...

Naples Student Organizes Teddy Bear Toss to Support Children with Special Needs

Devyn Seidner was fascinated by the teddy bear toss she saw at a Florida Everblades ice hockey game at Hertz Arena in Estero. The heartwarming...

Margaritaville Fort Myers Beach and Compass Naples Achieve Autism Certification for Inclusive Travel

April is Autism Acceptance Month, and two local Margaritaville properties are marking the occasion with a milestone in inclusive hospitality. Margaritaville Beach Resort Fort Myers...

Third Grader Spreads Joy to Special Needs Kids at Sea Gate Elementary

At just 8 years old, Carol Myles Villani possesses a level of compassion rarely seen in children her age. Instead of spending her recess on...

Southwest Florida Tween Proves That Adaptive Ice Skating Has No Limits

When Krista Cianfrani entered her daughter in Neapolitan Family’s annual cover contest, we knew that we didn’t just want Daniella on the cover; we wanted...

Monterey Bay Parent

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