Scoring admission to good school is a test of nerves

• By Donica Kaneshiro
• April 28, 2018

It’s the time of year when parents and students are keeping a close eye on the mailbox. They’re on the lookout for those coveted thick acceptance envelopes and those dreaded thin rejections. Read more

Empty-nester appreciates Honolulu’s feral fowl

• By Christie Wilson
• April 21, 2018

As city officials ponder how best to eradicate the feral fowl disturbing the peace on our fair island, I would like to use my space this week in defense of chickens. Read more

Evening meal sets table for conversation

• By Zenaida Serrano
• April 14, 2018

Dinner is when we reunite. We unwind. We eat. But yummy food is just a bonus. What matters to me is we talk — sharing accomplishments and praise, venting frustrations, handling sibling feuds, offering advice and solving problems together. Read more

Countdown to adulthood brings sense of urgency

• By Donica Kaneshiro
• April 8, 2018

As I helped my son fill out his registration forms for high school classes, all I could think was how little time I had left to parent him. Read more

Parking ticket unleashes fighting spirit

• By Kristen Consillio
• March 31, 2018

For the most part, I’ve always been able to talk my way out of things, especially in circumstances when there is room for negotiation. I’ve gotten out of tickets and late fees, and have been pardoned from breaking other rules due to extenuating circumstances. My motto: “There is always an exception to the rule.” Read more

Grandparents helped raise multiple generations in Kaimuki home

• By Kristen Consillio
• March 27, 2018

In the blink of an eye, the generations have flown by since Audrey and Solomon Niau met as teenagers 70 years ago in the same quaint Kaimuki neighborhood they live in today. Read more

Family pets provide both love and heartbreak

• By Christie Wilson
• March 24, 2018

Losing our beloved shih tzu-mix Kiki, who was never happier than when scampering up a hiking trail or digging in the sand, was the last straw. No more heartbreak, we vowed, no more pets. Read more

Crafty mom instill creativity in offspring

• By Zenaida Serrano
• March 18, 2018

Mom celebrated her 70th birthday just a few days ago. As her milestone day neared, I reflected on all the typical traits that make mothers so admired. One of the qualities I appreciate most of all is her creativity. Read more

Hats off to naturally silver strands

• By Christie Wilson
• March 11, 2018

The first months of my journey to ditch hair dye and allow my natural color to grow out were the toughest, and in my weakest moments I had to resist the urge to skulk back to the salon to retrieve my former artificial color and highlights. Read more

Worn-out family car gets high-tech upgrade

• By Donica Kaneshiro
• March 4, 2018

Instead of a circa-2008 CD player, there’s a 7-inch media screen in the middle of the dash in our new Honda Accord. I can push one button to stream music from Pandora and another to chat with Siri. Read more

Keeping up with family fun means to-do list waits

• By Kristen Consillio
• Feb. 25, 2018

Who wants to stay home and clean when there are so many fun things to do for the family around Oahu every weekend? Read more

A favorite phrase lightens Sunday tasks

• By Zenaida Serrano,
• Feb. 18, 2018

“A Sunday well spent brings a week of content.” I don’t know who came up with the clever quote; I believe it’s a proverb. I love that to different people it can mean different things, from recharging to preparing for the week ahead. Read more

There’s no sure path to finding your passion

• By Christie Wilson
• Feb. 11, 2018

If I made a list of likely occupations my son would have chosen for a career, sushi chef would have ranked about 129th. Yet there he is, in his fourth month of on-the-job training in a little family-run restaurant on Maui. Read more

Classwork websites enable helicopter parenting

• By Donica Kaneshiro
• Feb. 4, 2018

There was a time when parents had to wait weeks, even months, to find out how their child was performing at school. Report card day was a big deal. These days, middle school report cards are just a formality. Read more

Missile goof recalls historic day of infamy

• By Kristen Consillio
• Jan. 28, 2018

Thank God the missile alert earlier this month was a false alarm. We can only hope and pray we never see another day of infamy. Read more

Missile scare puts life’s priorities in perspective

• By Zenaida Serrano
• Jan. 21, 2018

In those frenzied minutes following the Jan. 13 false alert of an inbound ballistic missile, my husband and I rushed our daughters into their bathroom, which has no windows. I saw fear in the eyes of my three little girls — maybe because they saw fear in mine. Read more

Winter wonderings clear mental clutter

• By Christie Wilson
• Jan. 14, 2018

In the tradition of clearing out the clutter at the dawn of a new year, here are some random observations from Star-Advertiser features editor Christie Wilson. Read more

Day Runner provides year-end perspective for busy mom

• By Donica Kaneshiro
• Jan. 7, 2018

I’m no technophobe. I tweet daily about my activities with the kids. I stalk like-minded strangers on Pinterest. I have an unhealthy obsession with playing Words With Friends 2 with my sister who lives 5,000 miles away. But I still love my Day Runner planner. Read more