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5 Yummy Slow Cooker Recipes You Need to Try ASAP

There is no greater friend to a busy family than the trusty slow cooker. Loading it up with ingredients in the morning and then coming home to a meal nearly ready for the table? Yes, please. And it’s not just about soup and chili recipes, either (though the ones below are delicious!). We’ve also included saucy chicken thighs, pulled beef poutine and even slow cooker lasagna.

Tap each recipe title for the full ingredient list and instructions.

Slow Cooker Chickpea, Ham and Kale Soup
Slow Cooker Honey-Garlic Chicken Thighs and Slaw
Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna
Slow Cooker Pulled Beef Poutine

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How to Keep School Lunches Exciting

It can be a challenge to keep kids enthusiastic about what’s in their lunchboxes day after day. Switch it up with these tips and tricks, to get them excited about school lunches again.

Do You Let Your Kids Help in the Kitchen?

There seem to be two camps of people where kids in the kitchen are concerned. The first camp wants kids to pick up culinary skills from a young age, so they involve their brood in meal prep from the jump. The other camp just wants to cook in peace, so the kitchen is their domain. Tell us: Where do you fall? Are you into having your kids help with meals?

🗳 THE POLL

The results of last week’s poll:
Do you have a "village" to help with your kids?

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Yes, absolutely. Couldn't do it without them. (16.3%)
🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ Sort of. I have people who can help in a pinch. (32.7%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Nope, not at all. (51%)

Do I Have to Invite My Child’s Whole Class to Their Birthday Party?

Back to school means the steady train of birthday party invitations will start up again. And if you’re in the party-planning hot seat soon, you might be wondering about invitation etiquette. Do you have to invite the whole class? We asked two parents to weigh in on the debate.

NO:
“If your child has fewer than 10 kids in the class, then by all means invite them all. Leaving out one or two children in this case feels intentionally exclusive and mean-spirited. But inviting, say, three or four friends from school, a few cousins and buddies from extracurriculars makes for a totally reasonable mix.

If the class has any more than 10 to 12 kids (most do), you’re within your rights to let your kid cherry-pick the guest list.” —Julie M. Green

YES:
“I have seen how being excluded from birthday parties can affect a child’s confidence long term. It isolates those kids from the group. If we were teaching a “How to Build a Bully” clinic, excluding kids from birthday parties would be lesson number one.

For some kids, yours will be the only party they attend all year. So, why not host a party where classmates have the opportunity to play, to be kids, to see each other in a social setting outside of school where new bonds can form and existing ones can strengthen?” —Liz Hastings

Tap the button below for the rest of the debate.