At the Harley dealership...don't actually ride one.Hi!  I'm Joelle Kaufman - mom, wife, marketing executive and Bay Area transplant.  Since the birth of my first child in September 2001, I've found that when I talk with other parents about our kids, I get feedback about being practical, level-headed and effective.  This blog has been a casual sound-off for me over the last few years that I have decided to commit to writing almost every day with observations and insights on the world of practical parenting.

In my opinion, anyone can be a practical parent - it's not about working or non-working or level of education.  It's a state of mind.  It's realizing that people have been successfully (or not) raising children for thousands of years.  Although our world is complicated and fast paced, the goal of parenting hasn't changed - to enable your children to be independent adults who contribute to their community.  I hope that through this site, which will eventually feature posts from many  other practical parents, provides grounding for all of you who share that goal and want to laugh at the foibles of parenting in the 21st century.

Welcome and let's get practical.