Prague Daily Monitor Articles

Embracing the changing season

#what happens when you stay

Yielding to the right on Prague’s cobblestone streets

Transitioning back to life in the Czech Republic

How to survive when your child speaks better Czech than you do

A few things you should know about a busload of preschoolers (and the parents left behind)

Changing old Czech stereotypes

Even childhood anxiety gets a bi-cultural spin

How CZ cuisine has taught me to appreciate game meat

Overcoming fear and disappointment in the Swiss Alps

Learning patience, one tea party at a time

Sending my daughter to her first sleepaway summer camp in the US

Reflecting on 10 years of motherhood in the CZ

A community event with a fiery twist

How living so far from my roots actually makes me feel closer.

Enjoying the new season as a temporary mother of one

Czech becomes our dominant home language, in spite of my best intentions

Savoring the sweetness, frenzy and all

Preparing for our traditional bi-cultural Christmas

A note of appreciation to my readers and adopted homeland

Adapting Halloween to our life in Prague

Enjoying the autumn harvest by bike around Moravia

Mushroom hunting in the Czech forests

Making peace with life’s inevitable transitions

Transitioning from downpours to a heat wave

Active English language learning in Czech state schools

Another damaging flood hits the Czech Republic

The ups and downs of language acquisition

Fostering the skills of a budding fisherman

Condensing the best of our home country into a single visit

The happy co-mingling of nature and city life

Reading between the lines

Moving forward in times of adversity

Rocking out in Prague

Carving out a bit time for myself

Perfecting our Easter decorating skills

Getting through the end of winter flu

Good-bye gray winter, time to be gone

Making new friends in new places

Making an effort to follow the “real” food trend

Regional and home-cooking authenticity

Hitting the slopes family style

The Czech Republic’s 1st direct presidential elections

A new lens in the New Year

Blending traditions for a bilingual holiday

St. Nicholas arrives with his angel and devil

Holiday traditions new and old

Polka, rock, and a night to remember

Suiting up for a formal ball

Home is where you speak the language

Counting our blessings

A weekend of fresh air, sunshine and nature

Seeing downtown Prague anew

Toilet-training in all its many forms

Bridging marital differences with chocolate

Not just a blast from the past

Request a ballot and make your voice heard from overseas

Snippets from a cross-cultural summer

Gearing up for our annual US summer holidays

A balancing act

Adding a third-language to the bilingual mix

Matchbooks, postcards, stamps & stickers

Škola v přirodě, a Czech rite of passage

A Mother’s Day tribute

Taking a quiet moment to enjoy the local nature

Language matters

Cultural implications to hair color

It’s for your health

Parents, children and independence

The importance of the great outdoors

Exploring Czech dental tradition and services

Finding character in aging

Navigating Czech name culture

No cultural boundaries for pestilence

Czech fascination with devils, witches and malevolent spirits

Czech arts and patriotism at Národní Divadlo

The clothing item not just for superheroes

Making do without snow

My old friend Prague

Decking the halls for the holidays

Cultural significance of Advent calendars and nativity scenes.

Should iPhones and iPads be on Santa’s gift list?

Blending religion into Czech holiday traditions

A winter wonderland or a serious pollution crisis?

Translating recipes across cultures

Boosting language literacy through storytelling

The regal life of a Czech dog

Teaching cultural history though mythological legends

Complications of posting to and from the Czech Republic

Welcoming the warmth of “old lady” summer

Being funny in another culture and language

Drawing the lines closer

Art cases, lunch cards and a locker with a key

Czech attitudes about services in their homeland

Cultural differences first-hand in Tuscany

Is it okay to read to your child in another language?

Grilling for a multicultural party

Making a little mole story come to life

Czech school traditions for the midday meal

Combining exercise with leisure

The benefits of sharing similar life experiences

Bookshelf cultural trends.

Sustainable food trends with Prague’s farmer’s markets

Cultural implications of seasonal change

Keeping BPA plastic out of the mouths of Czech babies

Sharing the love of new experiences through travel

Finding cultural significance in the calendar

Cultural aspects of thirst-quenching

Building healthy brains, building confidence

Government and doctors come to an agreement in the nick of time

When do Czechs say “I love you”?

Balancing observation and guidance

Registration day brings both nerves and excitement

Transitioning back from another cross-Atlantic trip

Maintaining a sense of tradition, even when traveling

My quest for a Czech birth number, “rodné číslo”

A look at the Czech primary school registration process

Testing out the hot new trend of dance aerobics

The Czech approach to pediatric medical procedures

Immunizations and pediatric procedures in the Czech Republic

What do the Czechs know about “healthy” drinking?

Motivating young learners using all the senses

Keeping up a family from a sick-bed

Should the decision be a parent’s privilege or a child’s choice?

How life can redefine particular terms

Making international headlines with a politician pin-up calendar.

Weathering summer’s ups and down: Inclement weather and a new baby

One father’s humanitarian mission after a devastating tragedy.

Finding close-to-home, kid-friendly activities for school holidays

The language of Czech diminutives

Coping with unexpected adversity while living abroad.

Flexibility and transitioning while living abroad

Is being pregnant in-the-buff ok sauna etiquette?

Corruption, empty promises and negative billboards

Sticks and stones, guns, swords and daggers.

A potentially sticky situation for some newborns to non-EU parents

Giving the second language a learning boost.

Easter and spring preparations get a warm weather boost

Creating a social network in a foreign language.

Acquiring an original Czech recipe

Parades and bacchanalian parties wind down.

When a bi-cultural identity is as natural as anything else

Who’s in charge of the kids when there’s no babička?

Communication often trumps regional language usage

Can you cook svíčková like babička?

Why pay someone for a service when you can do it yourself?

Distance and interconnectedness in this age of technology.

Demonstrations of imagination, practicality and a wish to conform

Winter charm of the Krkonoše Mountains

Holding firm to a Czech fish tradition.

Sweet anticipation and preparation frets

Discovering culture significance in hygiene and social graces

Celebrating the Advent season with St. Nicholas, an angel and a devil

Is two-times the holiday, twice as much fun?

Pickpockets and petty thievery on Prague’s streets

Traditions and superstitions associated with pregnancy and childbirth

Hunting for mushrooms, gathering nuts, flying kites and carving pumpkins.

Teaching Czech children English presents its own set of challenges

Finding a common language with my Czech mother-in-law

An Italian monastery prompts discussion on Christian traditions.

Learning to appreciate traditional Czech food

A look at a fast-growing, grass-roots tradition

The grammar and rules of informal vs. formal

Exploring the cultural norm of wearing slippers

Building neighbourhood relations, improving roadways

The universal language of fairytales

Fighting an age-old cultural stigma of the male ballet dancer

Reaping the benefits of transitions

Cities, countryside, family, friends and needed relaxation

A controversial custom with strong historical, cultural, religious and health implications

A look at the service industry (or lack thereof) in the Czech Republic

Keeping Native American traditions alive in the Czech Republic

How do economics and culture play a role in determining toddler training?

Finding other “half-n-half” families makes Prague feel more like home

Weighing the pros and cons of different educational paths

With the cold snap, even backyard skiing is possible

Our search for a “real” Santa experience

What’s Easter Monday without a whipping?

Navigating the subtle differences between nudity and sexiness.

Loosening my rule-abiding tendencies is an ongoing process

Who needs Disney World when you live in the Czech Republic?

Finding a spot in a state preschool is as likely as winning the lottery.

Mark your calendars and join the gathering.

Languages ricochet like ping-pong balls during playtime

Celebrating at the Sokolovna in Únětice

Finding the right pumpkin keeps getting easier

Living abroad makes voting do-able, but a little more work

As spring nears Prague’s parks abound with fleet-footed runners

It’s flu time

The thrill and perils of natural ice

The challenges of standing on the sidelines

The trials of speaking Czech

Cross-cultural marital communication

Taking on a Czech surname wasn’t as simple as I’d first thought

Enjoying historic toys and playthings at the museum of Central Bohemia

Gifts of food from my Czech in-laws

That impenetrable monolith of Czech institutions

Traversing Prague’s cobblestone streets

Reading aloud helps define a love of stories and sparks the imagination

Learning about life (and death) by watching the birds