Compassion lived, taught and increased
Children constantly learn from us parents – lessons we want to teach and those we don’t, whether we know they’re watching or not. Here’s how two Springfield mothers make lessons in compassion intentional, ongoing and heartfelt. A complete life For Mary Killough, compassion begins at home, with her sons, Jacob, Justin and Jeffrey, and…
A farm for teaching schoolkids
Agri-education is a word not found in the traditional dictionary, but Indian Creek Farmstead in Petersburg offers a vivid interactive definition. With the goal of teaching schoolchildren about life on the farm, Indian Creek offers presentations, exhibits and other focused activities. John Lyons, co-owner of the farmstead, defines agri-education as the education and knowledge sharing…
SIU’s fertility center helped them have a baby
Ann Gemberling of Springfield always wanted children. “I wanted to get pregnant,” she said. “I talked about it all the time.” She and her husband, Jay, knew they would be great parents and would be able to provide a good life for a child. Both in their late 20s, the couple knew it was going…
It takes a village, online
Ten years ago, Kim Leistner shared an email newsletter with 30 of her friends. It was filled with tips and upcoming events for area families to enjoy, with all the information in one convenient place. With some late nights, dedication and a little old-fashioned word of mouth, that newsletter grew to what it is today…
Get your kids their shots
It’s back-to-school time, and that means, in addition to buying new shoes and school supplies, families are making appointments with their doctors for kids’ physicals and immunizations. Yet a growing number of people are growing wary of vaccinations, and some are refusing to have their children vaccinated altogether. Mistrust of vaccinations exploded in 1998 when…
