As is the case for most of you, Christmas and Thanksgiving brought my children, wife, and I together with some family members we don’t often see. I’m not proud of or pleased by that fact… but we simply don’t see my uncles, cousins, or even brother as often as I’d like. One advantage is the…. read more

January 3, 2012 by Scott Copperman in Parenting

Since I watch a lot of television with my kids, I often have to point out to them that while a character might be hilarious to watch, they aren’t necessarily a good role model. This inevitably brings up the question, “Why are the funniest characters on television the worst role models?” Well, to disprove that…. read more

November 17, 2011 by Paul Goebel in Other Stuff, Parenting

For the past four years, my son has been a member of the local swim team. That’s four years of summer, winter, and spring swimming seasons. That’s four $750 checks written for the pleasure of being a member of the team. That’s four years in which the coaches had a chance to learn that he…. read more

November 15, 2011 by Parent X in Parenting

As often happens with children, the topic of drug use came up today and I was forced to explain the distinction between using drugs and abusing drugs. The conversation inevitable turned to all the funny characters on television who are clearly addicted to some kind of controlled substance. Here is a collection of the funniest….. read more

November 10, 2011 by Paul Goebel in Other Stuff, Parenting

Back when I was in the 7th grade, I had an English teacher (we called it “English” back then, but to you younger readers that is “Language Arts”) named Ms. Miller. Ms. Miller taught the honors students and she was one of the more demanding teachers for our grade level. This being pre-NCLB-centered education, what…. read more

October 27, 2011 by Parent X in Education, Parenting

It’s October which means that it’s yet again time to shop for Halloween costumes for the kids. Given my daughter just turned 14, it’s highly likely this is the last time she’ll be ‘trick-or-treating’. My son, age 10, was easy to shop for. “Mom I want to be an army soldier with a gun! And…. read more

October 21, 2011 by Susan Lane in Parenting

The other day, my kid asked me who was the biggest celebrity I had ever met and I told them this story. As many of you know, in the year 2000 I was crowned TV Land’s Ultimate Fan. It was a great experience that I will always remember. I got to visit New York in…. read more

October 13, 2011 by Paul Goebel in Other Stuff

I don’t know how many seasons Glee has been on. It feels like somewhere in the range of 3-5, but to be honest I’m not sure. I do remember when Glee first came on the air. I had no interest in watching it. I’m not sure exactly what it is about the show that turned…. read more

October 6, 2011 by Scott Copperman in Parenting

Before The X Factor started, there was a lot of talk about how it’s too similar to American Idol. Early reviews compared Simon, Paula and LA Reid to the old days of Simon, Paula, and Randy Jackson and asked why they should watch. Well, the show premiered last month and it turns out those early…. read more

October 4, 2011 by Paul Goebel in Other Stuff, Things to Check Out

Every fall since my children have been alive, I have asked myself the same question, “Would I let my kids watch this show?” It’s a strange question because the answer is rarely a simple yes or no. The answers are usually a mix of the following… “Yes, but I will never watch it because it…. read more

September 22, 2011 by Paul Goebel in Parenting