First, a confession: I laugh inside when I see a young child causing his or her parents hell in the grocery store. It’s just such a relatable, tragically comic moment. Every time you take a child into a store, you know there’s a chance something is going to go wrong, and it’s going to be…. read more
Common Sense Reminders for Facebook and Other Online Interactions
This week, my daughter is heading onto the internet. She’s officially become a part of the 21st century as she set up her Facebook account today. These are the reminders I gave her to post on her wall. They are not only applicable to Facebook but to any forum, twitter, chat room situation. 1) Don’t…. read more
Failure As a Life Lesson
My daughter decided to try out for the high school volleyball team. She likes to play volleyball, and as a Freshman, thought it would be a good idea to get into sports. What was surprising to me was that this particular volleyball program had successfully made it to the championships several years in a row…. read more
You Can Be Anything You Want… (except that)
We like to tell children that they can be anything they want. If they want to be an astronaut, they can be that. If they want to be a fireman, they can be that. Whatever they set their eyes on, that’s achievable. It’s an adorable point of view. Too bad it isn’t true. The reality…. read more
Following Up on the June 1 Post
On June 1, Today, Sea Shephard shared this video interview. Watch the latest video at video.foxbusiness.com Whether you agree or disagree with Sea Shephard’s efforts and methods, we felt it was important to share this because it seems to lend some credence to Parent X’s concerns. What are your feelings about letting the internet create…. read more
Late Nights
When I was a kid, late night television always held a special mystique. Since there were no DVR’s or even VCR’s, the only way to watch was to stay up late. Even way back then, school started pretty early, so my parents insisted that I go to bed at a reasonable time and get my…. read more
Playdates on Xbox
“Mom, can I call Greg to see if he can play?” “Sure, hon, I can pick him up or drive you over in about 15 minutes.” “Oh no, I mean on xbox.” Virtual playdates have replaced real playdates for many tweens. I suspect there are multiple reasons behind this shift. 1) Kids schedules are so…. read more
The Greatest Movie You’ll Never See
About six years ago, we made a short video of my son. He was (and still is) a passionate fan of Star Wars, and we used our new camcorder and my copy of Adobe Elements to throw together a 2-minute fan film starring a seven-year old Jedi warrior and (spoiler alert) his twin, Darth Menace….. read more
A Most unScientific Study: Mothers’ Day Gifts
An informal survey of six families revealed Mothers’ Day to be a “minor” holiday in terms of gift giving. All six families celebrated with a special meal The “mother” in all six families received gifts and cards from her children the ratio of handmade to store bought cards from the children was 7:5 the ratio…. read more
To Give or Not Give an Allowance
My husband and I have been struggling with something for a while now: whether or not to give our kids allowance. My childhood existed without an allowance. We had chores and everyone pitched in to help. If I wanted something I asked Mom and Dad. If they said “no” and I really wanted it, I…. read more
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