I went on a change-your-diet-change-your-life kick, limiting all the snack, sweet, fast food, or junk foods from my family’s diet. It was easier for me than you’d think because I was the only one buying groceries. I just didn’t buy it anymore. Just because something isn’t available doesn’t mean people won’t miss it. I thought …
With authority over children comes the responsibility to discipline children with respect. Sometimes we all feel a lack of respect for an irrational child with no concept of civility, but parents must remember to respect their children for who they will become, not what they are in the moment.
Listen, I tip my hat to women who welcome natural childbirth – in the same way I like to gawk at David Blaine for freezing himself in a block of ice. But if you’re a woman who feels the need to avoid a natural childbirth – don’t feel bad. You’re taking advantage of what medicine …
I was recently babysitting my 9-year old nephew while his parents went out on date night. We mostly sat around his house playing cards and talking, but then he got to going about his good grades, and I was suddenly not very interested in talking with him anymore.
My 6 year old is smart. Not brilliant, not a genius, but quick, bright, perceptive, sensitive, and intelligent. Her information retention is impressive, and her verbal skills often have people thinking that she’s a year or two older than she is. And I never, ever use the word smart in front of her if I …
Kids of today are too serious. They receive pressure to succeed, have little time to get bored and they often don’t make decisions on what they want to do. Play has become a structured regimen, much to the chagrin of children and their better nature. Dealing with a bored child can mean leaving them alone.
“This baby feeds from his mother’s milk,” I answered in my newly-acquired language. Stepping out with a newborn in Indochina, I had expected the typical questions to be “Boy or girl?” or “How old?” But what I heard was very different – “No Breastfeeding!” Local friends, waitresses, fellow passengers on the city bus, taxi drivers, …
My family and I were enjoying a nice dinner at a local restaurant. We have three children each several years apart – two boys, 11 and 8, and my little 12-month old princess. I had breastfed my little girl since she was born while the boys were bottle fed when they were babies. It was …
A couple of days ago, a family asked me for advice about their child, a 10-year-old who is overweight. They were running out of ideas what to do about it. Their most pressing concern was their own responsibility about the situation. I had to answer whether I thought these parents are to blame for childhood …
The recent police case of an 8-year old boy in New York, who got spanked by his father, has led some anti-helicopter parenting advocates to protest that the government is not letting parents deal with their own children as they see fit. The father, who was charged and convicted with child-endangerment, found vindication from a …
Today’s pundits and doctors insist they know what’s best for our children while not allowing parents to do right by their own judgement. Helicopter parenting laws are coming to municipalities in ways unimagined, but the anti-helicopter parenting movement is pushing back. Humor is one way we’re doing it, including this clever video shows the stress …
I overheard an interesting debate between two young fathers the other day as they discussed what kind of books their children should read. They were in agreement that reading is beneficial for children as it fosters a stronger relationship between parent and child, contributes to the development of academic and speech skills and helps develop a mastery …
Look, you’re expected to spend $242,000 on your newborn until he or she is 18. Don’t tell me you’re just going to accept this as your own fact? You can change this. Don’t say no to savings. Get all the savings that you can get with hand me downs. There’s no shame in that!
There are so many ways for a baby to sleep, but most parents will choose from one of three ways – full crib, full co-sleep or half-crib and half co-sleep. There are so many reasons that you choose the sleep pattern that you do. However, with three kids and three different ways of teaching them …
At one time or another, all parents need to take on the role of teachers in a classroom, using teacher tools that help manage children. Managing classroom noise level with common sense is not all that common, after all. But it will happen to you – it might come at a church retreat or a large …
I remember waking up before school and telling my mother I didn’t want to go. “Give me two reasons why you don’t want to go?” she asked. “Well, the kids all hate me and the teachers hate me, too,” I replied. “Oh that’s not a good reason not to go to school. Now, get up …
Last year, the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics released that there are 1,770,000 homeschooled students in the US. This is a huge jump from 1.5 million students in 2007. Now, 1.7 million may not sound much since it represents just 3.4% of children of school age, but the fact still remains …
My child thought it was funny when my United Kingdom compatriots lost to Italy during the World Cup.
The backlash against the North August city government has been nothing less than severe as news outlets accuse them of enforcing helicopter parenting laws. From the state where conservative politics once meant mind-your-own-damn-business, southern police departments have started targeting anti-helicopter parents – those who let their kids run free and learn independence by playing alone. …
Within reason, my young son doesn’t really have a set time he has to go to bed. That’s because I enforce no time for bedtime. It’s just not what he needs. It is true that my situation is different than a lot of people’s. I’m a single mom, so there’s no big hurry to get the …
