The Unbearable Wrongness of Sportsing
I was never a sporty kid, and my own children never want to exercise, either. How do I set them up for good lifelong habits when I can’t get them off the couch?
I was never a sporty kid, and my own children never want to exercise, either. How do I set them up for good lifelong habits when I can’t get them off the couch?
I didn’t have to snoop when he was in grade school. All of his classmates lived in our neighborhood, so I already knew most of the parents. I also regularly volunteered in the classroom. But now he’s in a big school that combines three different neighborhoods, and I only volunteer when under court order. That means I don’t know anything about the kids he now wants to hang out with, and since he’s no help at all, I have to dig.
Time marches on, and now that my kid is halfway through her junior year, college planning is beginning in earnest. There’s so much to think about!
Sometimes I forget that in just a few shorts years, my kids will be grown and (hopefully) flown. I guess I’d better start getting ready.
Is normal a real thing? Should I be wishing my special-needs kids were normal? I’m not even sure it’s real, and if it is, well, it’s not for us.
Sure, we know to avoid comparing siblings to one another, but in trying to bolster and protect my kids this way, I very nearly screwed up even more.
How do you help your daughters when they are excluded from play by the other neighborhood girls?
Birthdays with teenagers can feel a lot like a timer ticking down, but sometimes they feel like victory, too. For my late bloomer, this birthday feels huge.
It’s hard to believe I’m teaching my oldest to drive, but here we are (still alive and liking each other, even). It’s a learning process, for both of us.
I’ve never been the kind of parent to go for the flashy or extravagant gift for my kids, except I finally did, and it feels fantastic.
A family member wants to gift her nephew the princess toys that he wants for Christmas and with which his immediate family doesn’t allow him to play. What can she do in this sticky situation?
I know very little about wine pairings, but I do know what you should bake for your next meeting at school.
I don’t tell new parents the things I think they really ought to know, because I doubt they would believe me. But here’s what I always want to say.
At a time when many parents are backing off, we’re stepping up; volunteering at the high school level doesn’t make you a helicopter parent!
The longer I parent, the more I realize how much I don’t know. It’s all a puzzle, and thankfully, I like puzzles.
I voted this morning, but perhaps more importantly, I’m trying to make sure my kids understand why it’s a big deal.
The realities of trying to parent teenagers and keep my sanity are sending me more and more often… to the kitchen, where life makes sense to me.
A good marching band can be a fabulous high school experience for your child, but how do you know if a program is a good one? Here’s some things to consider.
After years of my oldest taking the lead with my son, it’s his turn to teach her a few things. I love seeing my kids build their relationship in any form, but this is new!
Homework doesn’t have to be a battleground in your home; keep in mind a few simple rules for a practical approach and peace can indeed coincide with homework!