I am participating in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Influence Central for Anheuser-Busch’s Family Talk About Drinking Program. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation. All opinions are my own. Children are naturally inquisitive creatures. They ask an assortment of questions ranging from 'why is the sky blue' to 'why do farts smell'. Yes, I have a boy.....I'm not sure girls ask as many questions about bodily functions as boys do! As kids get older, they start asking harder questions. 'How are babies made' and … [Read more...]
Teach Your Kids to NEVER Do These 5 Things!
February 23, 2015 by · 5 Comments
I have two teenagers whom I love dearly but I can honestly say that I am not generally fond of most kids. This makes me sound like a horrible person but I have found that many kids (mine included!) have some habits which really grate on my nerves. In my own kids, I can correct their bad behavior or at least punish them for things they know better than to do. Other people tend to frown on non parental adults correcting their kids and maybe the things that annoy ME are totally allowed in your house. In an effort to help society create … [Read more...]
Important Questions to Ask the High School Guidance Counselor
February 13, 2015 by · 6 Comments
My son is in high school this year and while he has always been a good student, I find myself worrying about whether we are doing the right things when it comes to getting into college. It seems crazy that I have to worry about college admissions requirements at the age of 15 but the competition is fierce when it comes to getting into the school of your choice. Unless we hit the lottery, my kids aren't going to Yale but I at least want to know that they can get into a local state school without a problem! So, what do we need to do to make … [Read more...]
Movies for Teens: How do you Know Which Ones are Appropriate?
January 21, 2015 by · 7 Comments
As of less than one month ago, I am officially the parent of two teenagers. It's a rather scary thought, to be honest, and I seriously hope I don't screw it up somehow. There are so many external factors that influence how our teenagers mature and very few of them do parents have any actual control over. Teens get so much of their knowledge from peers, books, TV and movies that it's a wonder any of them become productive adults nowadays. Have you seen what Hollywood is throwing at us left and right? Trying to decide which movies for teens … [Read more...]
Tips for Raising a Well Rounded Teenager
January 12, 2015 by · 9 Comments
As my children move into high school and we start thinking more and more about college, I find myself worrying about raising a well rounded teenager. Academics have never been a problem for my kids. I am incredibly lucky that both my children were accepted into the gifted program early on in elementary school and good grades come fairly easily for them. So, what's the problem? As my kids get older, the schools are starting to push more and more challenging materials at them. You think that's a good thing, right? But the track they were … [Read more...]
5 Things Dads Need to Know About Teenage Daughters
October 8, 2014 by · 4 Comments
I am pretty sure that my kids have the greatest dad of all time. He was there to catch them the moment they were born, despite nearly passing out from the blood. He disciplined them with loving kindness as they turned into unruly toddlers, only occasionally threatening to leave until the terrible two's passed. And he spent many years attending PTA meetings and orientation days with me when they were in elementary school, despite the utter boredom over treasurer reports and curriculum standards. My kids are lucky to have such an amazing … [Read more...]
When is it ok to lose control of your kids?
July 17, 2014 by · 7 Comments
I've never been known as a particularly flexible parent. I wasn't that mom that let her kids wear pajamas for three days because they were obsessed with Spiderman. They didn'tt go on week long binges of only eating things that are orange. They were not allowed to take all the cans out of my pantry and build their own personal house of cans on my kitchen floor. I'm just not built for that sort of flexibility. I've gotten a lot of grief for that over the years from various 'fly by the seat of their pants' friends. They didn't understand that my … [Read more...]
Understanding Your Teen (AKA What the Heck are You Talking About?)
July 3, 2014 by · 19 Comments
I am the proud parent of two teens and I can honestly say that I understand very little that comes out of their mouths lately. The words I struggle to understand are not swear words. They are pretty clean cut kids...profanity has never been much of a problem in our house. But some days, it honestly seems like they are speaking a totally foreign language. I have become a big fan or Urban Dictionary lately to shed light on what he heck they are talking about. If understanding your teen has become difficult, I urge you to check it … [Read more...]
Set a Good Example and #DecideToDrive
June 25, 2014 by · 5 Comments
Not too long ago I was driving with a friend of mine, taking the kids somewhere for the day. As they chatted happily in the backseat my friend pulled out her phone and was checking to see what sort of messages she had missed. It isn't the first time this has happened with assorted friends and family. We lead busy lives and multitasking while driving may seem like a great idea. Until you end up wrecking your car. But...say you are one of the lucky ones who never EVER has a wreck while you are driving while on your phone. Great! But, what … [Read more...]
Raising Boys vs Raising Girls: Who Drives Mom More Insane?
April 2, 2014 by · 15 Comments
When I was pregnant with my first child I really wanted a boy. I had grand dreams of my older son watching over his little sister like her own personal guardian angel. In turn, she would gaze at him adoringly and think of him as something of an idol and loving protector. Well, I got the boy first, and 2 years later my daughter was born but all those dreams flew out the window when my son showed zero interest in her what so ever. Over the last 14 years they have alternated between "Hey, come play with me" to "Get the hell out of my room" with … [Read more...]
