Before I was lucky enough to have children (SHUT UP) I thought I knew it all. I saw how my parents and other relatives parented and thought, “I’ve got this.” I also had lists of things I’d never, EVER do when I was a parent. How completely stupid naive I was. Look, I was a [...]
As I’ve mentioned before, my children fight a little bit. They try to play together but, at 10 and 7, they have very different interests and abilities which makes it hard for them to agree on an activity. There are no kids on our block for them to play with so, when they play outside, [...]
It’s a good thing my kids won’t remember their first couple years; because I did a lot of stupid stuff during that time.
Structure, routine, expectations, follow through. All buzz words for how we are supposed to put our kids to bed at night. Because, no, you just don’t throw them in a darkened room and shut the door. And if you do, shhhhh.
I have a bad habit of eating like a garbage disposal. It makes perfect sense, waste-wise. It’s a natural chain of events— a simple formula: whatIcookfortheboys – whattheydon’teat = easymealsforme
My partner left for the Bahamas this morning at 6 a.m. and, though I could vent and/or keen about life’s unfairness, it would not be relevant. The Trip of Bahamanian Unfairness is relevant only because I had to make my own coffee this morning which means that I was dumb as a door for a [...]
Fifteen minutes away from school with five minutes until a golf practice that’s twenty minutes away from school. “Late” wasn’t even really where I was. I was in a place called “panicking over being late for golf practice.” I kicked myself in the butt for choosing a school that didn’t emulate a fast food joint [...]
The other day my kid and I passed the Speedo guy as we were driving to the playground. “Is that the guy who wears the Speedo?” I said. My daughter started to laugh. “Hheh, yeah mom. Eww.” “Mr Creeps,” I said, “that’s what we should call him.” Mr. Creeps is, well, creepy. He clears the [...]
I collect vintage children’s books. Not just one or two, but entire sets. I have collections full of perfect examples of the child-rearing practice of the time; finger wagging teach-you-a-lesson tales of what can happen when children don’t behave. I showcase these volumes front and center in the kid’s reading room downstairs. They’re fun to [...]
I was a “latch key” kid. There was a club for us at school. We learned survival skills: don’t open the door for strangers, don’t tell people you’re home by yourself, don’t use the stove, and, God, you miserable children, you’re so brave surviving the sad reality that your mother is not at home like she’s supposed [...]
If you have ever seen National Lampoon’s Vacation, you are aware of the dangers inherent in a family road trip. Fortunately, we’ve never had to strap a dead relative to the top of the car but road trips do come with their highs and lows. Recently, my partner and I took our kids to Kansas [...]
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