Author Archives: Rich Andrews

About Rich Andrews

Rich has been married 20 years to his wife Laura. They have 4 children together, one with many special health and learning needs because of velocardiofacial syndrome. They homeschool 2 of their 4 children. Rich has been a stay-at-home dad for the past year after working in social services for 15 years. Laura works from home full time as a medical transcriptionist. Both parents have degrees in education and have done a lot of research on health- and family-related issues. The Andrews family is committed to living a healthy lifestyle, a commitment that has become more important to them than ever after Laura was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis shortly after the birth of their fourth child. Rich worked for 9 years as a Child Protective Services (CPS) Case Manager, investigating allegations of abuse and neglect. He has also served as a Guardian ad Litem for children in divorce cases involving custody and has volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for child welfare cases, representing the best interests of children in court.

Speaking Your Child’s Language

Posted on by

Kids have always had their own “lingo” for as long as I can remember. Whether they say, “cool”, “awesome”, or “sweet”, kids have always wanted to use certain words with their friends to show their independence from their parents and their own uniqueness. I used to be a substitute teacher and always found it funny whenever I would use words that the kids were using like “awesome”, or “radical”, the kids would smile and think it was “cool” that their teacher was using their language. There is another language that kids understand very well, that parents would do well to … Continue reading →

Disciplining Your Kids

Posted on by

A lot of parents assume that when someone talks about disciplining their kids that they mean spanking. Spanking is only one alternative in a whole arsenal of options for parents. Parents have time-out for younger children. Older children can go to their rooms, have the privileges taken away, and the ever popular grounding from outside, or from certain activities (which sounds a lot like removing privileges). These discipline techniques are all external. By that I mean that these are consequences that a parent imposes on the child as an external measure, while the parent hopes that the child will internalize … Continue reading →

Supervising Kids While They Are Away From Home

Posted on by

If you’re anything like me you want to know what the level of supervision your kids are receiving while they are away from your home. For example, if our teenager gets into trouble, I as the parent am still legally responsible for him. In other words, if they get arrested for doing something stupid, and have to go to Juvenile Court, you are both legally and financially responsible for your child. You may ask “What could my little angel possibly do to get arrested?” Well, it wasn’t all that long ago – 25 years, but whose counting anyway – when … Continue reading →

Being a Man in the Twenty-First Century

Posted on by

Being a man in the 21st century is a lot different for me now, than what is was for my dad and his dad in the 20th century. My dad and my grandfather were “Men’s Men.” They could work long hours for their family and never complain. They weren’t expected to be sensitive and nurturing. They were the providers. That’s how they showed their love for us. Today’s man is more a blended role. He is still expected to provide, and he is to be a caring, loving, husband and father. He can no longer give the excuse that he … Continue reading →

Kids Say the Darnedest Things

Posted on by

The older I get the more it seems time flies by and my children are growing up too fast. My oldest child always did seem to be much older than his actual age. When he was around 10 years old his pet parakeet was acting weird so he picked the bird up in his hands. The bird – a white parakeet, who he had named “Rainbow” because he loved it “more than all the colors of the rainbow” – proceeded to die right in the palm of his little hand. My son was traumatized and was crying uncontrollably. No matter … Continue reading →

Do as I Say, Not as I Do

Posted on by

“Do as I say, not as I do.” How many times did we hear something like that when we were growing up? Both parents and teachers have used that one. The problem with that line of thinking is clearly illustrated with another axiom: “what you do speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you say.” Modeling the behavior we desire from our children is critical in helping to teach our kids good habits, and the moral values we want to pass on to them. My old pastor used to say, “More is caught than taught” when it comes to … Continue reading →

Raising Great Kids, and Having a Great Marriage

Posted on by

If you are married and are a parent, you probably have heard the old saying, “In order to be a good father, you must be a good husband first.” I still believe that’s true after 20 years of marriage—if anything, even more so after this year. It’s been a tough year, trying to take care of a child with special needs, trying to raise 2 young girls, 2 teenagers, and having my wife work full-time while I stay home and try to keep the family together. Add on top of that, money problems, lack of child care, and a wife … Continue reading →

Riding Without Training Wheels

Posted on by

Well, it happened today at about 7:15 EST. Our baby daughter, who is almost 6 years old, rode her bike without training wheels for the first time. Yippee! My two daughters came inside and announced this evening that the 6-year-old was ready for the big moment. My wife and I retreated to the front sidewalk of our addition to cheer her on. I took off her training wheels and guided her about 10 to 20 feet before it was clear she did not need me anymore – boy, I don’t like the sound of that. I’m already starting to have … Continue reading →

Caring for Your Child When He’s Ill

Posted on by

Probably the hardest job any parent has is to take care of their child when their child is ill. It is exceptionally difficult when your child is in pain, and you can’t take it away. Couple that with having to wait around in a hospital. Perhaps your child has had multiple hospitalizations for some underlying health problem, such as our son with special needs, who has Sprintzen’s Syndrome. At the risk of sounding completely sexist, it seems to be especially hard on the father. The dad, who believes it’s his “job” to fix everything. However, this is something that dad … Continue reading →

Your Teenager’s First Job

Posted on by

It’s that time of the year when your teenager is asking about getting their first job. However, you are scared that no one will want to hire little Johnny or Suzie. Their hair is too long. They wear the same clothes all the time. Furthermore, the only words they seem to be able to communicate are: “can I have some money?”, “can you give me a ride to my friend’s house?”, and, “whatever!” It’s times like to these that it helps to remember what it was like for you when you got your first job. Your parents talked to you … Continue reading →