Author Archives: Carol Paxman

Preventing Cyber Bullying

Unsupervised kids and the internet are a bad combination. As a single mother it’s almost impossible to watch your child every second they are on the computer. Somehow, we must, until they are old enough to really understand the dangers it is our job to protect them from themselves. Young girls do not understand that people are not always who they say they are, that boy from the next town they are chatting with may very well be a grown man preying on young girls. There are many ways to protect kids online, the biggest being keeping the computer in … Continue reading →

Paperwork and Passwords

There is nothing like getting ready to go on vacation that makes you realize how much needs to be done around the house. I’m leaving on Saturday to go to Maryland for a week. Hailey and Josh are coming over to housesit and keep the dog. I keep finding things I need to do before they come over. I’ve spent my time after work cleaning, vacuuming, doing laundry and pulling weeds. I still need to pack. Based on airline guidelines I’m trying to decide what to take and what I can live without. It will be much easier to pack … Continue reading →

Life Changes Affect Your Mood

I don’t do well with change. As a single mother, I’m used to being in charge. I’m used to knowing what is going on and where my daughter is at all times. Now she is married and it’s really starting to affect me. It’s a lot harder than I imagined to go from being the one who planned everything to the one who finds out about things after they happen. I find myself at a loss. I don’t know what to do with myself or my time. I don’t seem to have any motivation to do much of anything. I … Continue reading →

When Depression Starts To Affect Your Home

I usually consider myself very organized and on top of things. The past several months have conspired to change that perception. It has been a rough year, there really is no other way to say it. My life and the lives of people around me have changed so much. As a result I’m suffering from a little bit of depression. Today, after a nap, I realized that my home is completely out of control. The yard that I love so much is overgrown with weeds and almost dead. My sprinkler system is broken and in my current state of mind, … Continue reading →

Sometimes It Is The Right Thing

We all have deal breakers in a relationship. We would never marry someone who has one of them, and they are different for all of us. There are a few big ones that are the same for just about everyone, abuse, substance abuse and infidelity. The sad part is that while those deal breakers may not be present at the beginning of your marriage they may appear later. It’s hard to walk away from your marriage, especially when there are children involved. For me, Hailey was a deciding factor, both in staying as long as I did and finally, in … Continue reading →

Decorating With Love

Does your home reflect who you are or who a magazine says you should be? So many times I have left walls and shelves bare more concerned about finding the right decorations than finding decorations that tell you who I am. My home will never be featured in a magazine. Number one it only stays that clean for a minute after it’s done, the rest of the time is sort of messy chaos, in a friendly, happy way. Secondly, what I love, and what’s important to me aren’t necessarily the things other people love. Family is most important to me, … Continue reading →

Why Did You Get A Divorce?

Kids ask hard questions, there’s no denying that. When I got divorced I was surprised by some of the questions Hailey asked, it seemed that she was aware of more than I thought she was. I tried really hard to give her good answers without pointing any fingers. Since some of the issues leading to my divorce were too adult for her to understand, I sidestepped them. After all, it really isn’t my child’s business that her father was unfaithful. I didn’t want to paint that picture of him for Hailey. I chose instead to tell her that we just … Continue reading →

What We Gain From Routines

Since housework is a never ending job that very few people enjoy, I think sometimes we forget the benefits of having routines and habits to keep our homes clean. It’s hard to develop habits when it comes to cleaning, but the payoff makes it worthwhile. Start today, one thing at a time, and develop habits that work for you, to keep your house clean. There are many things that you can look forward to when you establish your routines and make them a habit. The first is just being able to enjoy a clean home. The knowledge that your home … Continue reading →

Does Money Make You a Better Parent?

When you become a single parent you quickly learn that there is never enough money. Your kids learn this lesson too, much earlier than you want them too. It’s hard for your kids not to have the things everyone else has, it’s also hard when you are the one who always has to tell them no. Many studies that are done on single parents focus on income as a reason children from single parent households struggle. This may be true, but not having everything handed to you and learning the value of hard work gives our children life skills they … Continue reading →

Who Does Most of the Housework

Do you do the majority of the housework in your home? A recent study has reinforced what we all already know, women, including working mothers, do the majority of housework, cooking and childcare. Why are people surprised by this? Since the dawn of time women have been responsible for the majority of housework. The division seems to be, women take care of the inside of the house and men take care of the outside. As we raise our children we reinforce those roles. Little girls help fold the laundry and run the vacuum. Little boys help mow the lawn, fix … Continue reading →