I recently attended a symposium which featured a presentation by a childhood behavioral “expert.” Regular readers of this blog know how I feel about so-called “experts,” but this guy had a host of impressive credentials, not the least of which included raising eight children into incredibly successful young adults. Plus, I was very interested in his topic: “Teaching Kids the Art of Self-Denial.” According to the expert, one of the most important “gifts” you can give your child as he develops into an adult is to teach him or her to “routinely deny himself immediate pleasures to achieve future good.” … Continue reading →

After reporting and anchoring local TV news for more than decade, I never considered tuning out the events of the day after giving birth. I’ve watched the evening news religiously since I was in high school and never dreamed there would come a day when I would be forced to wean myself from my 6 o’clock fix. However, that day has come. A few weeks ago, I was in the kitchen making dinner with the TV news on in the background when my 7-year-old came waltzing in. Typically, she’ll sit on a stool at the counter and try to snag … Continue reading →

Just because your kids are not enrolled in summer school doesn’t mean that learning should be put on hold until September. My 7-year-old has no desire to spend her summer days cooped up in a classroom; however, that hasn’t stopped her from gaining new skills since she bid farewell to second grade weeks ago. In fact, thanks to a slew of educational programs run by various organizations, my daughter is more enthused about learning than she has been in months. One of the highlights of her summer, the construction of a wood birdhouse, thanks to Home Depot’s Kids Workshops. The … Continue reading →

Do you really want to know what you are dealing with, when it comes to raising children today? Have you considered the morality of America…where we came from, where we are at and where we are heading? A Gallup poll was recently conducted on “Values & Beliefs” in America. The findings will help you better understand just what you are up against when it comes to the raising of your children. This isn’t meant as a way to make judgments but simply to enlighten parents. And hopefully with this enlightenment, there will be conversations with your children about what you … Continue reading →

What’s that saying: Kids and their money are soon parted? Okay, maybe it’s a fool and his cash, but you get the idea. My second grader would rather have her eyelashes yanked out than willingly take on extra chores around the house. However, the kid has expensive taste and just recently discovered that money does not grow on trees, or in Mommy’s wallet. Enter the summer job discussion. While my 7-year-old won’t be restocking shelves at Piggly Wiggly this summer, there are a slew of other money-making opportunities for her to take advantage of right here at home. If you … Continue reading →

If I took my daughter to work with me, this is what she’d be doing all day Yup, knocking back donuts. It takes more skill than you’d think. Look at those jaw muscles in action. Is that sweat on her temple? No, I don’t work in law enforcement, unless you call breaking up fights and threatening jail time for pint-sized cookie thieves, policing. Rather, I work a series of mundane jobs in order to pay the bills. The lack of excitement on my job fronts is why I didn’t partake in Take Your Child to Work Day. On the fourth … Continue reading →

In a previous post I detailed the severe lack of space available at local summer camps for kids. Granted, we live in a small town, so it’s not too shocking that space is extremely tight, especially at reputable day camps for younger children. However, the aggressive approach some parents around here take to ensure their kid secures a spot on the registry is a whole other story, in my opinion. Another option available for parents in my neck of the woods is overnight camp. Provided a child is of a certain age, there is the possibility of sending him or … Continue reading →

(“Gimme a hug, slug!”) All things being equal, I much rather be hugged than hit. You’d think this would be a universally accepted norm, but, you know, there’s always someone who has to be the exception. Or, in this case, some school. A few weeks ago, the halls of Matawan-Aberdeen Middle School in New Jersey became no-hugging zones. According to news reports, more than 900 students were given direct orders from their principal that Matawan-Aberdeen was officially a “no hugging school” following “incidents of unsuitable, physical interactions.” Huh? What the heck are “incidents of unsuitable, physical interactions?” Are we talking … Continue reading →

Admittedly, I am not a big fan of guys with long hair. I especially abhor long, shaggy bangs that make ordinary boys look like Cousin It. However, as much as I despise males with long locks, I hate cancer even more. It’s a reasonable deduction, which I assume many would agree with. Unfortunately, “many” doesn’t include administrators at a Michigan high school. Members of the Madison Academy School Board recently suspended a 17-year-old male student for sporting long hair. Never mind that the teen is a cancer survivor, who was growing out his mane because he wanted to donate it … Continue reading →