Are you shocked by the social ineptitude of today’s youth? How many times have you been greeted by a tween offering an outstretched hand and a courteous, “Nice to see you again, Mrs. or Mr. So-and-so?” Or, answered your home phone and had your child’s friend identify himself and actually use the word “please” when asking to speak to your son or daughter rather than demanding to talk to Junior without even saying “Hello” first? Is the lack of etiquette exercised by today’s youth an epic parental fail? I am a stickler when it comes to manners; much to the … Continue reading →

My daughter has a wonderful BFF. Make that 20 BFFs. At the end of each school day she tells me about all the fun she had playing with her BFF… du jour. My kid is an equal opportunity playmate and sees everyone as a potential best friend. She’s seven. At first I thought it was sweet that she rotated BFFs amongst the gaggle of girls and boys in her grade. Then, I wondered if she was the only kid in the class without a true blue pal. However, after reading a new report about bullying and the social ostracization of … Continue reading →

The other day I reminded my 7-year-old that unless she made her bed and picked up the 50 million plastic pieces from her disassembled Deluxe Marble Race that lay scattered on her bedroom floor, going to see “The Smurfs” in 3D was out of the question. “What am I a slave?” she asked flatly. Precious, huh? Not so much, but definitely relatable if you are a parent of a child who is willing to go to great lengths to get out of completely his chores. Just ask the parents of an 11-year-old German boy, who actually turned to police, in … Continue reading →

When I was a little girl I dreamed of drifting off to a land of lollipops, rainbows and unicorns while snoozing in a white canopy bed. I saw one at JCPenney the summer before I entered second grade, and instantly fell in love. What I wouldn’t have done to own the elaborate, four-poster work of art fit for a princess. The way I felt about my dream canopy bed is on par with my young daughter’s desire to own a bunk bed. Ever since our neighbor’s little girl got a new, solid oak bunk bed, my daughter has been lusting … Continue reading →

“Stop f-ing around you dumb***!” “F-you, jerk!” “You’re the jerk, *$*#!” That’s just a tiny excerpt of the filth my 6-year-old was exposed to while standing in line for a water ride at Six Flags Great America earlier this summer. Fortunately, my little angel had no clue that the colorful language spewing from the mouths of the random teens messing around in front of us at the “family-friendly” amusement park is grounds for a severe butt whooping in some clans. Namely mine. As much as I would love for my daughter to reside in a hermetically-sealed bubble, I know the … Continue reading →

Do you allow your kids to skip chore duty during the summer months? That was the topic du jour at a recent “Playdate at the Playground” event I attended with a bunch of other moms I hang out with on a regular basis. Once school let out for the year, slowly structure and routine slid into oblivion. Now, my mom pals say they can’t get their kids motivated to complete the simplest household tasks. Fortunately, my kid is still on track. Of course, she is just six years old and follows her chore chart religiously. I am a huge advocate … Continue reading →

Forget about being like Mike; it’s a guy named Ian that you should have your kid emulate. Ian McMillan is being heralded as the best kid EV-ER! Unless you’ve been living under a rock or your power’s gone because of the intense heat, then you’ve likely seen this video… over, and over, and over… The clip was shot Wednesday night when the Arizona Diamondbacks hosted the Milwaukee Brewers. The uneventful game heated up when the Brew Crew’s infielder Rickie Weeks tossed a ball to a young fan in the stands. If you look at the video carefully you’ll see that … Continue reading →

Talk about sour grapes… make that sour lemons. Did you hear the one about police shutting down a kids’ lemonade stand because they didn’t have the proper permits? Sadly, it’s not the opening line to a seasonal joke; rather, it’s the real deal in Midway, Georgia. According to reports, cops in the southern city forced three little girls to close their tiny lemonade stand because the youngsters didn’t have a business license or work permits. The enterprising girls say they were simply trying to raise money to fund a trip to a local water park, and decided selling lemonade on … Continue reading →

Even if you don’t have kids of your own, you’ve got to feel for 16-year-old Austin Hatch. The standout high school basketball player from Indiana is not only fighting for his life right now, but he’s doing so without knowing that he is an orphan. The teen was critically injured in a plane crash last Friday, which killed his father and his stepmother. As tragic as that may be, there is much more to this horrific story. In 2003, Austin, his parents and his brother and sister were involved in another plane crash. During that accident, Austin and his dad … Continue reading →