Search Results for: tag parenting philosophy

The Importance of Acceptance in Single Parenting

When I talk to people who are relatively new to single parenting, one of the things I often hear is “I never really expected I would be doing this alone!” This has led me to a personal philosophy that anyone who considers parenthood should consider whether or not they are able to be single parents, but that is another article altogether. What I have learned from talking with other single parents is that “acceptance” is the first step on the road to becoming a great and present single parent. Sure, some of us choose single parenting as a first choice, … Continue reading →

When a Divorced Mom and Dad Don’t Agree on Parenting Issues

I am rather vocal in claiming my role as a single parent. My kids, however, hate the term “single parent”–from their perspective, they have two parents so they are not being raised by a “single parent.” Never mind that there are definite differences and inequities between the two worlds, since my ex-husband and I have worked really hard to keep things pleasant and functional, my kids don‘t think there is anything “single“ about their families. That doesn’t mean that my ex-husband and I agree. In fact, we seldom agree on much when it comes to parenting and over the years … Continue reading →

The Joys of Single Parenting

All too often, when we think or hear of single parents our first instinct might be to feel badly or think of the negative statistics associated with solo parents and their children. As a culture, we have come to readily acknowledge the pain and turmoil associated with the breakup of a relationship and its ensuing emotional and financial turmoil. More often than not, the changes that affect primarily single mothers inhibit a quality lifestyle for at least the first few years after the breakup. I am not going to pretend that single parenting is easy or even a desired lifestyle … Continue reading →

Money Can Buy Happiness

Did you buy your Mega Millions ticket yet? The jackpot is up to a staggering $355 million—-one of the largest jackpots in U.S. lottery history. In just a few hours some lucky duck could be rolling in enough dollar bills to cover the surface of the Earth… or something like that. Of course, the odds of winning are 1 in 176 million, but someone’s gotta win, right? If you are a parent struggling to make ends meet, then there’s a very good chance that you have already dug deep to scrape up the dollar it takes to purchase a single … Continue reading →

Problems Don’t Always Have to be Due to Single Parent Status

Popular culture and the mainstream press tend to want to turn to the increase of single parent households as an excuse for all sorts of things. When our children have a hard time, go through a rough stage, or get into trouble, people often turn to the “single parent” status of our families and try to place the blame. I admit that there are statistics that prove things like single parent families have lower incomes and thus there may be problems that result from this, but I do not always think that single parent status is to blame for everything … Continue reading →

Allowing Kids to Select Their Wardrobe

When it comes to fashion, parents and their kids are often on different pages. In the current issue of the Family Education newsletter, parents were asked, “At what age should kids be allowed to pick their own wardrobe?” Here’s how parents voted: 10 or 11—53% 12 or 13—26% 14 or 15—9% 16 or older— 12% I believe in giving kids choices but only to a certain extent. For instance, I will ask Tyler if he wants cereal or oatmeal for breakfast. If I simply ask him what he wants without offering choices invariable he will say, “I don’t know.” On … Continue reading →

Separation of Church and State

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There have been many of drawn out debates even among Christians regarding the separation of church and state. Initially the separation was intended to keep the government from establishing a statewide religion, not to keep religion and faith out of the state. Many argue it’s a fallacy that the United States was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, but I very much disagree and believe the proclamation of this belief to be a ploy of the enemy to break down the moral fibers of our nation and ultimately remove God. Just see what some of our founding forefathers had to share about … Continue reading →

Taking Kids to Weddings, Funerals and Other Ceremonies

I know this is a controversial topic, and I’m not going to stake my claim to one opinion or another. Instead, I wanted to throw this out to all of you eloquent bloggers and online communicators in hopes we could get some diverse and interesting ideas about taking children to weddings, funerals and other “grown up” ceremonies… About ten years ago, when my grandmother died, I brought my kids home to the Pacific Northwest from the Midwest (where we were living at the time) for the funeral process. The funeral itself, however, was a grave-side service and with three kids … Continue reading →

Divorce – The Dirty Game

Sadly, most people who has gone through a divorce probably know first-hand how dirty divorce can be. Sure, some people have civil and even friendly divorces but the majority is not so lucky. In addition to the husband and wife fighting over personal belongings, the house, the business, the kids, and even the pets, you get the divorce attorneys involved who also play power games as a means of gaining an unfair advantage. With most divorces, the attitude is to “win at all costs”. Unfortunately, the problem with this philosophy is that far too often, the kids become caught in … Continue reading →