Search Results for: tag parents spending

Make a Splash Without Spending a Ton of Cash

There’s no better way to cool off this Memorial Day weekend than hanging poolside with your friends and family.  Fortunately, you don’t have to drain your wallet to keep your clan entertained in the water.  If you are tight on cash, skip the fancy pool toys and try these splashtastic games instead: Fish, Fish, Whale:  This simple yet fun game puts a spin on the classic “Duck, Duck, Goose.”  To play, have kids stand in a circle in the shallow end of the pool.  Select one person to be “it.”  That player then goes around the circle and taps each … Continue reading →

Are You Spending More to Save?

I am THAT mom. The one that’ll drive an extra five miles out of her way to save five bucks on her daughter’s Halloween costume, even though gas is just shy of $4 per gallon. Though, if I drive an extra 10 miles I can save six cents per gallon. I am THAT mom. The one that’ll spend five hours trying to calculate how much she really saved by utilizing the $5 off costume coupon. Even though the trip included sitting in a gnarly traffic jam which robbed her of 20 minutes of precious time. Make that priceless time. Walking … Continue reading →

The Dilemma of Friends Spending the Night

There is an interesting dilemma taking place in our home with regard to my children’s friends. I always enjoy having them over and sometimes spending the night. I definitely prefer everyone hanging out here, where I can keep a better eye on things. But recently the issue of having friends sleep over has changed a bit. My youngest son, who is in 7th grade, has friends that are either in his grade or 8th. A couple of those guy friends (who are in 8th grade) are also friends with my 9th grade daughter. I have no problem with her hanging … Continue reading →

Spending Time With Your Teen

I don’t know if other parents feel the same way but as our children get older and become teens, it tends to become more difficult to spend quality time with them. It’s not that I don’t want to spend time with them. It’s just that life keeps us busy and my children are in this stage where their friends are their main priority. So as a parent I have tried really hard to make sure that we spend quality time together. I think as the parent of a teen you have to be willing to enter their world. When they … Continue reading →

Advantages to Having Your Teen’s Friends Over

When I was younger, especially as a teen, my parents rarely allowed friends to come over. I think it mostly had to do with the fact that they didn’t want to be bothered or deal with the noise. In all honesty I can relate. My kids are on spring break this week and of course they have all these plans for their friends to come over. Since I work from home, it seems almost logical that all the friends would come here. A part of me wants to say no. I still have work to do and frankly, I don’t … Continue reading →

A Child’s Eye View of Parents

‘What are Moms and Dad for?’ was one of the questions our local paper asked kindergarten children recently. Their answers are interesting. One said ‘to take care of you.’ Another a said, ‘taking care of you and buying food for you,’ ‘For caring and sometimes helping with homework.’ But this answer saddened me. ‘They are for going to work and paying for things.’ It made me wonder what sort of home life this child had and how much he actually saw his parents. Now I admit I was a stay-at-home Mom. Mick and I decided early on I would stay … Continue reading →

Santa vs. Generous Grandparents

Who needs Santa when you’ve got grandparents? There have been many times when I have seriously considered hiding some of the dozens of Christmas presents my parents have sent my daughter and attaching gift tags that read, “From: Santa Claus” and sticking them under the tree on December 25th. My parent’s generosity is overwhelming… not that I’m complaining (my kid sure isn’t). It’s just that it’s getting harder and harder for me… I mean Santa… to compete with grandma and grandpa when it comes to holiday gift giving. For the record I should note that my 4-year-old is very blessed … Continue reading →

Japan Warns Parents about Kids and Cell Phones

In Japan, concern about cell phones has nothing to do with cancer. Instead, the focus is on the dangers that cell phones pose to children. In fact, the Japanese government feels that the threat is so real, that it is starting a program to warn parents and schools that they must restrict cell phone use among children. In Japan, cell phones are packed with features, such as high speed Internet access, although Masaharu Kuba, a government official overseeing the new program told the Associate Press (AP) that �Japanese parents are giving cell phones to their children without giving it enough … Continue reading →

Suggested New Year’s Resolutions for Adoptive Parents

I’m not going to look at my last year’s New Year’s Resolutions blog before I write this one. I’m just going to go with what’s on my mind now. So what is on my mind now? Too much, that’s what. I want to have more meaningful family conversations at the dinner hour. I want to find a book that the whole family can enjoy reading by the fireside in the evenings—and keep reading age-appropriate books with each child individually too. I want to do all my physical therapy exercises and see if I can finally quit re-injuring myself. I want … Continue reading →

Fantasizing About Having “Other Parents”

Even though I think I am a rather decent maternal unit, I want you to know that there have been plenty of times when my kids have fantasized that they might have “other parents.” They have questioned out loud if they mightn’t have gotten mixed up with some other baby and that their “real parents” would come and rescue them, and they’ve certainly shared with me over the years different qualities they have found lacking in me and present in someone else’s mom or dad. It is normal, it is typical, and I can even remember having similar fantasies about … Continue reading →