Tag Archives: privacy

Are You Letting Secrets Slip While Talking on Your Cell Phone?

I was wandering down the aisle at the grocery store the other evening and I came upon someone having an intense business conversation on her cell phone. She was discussing all sorts of particulars—including names, financial amounts, and other details. I realized that while cell phones are handy and have changed the way we work—we still should be cautious of what we talk about and where… Maybe you think that no one will know what you are talking about and to whom, or maybe a person gets so caught up in the conversation or the “deal” going down that it … Continue reading →

Everyone Needs a Place to Stash Their Treasures

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that some secrets are necessary and healthy. In a busy family–especially one with several members and multiple siblings–it can seem as though everything is an open book and privacy and holding on to some “personal stuff” can seem impossible. I think that every child needs a safe and secret place to stash his or her mementos, treasures, papers, and diaries–out of the prying eyes of other family members… My kids are so close together in age that just about everything ended up as joint property–clothes, shoes, toys, books–you … Continue reading →

Privacy in the Modern Marriage – Time & Technology Make Us Vulnerable

Privacy is a privilege that many of us cling to in a time when emails can be transmitted from one computer to another in nanoseconds. Privacy in the modern marriage is based more on trust than ever before. You can pick up your spouse’s cell phone and in short order have access to their email, their text messages and even the stored list of phone numbers. Privacy in the age of the Internet is a complicated issue. For even the most sensitive of data, you just require a few key numbers to enter and most married couples know their spouse’s … Continue reading →

Respecting Your Child’s Privacy

Last week I was at a meeting of a group of parents who’ve adopted from Korea. The discussion turned to privacy issues. Many adoptive parents are so excited about our children. We love to share their stories. We are eager to correct stereotypes about adoption. (When you’ve seen babies three to a cradle in a baby home, you feel like buttonholing people on the street and asking them if they’ve ever thought of adopting!) People ask us about adoption. We are eager to give them information, to reassure them, but also to be honest so that an adopting couple will … Continue reading →

The Jealous Single Friend

If you were recently married, you may still have some single friends that you are fairly close to. There is of course, nothing wrong with that, but sometimes the single friend can be trouble. You may find that your friend is jealous of your marriage. It may be that the person is jealous that you are married and he or she is not, or it may be that your friend is jealous of all the time you spend with your spouse. Either way, don’t let the jealous single friend create problems between you and your mate. You can, and should, … Continue reading →

Protecting Your Child’s Identity

I was surprised to learn that not everyone who adopts from the state is notified about ways to protect their child’s identity. If your child is at any risk of harm by either birth parent at all, you might think about these steps. Consider changing your child’s name if it is in their best interest. I know there are potentially negative consequences in doing so, but please weigh the risk. Though last names are typically changed at adoption, you may want to at least think about changing the middle if you plan to leave the first name. Upon the finalization … Continue reading →

Remote-Control Blinds: Another Remote to Find (Lose)

With all of the remotes in my house (six I believe) I can only find one or two at any given moment. They disrupt my days and disturb my nights because I sometimes count them instead of sheep when I can’t sleep. Now they have come up with something else that seems wonderful but can’t be because it requires the storage and use of still another remote. I’ll tell you about it anyway because these blinds are truly a work of technological art. These blinds are especially useful for windows in hard-to reach areas, you know where you can’t vacuum … Continue reading →

Home and Family: Privacy

Kids grow up so fast. One minute they want you by their side, and almost the next instant, they are trying to find ways to keep you out of their rooms. While I don’t believe a parent must observe strict privacy rules, such as never entering a child’s room, I do believe we need to respect our children’s privacy. It doesn’t hurt to knock before entering a child’s bedroom, after all, he or she may be undressed. We want our kids to knock before entering our bedroom, so it makes sense to show them the same courtesy. We also need … Continue reading →