November 8th, 2011 01:36pm

To spank or not to spank

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There are other ways of disciplining kids that don’t involve spanking. But is spanking getting a bad rap?

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TAGS , , | CATEGORY As a Parent...., Kid Issues

June 21st, 2011 11:58am

Mom spanks, kids taken away

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A mother had her kids taken away from her when she was taken to court for spanking her child. But was that really fair? I don’t think so – especially since I spanked my own kids as they were growing up.
Read more.

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TAGS , , , | CATEGORY As a Parent...., In the news

June 24th, 2010 04:09pm

Forced to enforce

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When kids disobey, it is our job to crack down on them.  What they probably don’t know, however, is we really don’t want to.  (read the article…)

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TAGS , , , , , | CATEGORY Case of the Terrible Tweens, Kid Issues, teens

May 21st, 2010 11:02am

Is it mean to punish kids with chores?

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Not all parents agree that cleaning is the best choice of punishment for kids, that it is actually mean-spirited. Is it? (read the article…)

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TAGS , , | CATEGORY As a Parent...., Kid Issues

April 19th, 2010 04:28pm

The Excuse Maker vs the Howler Monkey

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Howler MonkeyThere is a certain sound resonating in my household that is akin to fingernails on the chalkboard or a dog howling out of tune in the middle of the night. Without warning, this noise modulates into a higher pitch with each note, getting more frantic if it is left to continue. This annoying clamor, unfortunately, is an epidemic. What starts out as an innocent first becomes a habitual occurrence. They come more frequently as time goes on. And the result of this reverberation to anyone within earshot (mainly those it is directed at), is an elevated heart rate, a clenching of the fists and teeth, an ability to see red, and a sudden burst of mania that comes forth as a string of shrill commands even louder than the original sound.

I am, of course, talking about the “excuse maker”. (more…)

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TAGS , , , , | CATEGORY As a Parent...., Kid Issues

March 15th, 2010 01:52pm

Loving the Bully

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Years ago, I was helping out in my daughter’s 3rd grade class. The classroom was a room of organized chaos as the parents and I helped out on the latest project. But the vibe in the class was good as everyone participated in something that was more creative than doing seatwork for hours on end. But in a corner of the room, there was a different vibe. One of the kids, a noticeably larger kid than the rest of his 3rd grade peers, was doing his best to create conflict. He was taking pens from another student to finish his project, and claiming them as his own. And when the student complained, the bigger kid yelled out that they were his. Seeing that he wasn’t going to get away with it, he finally threw his papers and the pens across the room in defiance. (more…)

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TAGS , , , , | CATEGORY Kid Issues

March 3rd, 2010 06:05pm

Boys Raised by Moms

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When I got to work this morning, Mr. W had left a book on my desk called “Assertive Discipline for Parents”. He had been reading it, and I expressed interest in it and asked to borrow it when he was done. It was still on my desk when one of my co-workers came over and saw it. At first my co-worker joked about it, but then he mentioned that it’s actually a good subject to read up on. He brought up a lady friend of his that had to cancel their lunch date because she needed to come home and fix her son lunch. Her son’s age? Oh, he’s 18. (more…)

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TAGS , , , , | CATEGORY Kid Issues, Single Parenting

January 26th, 2010 12:00pm

The difference between moms and dads

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Growing up, I was fortunate to have both my parents in the home. My dad is a real estate appraiser, and though he worked a lot, we were often able to accompany him on local road trips when he went to look at houses. Sometimes we’d ride along with him, fascinated by the beauty of some areas that we never would have seen otherwise. Other times he would drop my mom and us three girls off at the park so we could have a picnic. He’d join us when his appointment was done.

Dad was the one who had the ideas for fun places to go and things to see. Who knew that sitting in the lobby of a fancy hotel, as if we were guests, enjoying hot chocolate by the fire could be so much fun. But with Dad, it was his way of instilling make-believe in us. (more…)

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TAGS , , , , , , , , , , | CATEGORY As a Parent...., Kid Issues, Single Parenting

October 17th, 2009 01:01pm

Kids and Lying

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The other night I was getting the kids ready for bed when I saw it. Or rather, I felt it. My boot was stuck to the floor of our bathroom. I lifted my foot to find a half wad of bright yellow bubblegum stuck to the bottom of my shoe, the other half still on the floor connected to my shoe by sticky strings of the gooey mess. I was … Read More »

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August 16th, 2009 12:32pm

Teenagers: A Mom’s Lament

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A mom was lamenting to me about her 13 year old son. He used to be such a nice kid – totally respectable and responsible, and extremely trustworthy. But things changed in the last year. His parents got divorced, surely a huge shock to his world. And with the divorce came a lot of changes. Both of his parents moved into new relationships, and suddenly he was spending his time … Read More »

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TAGS , , , , | CATEGORY Co-Parenting, Kid Issues

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