October 2008
TLC Would Like to Make Your Real Life, Real Simple
(via)Think about your day so far - you had to get the kids up and off to school, you’ve got more deadlines than time at work, there are dishes and laundry piling up at home and let’s not even talk about what you are going to fix for dinner tonight. You’re lucky you found a spare moment to read this article.
Get Lost for Some Fall Fun
(via)It seems like just yesterday we were playing around in the pool in the hot sun. But alas, the dog days of summer are behind us, school has started and fall is here.
But just because the days are getting shorter and temperatures are starting to drop doesn’t mean that the outdoor fun has to stop.
One great way to enjoy the autumn weather and expend some energy is to get lost.
Should Children’s Books Have a Rating System?
(via)A recent article has me wondering if we should be taking a closer look at what we qualify as “children’s books.”
Looney Tunes Gets Bloody, Is it Too Much for Kids?
(via)I just read about a new art exhibit called “Splatter” where Looney Tunes characters are taken to the next violent level - complete with blood and guts.
September 2008
How to Build a Better Mouse Trap - I Mean Pirate Ship
(via)Saturday my three-year-old twins were in a community parade with their preschool. But to be in the parade you needed a float. Here’s where mom duty becomes real challenging.
Is it Really ADHD or Just Too Much Pressure?
(via)I’ve always contented that we, as a society, are too quick to label our kids with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, pump them full of meds and forget about the issue. I’ve read two articles recently that support my theory.
The Anxiety of the First Day of School
(via)My kids started school this week. Okay, so it was just preschool and they only go for ½ a day two days a week, but for me it was still this big milestone in their lives.
March 2008
What’s Your Favorite March activity?
(via)March is one of those strange months that are more about transitions than about a particular event or season. But that doesn’t mean the month should fly by without a little adventure. What is your favorite activity to do in March?
Christmas in March
(via)On Saturday, my children woke up and scurried downstairs to the living room like it was Christmas morning to find a pile of “new toys” much to their delight. What, you say. It’s only March.
Schools Paying Students to Learn is a Mistake
(via)It's a sad day when we have to pay our children to learn. But even more distressing is what they are learning from this experience.
January 2008
Taboo TV/Movie Hijinks and Your Childhood
(via)I just finished reading the Dennis Hensley's commentary about how kids today, with the help of DVDs, video iPods and YouTube, can see anything and everything. And now I'm reminiscing about the hijinks I pulled as a kid to see what my parents deemed inappropriate.
The Challenges of ‘Growing Up Online’
(via)I tuned into the PBS documentary “Growing Up Online” last night on Frontline for two reasons. As a member of Generation X, I’m just on the outskirts of this technologically suave generation and am striving to keep up with them. And as a mother of toddlers, I will be faced with raising children smack in the middle of this generation.
Does a Good Preschool Translate into Great Education & Success? « Napping at Red Lights
(via)Exactly how important is preschool? Seriously, does enrollment in a good preschool guarantee a great education? Does it prepare the student to somehow take in and retain information better? Will a quality preschool education guarantee a person a successful career?
December 2007
Christmas Cookies: Baking up Holiday Memories
(via)Baking cookies at Christmas has been a holiday tradition in my house since I was tall enough to stand on a chair to reach the counter. I have many memories of a delicious-smelling kitchen filled with laughter as I baked with different members of my family - my mother, my sister, my grandmother, my cousins - over the years.
November 2007
When Mommy Has a Sick Day
(via)I’ve been under the weather for a couple days now. Yesterday I spent most of the day in bed. My husband, as always, sweetly took care of me, bringing me everything I needed — soup, water, even my computer to finish a couple deadline projects for work. But unlike in the past, my husband had help caring for me this time.
October 2007
No Eggs for Minors this Halloween
(via)I just read an article about a grocery store that is refusing to sell eggs to minors this week. Call me naive, but I didn’t realize that egging had become such a huge issue.
How to Survive a Horror Film: 7 Things Not to Put in Your Child’s Room
(via)It seems like all the favorite horror films have the same ingredients — creepy bad guy that just won’t die, particular objects that give you the creeps, moments designed to make you jump out of your seat and the poor schmoo that doesn’t even know he’s going to die first. But even knowing the standard formula, could you survive a horror movie?
Is it okay for children to sleep in their parents’ bed?
(via)Do your children sometimes sleep in your bed with you? Did they when they were smaller? Would you admit it if they did? According to the New York Times, an increasing number of parents are letting their infants and small children sleep with them. But the really interesting fact is that most of these parents won’t admit it.
September 2007
I Went to the Outer Banks, Came Home with a Dirty Dick
(via)Yes, it’s true. I went to the Outer Banks with my family and we came home with a Dirty Dick. Although it’s not nearly as obscene as it sounds, this conversation-sparking souvenir is causing this parent quite a dilemma.
Where do your kids go on the web?
(via)My twins are only two, but they are already fascinated with the computer. While I'm extremely proud of their interest in technology, I'm also a little afraid. Besides, some learning games we buy, where else can my toddlers go safely on the computer?
August 2007
The Agony of Night Night Time with Children — A Parent’s Bedtime Song
(via)Currently, my husband and I are struggling every night to get our twins down for bed. But apparently, we are not alone in this struggle to get our children to bed. Check out this video of a father that puts this struggle to music in a bedtime song for parents.
Rainy Day Activities for Under a Buck
(via)It’s summertime and for kids it means it’s time to be outside playing. However, we’ve been having a rash of afternoon thunderstorms. What do you do with active children when the sky turns grey? Or when temperatures swelter?
Does McDonald’s Food Really Taste Better?
(via)A recent study indicates that preschoolers prefer the taste of food in McDonald’s wrappers to the same food in generic wrappers. I agree that children prefer the McDonald’s food, but I don’t think it has anything to do with taste.
July 2007
Should Some Degrees Cost More?
(via)I remember when you could go to college and choose a major because that’s what interested you most. Apparently, that’s not the case anymore — some majors cost you more.
10 Commandments for Dating My Daughter
(via)My daughter is two, so I have years until she dates. Or at least I’d better. But if I don’t I have found some advice for her potential boyfriends.
