Search Results for: blog falling in love with your real child

Keeping Your Kids Safe During the Holidays

So, yesterday my friend calls to ask me if our Christmas tree was up and decorated. (It is.) Then, she proceeded to tell me that after spending three hours trimming her family’s 7-foot Douglas fir the entire thing came crashing down… on her 16-month-old son. Fortunately, he didn’t suffer any major injuries, but since the fall the tree has been banished to the corner of the living room and is trapped behind a wall of child safety gates. Not that it really needs the protection given that her son is now deathly afraid of the fir. My pal’s anecdote serves … Continue reading →

Baby Blog Month in Review: July 2008

Two of my three children are summer babies. That is, they were born in the summer and had their first months surrounded by sunshine streaming in the windows, the sound of birds chirping, and days spent wearing nothing but a diaper and a “onsie.” I made sure that they had Fourth of July outfits ready, even though one of them arrived a week after the holiday. I guess he just wasn’t interested in the parade. Do you have a summer baby, too? We had a lot of new information to share this past month, such as recall notices and new … Continue reading →

Your Marriage Doesn’t Have to be Boring

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Throughout a marriage, the partners go through all different types of stages. There are times of passion and intense love when things could not be better. There are also times of frustration and dissatisfaction when things seem to be falling apart. I once heard a woman complain that her husband was boring. She complained that he only wanted to sit around on the couch and watch television in his free time. When she asked him about going out on the weekends he always had rather stay at home. He spent his days working or doing yard work. This happens in … Continue reading →

Ask a Baby Blogger: Solve Our Sleeping Issues

Question: I have this problem with my one year old every night. I end up putting him in his crib and letting him cry for 5 to 10 minutes. After this I go in the room like I am the savior and pick him up. He has worn himself out so much from crying that he lays down on my chest and goes to sleep. There has to be a better way. Then his bed time is 10. I need to figure out a way to get him to become tired earlier and to help him go to sleep easier. … Continue reading →

Would You Put Your Child in a Beauty Pageant?

One of my very favorite films of last year was “Little Miss Sunshine”—the quirky, eccentric family really hit pretty close to home. But, thinking about the movie reminded me of a little girl that I used to baby sit for when I was a teenager, her mother entered her in all sorts of those “Little Miss”-type beauty pageants—and I actually went along to one or two to help out with babysitting for the two younger children. I thought it might be an interesting topic for us to chat about here—whether, as parents, we’d encourage our small children to be in … Continue reading →

The Frugal Blog Week in Review: Jan. 27 to Feb. 2

Hello there! It is a quiet Saturday evening on the day before the Superbowl. my husband is getting the last kid to bed, I’m listening to my new Nora Jones music, and I am seriously thinking of taking a nice hot bath. Before that, though, I wanted to bring you the week in review for the Frugal Living Blog. I know you read every blog faithfully, so I’ll just assume you want to reread them all again. Saturday, January 27 Save on Paper: Take Advantage of Junk Mail In an earlier blog, Save on Paper: The Three Best Ways, I … Continue reading →

Frugal Fun: Make Your Own Snow Paint

It is mid morning here in Pennsylvania, and the snow is gently falling. The big fat flakes are slow and relaxed, too soft to cancel school. The two youngest kids and I are spending the time alternately playing and watching the progress of the snow. Molly is dressing up her magnetic dolls for the wintery weather, and little Henry is working on getting his knees up to crawl. It is a wonderful cozy day, the kind that makes me happy to be able to work at home and spend my morning with my babies. By the time 3:30 rolls around, … Continue reading →

Back to School: Is Your Child’s Sleep Pattern on Track?

With all seven of my children home from summer visitation, things are as lively and loud as ever. But the biggest problem I face may be trying to readjust their sleep patterns to coincide with their school schedules. I’ve got two teenagers who are now going to bed well after midnight, and waking after ten a.m. And even my younger ones seem energetic late at night, then wake late in the morning. With all their lazy summer fun, my kids have naturally shifted back into a late sleep phase. School starts in less than a week, and those early morning … Continue reading →

Falling in Love with your Real Child

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Often as parents we have unrealistic expectations for our kids. Our child is born, and we dream an imaginary future for him or her. “My son is going to be a golf pro,” “My daughter will win beauty pageants,” or “My boy will be valedictorian and get a scholarship to MIT.” Even simple dreams like, “My daughter will look like me,” or “I’ll teach my son to play baseball,” might not become reality. And this can be hard to deal with at first. Eventually, nearly all parents come to realize that their child isn’t exactly what they expected. Especially in … Continue reading →

“Web Junkie” Film Examines Internet Addiction in China

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Do you believe that your child has an “internet addiction”? In the United States, it is not considered to be a real condition or disorder. In China, however, it is believed to be both real and dangerous. A film called “Web Junkie” gives people a look into the lives of teens who are sent for treatment for their internet addiction. “Web Junkie” is a documentary that was created by Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia. It was released in 2014, and is currently available on Netflix. It focuses on some of the teenage boys who were sent to Daxing Boot Camp … Continue reading →