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Is it Ever Ok to Bribe your Kids?

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How do you get your children to do what you want them to? What do you do to encourage them to do certain things and to refrain from doing other things? Many parents have, at least sometimes, resorted to bribing their children. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Is it ever ok to bribe your kids? New findings reveal some interesting answers to these questions. First, it would be helpful to figure out what a bribe is (and what it isn’t). Author Ellen Perry points out that there is a continuum to be aware of. Motivation is one one end, … Continue reading →

Treat Yourself and Your Child

Labor Day is the last taste of freedom for millions of school kids across the country. Once Tuesday morning rolls around it’s back to the old grind. The first week back to school is typically fraught with challenges, as parents and children get reacclimated to nights filled with homework, extra curricular activities and last-minute dashes to the store for missing school supplies. In the midst of all the back-to-school chaos, dinner often gets overlooked and before moms and dads know it, bedtime is fast approaching and they’re looking around for a quick meal to serve up before herding the kids … Continue reading →

Missing Your Spouse, Even When They’re Around

Do you miss your spouse when he or she is around? I have on occasion found myself telling Jonathan that I miss him, even when he’s sitting right in front of me. Usually I say this in response to his having to leave for a day or so for work. Sometimes I even do it when he has to take a rare night shift, which I know is crazy. On those days I’m actually getting to see more of him than I would on a normal day, because he’s home in the morning, leaves at 3 pm, and is back … Continue reading →

Embrace Your Inner Helicopter

Have you ever been accused of “helicopter parenting”? If so, how did it make you feel? Some parents turn as red as my new MAC Viva Glam lipstick when charged with the title. Conversely, extreme helicopter parents wear their wings proudly in the name of doing all things good and right for the sake of their children. Madeleine Levine, a well-known American clinical psychologist, coined the term “helicopter parent,” in her book The Price of Privilege. However, since then the title has become a catch phrase with more negative connotations than positive. Recently, the headmistress of a leading girls’ school … Continue reading →

Do You Put Pictures of Your Baby on Facebook?

It’s hard to believe Facebook didn’t even exist ten years ago. It seems everyone has a profile these days. Whether you’re a 13-year-old chatting with her friends about homework, a businessman doing networking, or a grandma oohing and ahhing over the latest pictures of her grandchildren, Facebook has something for everyone. I use Facebook as a means to keep in instant contact with my family and friends. When your closest immediate family member lives states away, easy communication is a must. Uploading pictures is simple, and everyone can easily see new and updated pictures of my daughter. Facebook is a … Continue reading →

Being Frugal Is A Way Of Life – New FL Blogger Intro

Finally, I’m writing my Frugal Living introduction post. Better late than never, I always say. I wanted to say hello to my fellow FL living blogger Mary Ann Romans, and all of Families.com new bloggers. Since starting with this website about a month ago I’ve been having a lot of fun writing in my various topics. Being able to share and learn is a wonderful thing. As the title of my blog today states, being frugal truly is a way of life, not just one area of it. Many times someone may start out counting pennies in the area of … Continue reading →

Does Your Preschooler Use a Backpack?

Does a preschooler really need a backpack? My preschooler got my mom to buy her two backpacks when she wasn’t even enrolled in school. Bottom line: Kids like bags. Most preschools in our area offer classes three times a week. The kids are in school for three hours at a time and don’t leave with homework. Therefore, backpacks are not required for class. In fact, after a recent incident where a preschooler brought his dad’s gun to class in his backpack, many preschools banned backpacks all together. Still, some preschooler’s insist on toting a bag to school, so they can … Continue reading →

Back-to-School Bedtime Routine: Mommy vs. the Sun

Bittersweet sun, how I loved you. And by loved I mean worshipped. And by worshipped I mean in the unhealthiest ways possible. My love affair with the sun began as a young girl. Growing up in Hawaii, that scorching ball of fire in the sky was a constant companion. Not only did its rays provide me with a luminous glow that made my dingiest white shirts look radiant, but the sun also had a way of warming my inner being. Our adoration for each other deepened after I moved to the Upper Midwest. (Nine-month long Wisconsin winters will do that.) … Continue reading →

“Hey Mom, I LIKE Gifted School!”

My eight-year-old son has embarked on his new journey into the gifted “spectrum” program in our school district. At first, he was very reluctant. He has several good friends who live within walking distance of our home who he liked to play with at school. Leaving those buddies behind was a little hard to face. “I don’t think I want to go to gifted school,” he said. Several readers urged me to have him attend anyway, because of the marvelous educational opportunity he had been given. Finally, somewhat hesitantly, he determined to give it a try. One drawback has been … Continue reading →

Dear Heather … Hiring a Personal Trainer for Your Child

After a brief hiatus, our weekly Dear Heather … feature is returning to the fitness blog here at Families.com So if you have fitness questions, concerns or just want to know something, feel free to send it my way and I will do my best to get your questions answered. Dear Heather, I am very worried about my daughter. She’s 9 years old and she’s already much taller than most of the kids in her class or her age. But over the summer she started putting on weight and I know she is getting teased at school. I’m concerned about … Continue reading →