Search Results for: blog my child isnt normal

Book Review: I’m Brown and My Sister Isn’t

Families are often advised to begin talking about adoption while a child is very young, even before he can understand the words, so that the child will grow up seeing adoption as a normal way for a family to form. Recent years have brought many children’s picture books on adoption, but it’s still a difficult topic to convey to toddlers and preschoolers. A book which speaks very simply about adoption and the diverse families it creates is I’m Brown and My Sister Isn’t, by Robbie O’Shea, who is herself a mother of two adopted children who have different skin colors. … Continue reading →

Success and Your Child

I have a motto that I probably stole from somebody brilliant, but it goes like this: Success is when your work is your play. I think there’s a lot of truth in that. If your favorite thing in the world to do is look at the stars, then being an astronomer or working at NASA might turn your work into play. If you love collecting antiques, opening up an antique store might do the trick. If you’re a gardening enthusiast, perhaps you might find satisfaction working as a florist or landscape architect. “I love what I do.” If you get … Continue reading →

Does Your Child Feel Important?

I watched a fantastic documentary last night called “The Kennedy Assassination: Beyond Conspiracy.” It uses computer animation to recreate the assassination with pinpoint accuracy never seen before. The point of the documentary is to argue that only Lee Harvey Oswald was behind the murder of President Kennedy and that there was no conspiracy. This is the greatest documentary on this topic that I’ve ever seen. A Desperate Need to Feel Important The documentary also reveals details about Lee Harvey Oswald’s life of which most people are probably unaware. This misfit Oswald had an overwhelming desire to be important. From the … Continue reading →

The WRONG Way to Praise Your Child

Is there ever a wrong way to praise your son or daughter? Every child needs to hear that he or she is loved, appreciated, and good at something. Giving your child positive feedback can build confidence, self-esteem, and create an ongoing desire to keep trying. However, if you’re not careful, your compliments can have the opposite result. Praise requires balance to be effective. Here are three “don’ts” when it comes to praising your child: Don’t use the same phrase over and over again. Saying “Good girl,” repeatedly sounds like training language for a dog. Even “good job,” “awesome,” or “wow” … Continue reading →

Ten Ways a Special Needs Child Will Change You Forever

Having a son or daughter with special needs transforms us. There is just no way around it—we are shaped and chiseled from the inside out. It’s a process not without pain, but the ultimate rewards are great. Here are ten ways that a special needs child will change you forever: Perspective shift. There’s something about having a child who is struggling to master simple language, develop motor skills, or maintain basic health that changes your perception of things. Now, whether or not you get a new pair of shoes to wear to the Brewster’s Christmas party doesn’t seem to matter … Continue reading →

Should Teens Get An Allowance?

Once children hit the teen years, the decision to continue an allowance may not be easy. The rule we have made in our home is that until they get their first job, we will continue with allowance. The reason for this is so that they can learn the value of a dollar and how to save. They will still be expected to do those chores even after they get their first job, however. After all, I don’t get to quit helping out around the house just because I have a job. So the need to pitch in as a family … Continue reading →

Yes, I Still get Angry!

I have had several years to work through my divorce, my former relationship and getting used to being a single parent. This passing of time has influenced my being able to write so many blogs and articles about co-parenting and keeping connected in a sane way with all aspects of a child’s family. I do not want anyone to think I am a saint, however, and in all fairness I must confess that I can still get angry, frustrated and aggravated in trying to deal with my child’s other parent and trying to make our divorced family work… I still … Continue reading →

New Territory For Familiar Hollywood Names

It appears former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss is finally cleaning up her act… literally. Fleiss, notorious for airing her dirty laundry in public, before and after she was convicted of running a high-priced call girl service several years ago, is getting into a new line of work. These days the reformed (she did spend time in jail) Fleiss is looking to clean others’ dirty laundry. According to news reports, Fleiss is opening “Dirty Laundry” a 24-hour, coin-operated laundry complete with 13 washers and 14 dryers at a shopping center west of Las Vegas. If you think Fleiss’ career move is … Continue reading →

The Sunday Evening Review: November 26

While I’m sure that many of us took days off of our home schooling schedule to cook and eat. . .and cook and eat some more–I definitely did not take days off in the home schooling blog! In the interest of celebrating Thanksgiving, I skipped my normal topics and blogged on activities you could do with your child to incorporate the Thanksgiving theme into your home school. If you missed them you can always print them out and use them next year! Check out: 25 Books About Thanksgiving, 15 Writing Prompts for Thanksgiving, and 7 Thanksgiving Math Activities. Continuing with … Continue reading →

Book Review: Parenting Isn’t For Cowards

Being a parent today is tough, no one would deny that. Being a good parent is harder still. We want to do the right thing but many times we are unsure of exactly what the right thing is. In his book, Parenting Isn’t For Cowards , Dr. James Dobson talks about the challenges of being a good parent. He first points out that babies come to us with no instructions and we pretty much have to assemble them on our own. There are no guaranteed formulas that work for everyone, it’s pretty much a case of trial and error. Dr. … Continue reading →