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The Hazards of Distracted Parenting

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Humans can become distracted every now and again. Parents are only human and cannot be hyper focused on their children every second. There is a difference from a moment of distraction and a pattern of it. Be aware of the hazards of distracted parenting. It has become common for people to spend time looking at the screens of their smartphones while they are outside. Some people are recording video, and taking photos, to preserve memories. Smartphones make it easy to share a fun trip to the zoo with a grandmother who lives far away. That scenario can be fun way … Continue reading →

Do You Yell at Your Kids?

My neighbor’s response: “Ah h*ll, I yell! If they listened when I spoke softly I wouldn’t have to raise my voice.” You gotta love a brutally honest mom. The Today Show recently ran a piece on parents who yell at their kids. Frankly, I didn’t think another category existed. What’s that saying: If you don’t yell at your kids, then you aren’t spending enough time with them? Parents who yell at their kids = parents. Is that a bad thing? Not according to psychologist George Holden. The highly-respected researcher and father of three recently conducted a study about how parents … Continue reading →

Do You Spy on Your Kids?

Did you hear the one about the teenager from China who sold one of his kidneys in order to buy an iPad2? Unfortunately, it’s not a joke. According to news reports, a 17-year-old boy from China turned to the Internet in his search for ways to score a new computer. While online the teen reportedly found an organ-selling agent who was willing to pay 3,400 American dollars for a kidney. Chinese news agencies report that the boy took off from his home in the eastern Anhui province without his parents’ knowledge and traveled to a hospital in the city of … Continue reading →

And You Thought Your Kid Was Smart

Most parents are constantly trying to educate their children. They read to them, sing to them, and expose them to visually stimulating environments. In some cases it pays off and the child becomes a voracious learner always ready to take on a new challenge. Other kids, not so much. Then, there are the rare occasions when the child surpasses all expectations and reveals that she is smarter than her parents… before she is potty trained. Such is the case with Elise Tan-Roberts of Edmonton in North London. The 2-year-old girl has an IQ of 156 and is rated in the … Continue reading →

Are You Guilty of Hyper-Parenting?

As if we needed yet another label to slap on parents who are actively involved in their children’s lives… Introducing… the Hyper-Parent. No cape involved, just a well-used minivan that has accrued thousand of miles from carting kids to football, gymnastics, ballet, swimming, tennis, art, soccer, hockey, karate, piano, and foreign language classes. A decade ago these types of parents were considered “pushy” for over scheduling their offspring. But these days they’re considered “hyper,” though the definitions of each are quite similar. The criticism is pretty much the same too. Rather than applaud these moms and dads for taking an … Continue reading →

Losing It in Public

Overheard at the zoo last week: Mom to tweenage son: “Knock it off, Caden! We’re not in a video game.” Tweenage boy attempting to trip younger sibling: “You’re going down.” Mom: “Caden! Knock! It! Off!” Boy: “DOWN!” And that’s exactly where the younger sibling went. Flat on his face, courtesy of the tweenage boy, right in front of the polar bear exhibit where my daughter and I happened to be standing. Unfortunately, we had front row seats to the mama drama. And the show was far from over. In fact, it was just beginning. Once the mom saw her younger … Continue reading →

When Parents Act Like Children

And people wonder why helicopter parents exist… I am THAT Mom when it comes to school field trips. My second grader has yet to take a class trip without me. I will chaperone school excursions until she graduates from high school, if the school allows it. And if there comes a day when school administrators put the kibosh on having parents supervise students, I’ll probably still show up because you can’t stop moms and dads from being present at public venues, right? Hovering be damned; I refuse to allow this to happen to my kid… or this: According to news … Continue reading →

Capri Sun Mom

Capri Sun. Capri Sun! That’s the product helicopter mom is trying to sell in the hilarious new commercial I posted about a few days ago. It finally came to me. Okay, it wasn’t a profound revelation, nor did my memory suddenly spark the answer; rather, I happened to catch the ad again while doing the dinner dishes last night. Believe me; this commercial is going to blow up parenting blogs in the not-so distant future. It’s that relatable. If you haven’t already seen it, you can catch helicopter mom in all her obsessive glory here. Darn if you don’t crack … Continue reading →

A Tale of Two Moms

Help me out here… Have you seen the TV commercial that features the ultimate helicopter parent? The ad stars a mom who follows her kid around all day trying to protect him from the big, bad world. In one scene, helicopter mom is at her son’s school answering a question posed to the class by a teacher. She raises her hand, provides the correct response, and then gives the credit to her son. In another scene, the mom uses her body as a human shield when it’s her son’s turn to be the target during a dodge ball game. Next, … Continue reading →

Mama Bear vs. Wise Owl

My 7-year-old is fond of telling strangers that her mom is “90 percent wise owl and 10 percent angry mama bear.” She got the line from a TV commercial. I think it’s from those Charmin ads, which feature the family of animated bears discussing the merits of proper rump wiping skills, and how it’s never a good idea to walk around with toilet paper remnants sticking to your backside. Hey, even bears have to preserve their dignity. In any event, back to the mama bear versus wise owl line. When my daughter says it, I take it as a compliment, … Continue reading →