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Are You A Snowplow Parent?

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There are many different kinds of parenting styles to choose from. Some of them are very beneficial both to the children and the parents. Others are disadvantageous to not only the children, but also to their parents. Among the worst is the “snowplow parent”. Actual snow is not required for a parent to choose this parenting style. Emma Waverman, writing for Today’s Parent defined a snowplow parent as “a person who constantly forces obstacles out of their kids’ paths. They have their eye on the future success of their child, and anyone or anything that stands in their way has … Continue reading →

Plugged In Parent?

Are you a plugged in parent?  I’m talking about the kind of parent who is involved in your teenager’s life…in such a way that you would recognize signs of bad behavior.  Things like drinking, drugs, oh, even prostitution. Can you imagine not knowing that your teenager was not only sexually active but had been with married men?  Had prostituted herself out in order to get ecstasy? That was the situation in a recent Dr. Phil show I watched.  I would have to say this was probably the most clueless mother I have ever seen. The specifics of the show don’t … Continue reading →

Locked Out Part I

I hate to admit it but it is one of my biggest fears to find myself locked out.  I am horrified that I might lock my keys in the car or that I might close our locked front door, only to discover that my keys are still inside, which would prevent me from getting into my car with young children (especially in this cold weather).   My three year old son usually does a good job reminding me to make sure that I have important things before we leave the house: “Mom do you have your phone, keys, water, grocery list, … Continue reading →

A Parent’s Dilemma: Time or Money?

Which would have a more positive impact on your family’s future, an extra $10,000 each year or an extra hour of quality time every day with your kids? The question was posed to more than 2,000 parents across the county via a survey conducted by Parents magazine and the Center for the Next Generation, and the results may surprise you. According to the poll, two-thirds of parents would rather have the extra cash than time with their kids. Chock it up to hard economic times and financial uncertainty. “Parents have some very, very serious concerns about providing for their families,” … Continue reading →

Parents and Vacation Time

With Independence Day falling on a Wednesday this year, many parents with jobs outside the home, took off Thursday and Friday to extend the holiday weekend. Others simply exercised a week’s worth of vacation to spend uninterrupted holiday time with their families. Are you enjoying time away from the office right now? If so, consider yourself lucky. According to a new study, the United States is one of only a handful of developed countries in the world that doesn’t require companies to give their workers time off. In other cases, workers are given minimum vacation time that cannot be transferred … Continue reading →

Be an Engaged Parent

Let’s face it, it’s the 21st century and technology has taken over our lives. You want to lose weight? There’s an app for that. You want to learn how to cook? Don’t worry there’s an app for that. You’re ready to get back into the dating world? Never fear, there’s an app for that too. You can find just about anything you need to know online and many of us spend our days doing just that. Have you checked your email today? How about Facebook? How many texts have you sent? How many calls have you made? Needless to say, … Continue reading →

Thinking Twice About Using Your Debit Card

CNN has scarred me from using my debit card. The cable news network’s story on skimming makes me want to cut-up my card and use cash only for purchases. For those of you who missed CNN’s piece (or similar stories broadcast on other networks), skimming is a practice perfected by thieves looking to capture your bank card information by sliding it through a special machine. The device, which is often placed over real card slots at ATMs and other payment terminals, reads the card’s magnetic strip and basically gives complete strangers access to your checking account. According to financial service … Continue reading →

Children Turning Parents against Each Other

Children have a funny way of turning parents against each other. It often starts when they are young. They will ask mommy something and if she says no, then they may go to daddy and ask him. If he says yes, then mommy ends up mad and he ends up feeling defensive. Or the same can happen with the roles switched. In a marriage you have to guard against many things. The ability for children to turn spouses against each other is just one of them. It can become even trickier as they get older. Suddenly you are dealing with … Continue reading →

Making a List, Checking it Twice!

A few months ago I took a class on the sociology of the family. Our first assignment was to write about our expectations in a spouse. I remembered making a list as a teenager. My future husband was going to be perfect, I just knew it! Prince Charming was going to come sweep me off of my feet, we were going to ride off into the sunset, and live happily ever after. Sound familiar? Of course, things didn’t turn out quite so nicely. My ex is no Prince Charming, and happily ever after never really happened. So when I started … Continue reading →

Checking Out As a Parent

If you are the parent of more than one child you can probably relate to the issue of there always being at least one who is “keeping you on your toes.” That is my nice way of saying that one of your children is giving you a run for your money. It seems like there is hardly a day where all three of my children aren’t presenting some type of “issue.” Of course, I guess that has to be expected. After all, when you have two in middle school and one in high school hormones are bound to run amuck. … Continue reading →