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Learning the Real Rules of Life

I recently finished reading “The Real Rules of Life: Balancing Life’s Terms with Your Own” by Ken Druck, sent to me in exchange for a review. This is probably one of the most life-impacting books I have ever read. In fact, I plan on reading it again but taking more time with it. There was so much to take in and the opportunity to really apply what you read. I greatly appreciate not only the effort that went into this book but the heart as well. “The Real Rules of Life” was written after the author’s loss of his 21-year-old … Continue reading →

Learning from Reality Shows

If you have ever watched the television show “Wife Swap” you know that its based on taking two completely different types of families and swapping wives for two weeks. It can be pretty interesting to watch the collision of very different viewpoints. For the first week the visiting mom has to follow that family’s rules but then the second week she gets to change the rules. Many times the rules have to do with parenting issues but they also tend to be about the way the household is run. You get all kinds of families. You get families who believe … Continue reading →

Despite Appearance, They Really Do Want Structure

It might seem obvious that little children need and want structure and organization surrounding their lives–but it can become less obvious as kids get older. The way they push against those limits and seem to embrace mess and chaos can cause us to believe that they really don’t want the structure and organization we parents impose. But, the truth is–even those teenagers who are telling us to “loosen up” and “butt out” really do want structure and organization–they are just trying to learn how to do some it themselves. I think we humans strive to make order and structure out … Continue reading →

Tales from the Potty: The Rules

I am not a childhood expert on potty training. But I have had 5 kids–3 of whom have been potty trained within the last 4 years and 2 of whom we are currently potty training. My oldest three each took about 4-7 days to train. Two things have prompted this series of blogs. First I’ve had several requests from you on how to start potty training. The second is that we are working on potty training our twins who are now 19 months old. I’m not an expert. . .but I have learned a few things. So before I give … Continue reading →

Teaching Learning Disabled Kids To Read

Trying to teach a learning disabled child to read can be a frustrating experience. When our oldest came to us, he was a poor student. His report card read D’s and F’s across the board. He detested reading and refused to even try to enjoy anything involving the printed word. A big part of Randy’s aversion was his discomfort in doing it. He felt inferior because he had poor reading skills. He didn’t have a good foundation to build on; no one read to him as a child and he was never encouraged to read. He was never taken on … Continue reading →

Five Free Fun Ideas Your Family Probably Isn’t Doing

By now you know how to save money on family fun, but are you really taking advantage of all of the fun family free stuff that is out there? There are plenty of things to do, to see and to learn that can be geared toward the different talents and interests of yourself, your kids and the family as a whole. If your family isn’t doing them, you could be losing out on a lot of free fun. 1. Join free classes and clubs. There are a number of free classes and clubs out there, just waiting for someone to … Continue reading →

Floaties Require a Doctor’s Note?

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In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a mother was escorted by police from a public swimming pool because she allowed her son to wear floaties. Her son has cerebral palsy. The pool rules prohibit floaties. Somehow, I think this could have been handled in a way that didn’t require police involvement. Legally speaking, public swimming pools are required to be ADA compliant. This means that public pools, (and the ones in hotels and motels) must meet the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act. The pools must have permanent lifts or underwater ramps that will provide access into and out of the pool … Continue reading →

Should Teens Read “50 Shades of Grey”?

I generally don’t like to comment or offer my opinion on something I don’t have personal knowledge of. So I will make a disclaimer up front…I have never read (nor do I ever plan to read) “50 Shades of Grey.” However, as a blogger covering teen topics and the mother of three teens, I have deep concerns over the rising popularity of this book. I am hearing more and more that it isn’t just adult women pouring over the pages; teens are also jumping on the bandwagon. Here is what I do know…I have read enough reviews and heard enough … Continue reading →

Teen Summer Reading: Birthday Suit

I don’t know if you have the same problem as I do, but finding good reading material for teens over the summer can be a challenge. In fact, just getting teens to read at all can be difficult. I was recently sent a copy of the “Birthday Suit” written by Tyler Durman. I decided to preview the book before handing it off to one of my teens. Well it didn’t take long before I was laughing out loud. He takes the long lost art of storytelling and brings it alive again. It is comprised of nine short stories that take … Continue reading →

Working Through Situations With Your Intense Child

If you are not a temperamentally intense person, it can be difficult to understand a temperamentally intense child. I am definitely not what you would call an intense person, I’m pretty easygoing and generally go with the flow. Dylan, on the other hand, is very intense. He reacts to things, both positive and negative, in a very strong way. It is never difficult to know what he thinks about something. Children with intense temperaments bring a depth of experience into our worlds that we have not previously known, if we are not intense ourselves. When they laugh, it comes from … Continue reading →