Search Results for: blog learning to play alone

Escape to Playa Los Cerritos

While the rest of the country heads north to view the spectacular fall colors, you could escape to the sun, sand and silence by visiting Playa Los Cerritos in Baja, Mexico. The breathtakingly beautiful stretch of sand is located less than an hour’s drive north of Cabo San Lucas. The area is accessible by flying into Cabo San Lucas or La Paz, and then renting a car and driving on the new four-lane Hwy 19 towards Todos Santos. The Cerritos exit is at kilometer marker 65. Along the way you will be treated to stunning view of the Pacific Ocean, … Continue reading →

Single Parent, But Never Alone

There are times when you are going to feel very much alone in being a single parent. There are going to be those days when you feel that nobody understands, not even the ones that you are closest to and that know your situation. On those days, in those moments you must remember this: I may be a single parent, but I am never alone. There is someone that is by my side every moment of the day. Even when I am sleeping, I am protected. There may be moments that something happens that is very discouraging. I may wonder … Continue reading →

Is Structured Play with Your Kids a Good Idea?

Like most parents, I try to spend time each day playing with my child. This daily interaction is as natural as breathing, right? Well maybe not. According to anthropologist David Lancy, the idea of parent-child play is really a modern day occurrence and not necessarily a good thing. Lancy says that this type of interaction happens only in wealthy developed countries. In the journal, American Anthropologist, he stated that in many cultures adults think that it is silly to play with children. However, many Americans feel that playing with their children is the one way to raise smart and well-adjusted … Continue reading →

Learning to Play Alone

When my youngest son was a toddler, I recall being at a parenting class that was covering various developmental stages for growing children. Watching how differently my son—the baby of three children very close together—was developing had me worried. I raised my hand and asked the facilitator if he would be developmentally “behind” if he never learned how to play alone? She looked perplexed as I went on to explain that he came into a family with a lot going on and when he wanted to play—he went to a PERSON, not a toy. In his toddler world, there was … Continue reading →

Free Websites that Teach Your Kids about Money

Teaching kids about money, where it comes from, how to make it grow and how to use it responsibly is one of those things that many of us mean to get around to doing, but don’t often seem to complete. In fact, money lessons should never really come to an end. As society, the economy and technology changes, it is important for us all to keep up, and pass on the skills, knowledge and advice to our children. Fortunately, we don’t have to do this alone. There are a few really good websites out there that will help us teach … Continue reading →

Going to School with Kids

I have been asked several times over the last year how I could possibly manage to continue going to school with a child all while parenting alone. “How do you have time to do homework?” “Who watches your son for you?” “How do you find time to study?” “How do you keep your grades up?” All questions that have continued to come up time and time again. For the record, it hasn’t been an easy task, but here are some things that may help you attempt the college journey as a single mother. First off, don’t forget to check out … Continue reading →

Parenting Is Hard Work

Even though I have been a parent for a relatively short time, almost three years to be exact, I am acutely aware of just how tough of a job it is. When I had my first baby, I learned that it was not easy to keep up with his needs let alone take care of myself and my home. As Dylan grew so did his needs, and taking care of him became even more challenging. At the same time, despite the challenges of raising a toddler there are also many rewards. Things like watching him master new pieces of playground … Continue reading →

The Girls

My sister and I were really excited when we learned that we both were pregnant with baby girls! Our daughters are a mere three months apart. When my daughter was a newborn that three month difference seemed immense, but now that they are both equally mobile that gap has narrowed quite a bit. We love getting our girls together to for play dates as often as we can, which usually ends up being several times a week now that they live nearby (instead of ten hours away). Not only do my sister and I have a great time during our … Continue reading →

Nothing To Be Ashamed Of

The weeks following my divorce were devastating to me. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. It took everything in me just to breathe. I had lost everything; my home, my “family,” my income, my dreams, and most importantly myself. My identity was so wrapped up in my role as a wife and mother that I didn’t know who I was now that I was no longer someone’s wife. I was barely functional and spent that time in a deep depression that I had little hope of pulling out of on my own. My parents begged me to get some counseling, … Continue reading →

What to Do on Your Mental Health Day

I recently blogged about the importance of taking a mental health day, something home-based professionals really need every-so-often. Many of us who work from home tend to put in more hours than maybe we should. But now we need to consider what to do on our mental health day. It would be easy to slide right back into the old trap of, “I will just quick do this” or “I only have one thing to do.” Suddenly we are working. A mental health day means NO WORK…none…nada…not even a “little bit.” Remember that the whole point of a mental health … Continue reading →