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Stay Open to New Insight

I think I know my children pretty darn well. As a matter of fact, I do not think it is bragging to confess that sometimes I know what they are doing (and why) before they do. But, the truth is, I certainly do not know it all and by remaining open to new information and new insight, I can adjust as my children grow and change. There is something to be said for personality, but none of us stays the same. Part of me would love it if my children would stay put for a while—especially after I work so … Continue reading →

Just How Open Should We Be with Our Special Needs Kids?

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Recently I took my two stepdaughters to the doctor for a dosage check on their ADHD medication. (They each take 30 mg. of adderall daily.) Before the physician entered the room, the nurse began entering information into the computer. Height, weight, blood pressure, etc. The girls, ages twelve and nine, gleefully teased each other and fought over the cushioned examination seat. When the pediatrician finally came into the room, he had a lot of questions. What were the behaviors I saw when the girls were off their medication? What behaviors did I see while they were on it? Was it … Continue reading →

What Are My Days Like?

Home – based professionals are a diverse bunch, and I am very happy to be a part of the Home Business blog here at Families.com because it reflects the experience and insight of not just one, but three different home – based professionals. The diversity in our experiences makes it more likely that you, our readers, will be able to relate to the things that we talk about. For example, my co-blogger Richele McFarlin wrote this excellent post today about what she does all day, every day. Since families are so different and schedules and priorities vary greatly from one … Continue reading →

Learn While Lazing at Aulani

Last time I looked at Aulani, Disney’s newest (and first) resort in Hawaii the details were still conceptual. Now that Aulani prepares to open its doors at the end of August, it’s time to take another, much more definitive look at what’s sure to be one luxurious hotel. Over the past few months the Disney Park blog has published several sneak previews of the resort. I’ve browsed through many of the recent ones to present a more rounded picture to bring to you today. Aulani will be open to the public and will also contain lodgings exclusively for Disney Vacation … Continue reading →

The Blessing and Woes of Teens

My family and friends have been entering a new season. We now have teens that are of driving age, which opens up more opportunities for them to experience freedom. It is kind of a scary time. My 16-year-old son still has two more behind-the-wheel lessons and then he is scheduled to take his driving test at the end of January. He already has a car waiting for him, only because we got a great deal from a good friend. While at first I was looking at it as something that will be a convenience, lately I have been struggling to … Continue reading →

Mary, Martha, and Me: Seeking the One Thing that is Needful – Camille Fronk Olson

The book “Mary, Martha, and Me” by Camille Fronk Olson offers new insight into the biblical account of the two sisters from Bethany, one who sat at the feet of Jesus and let her sister do all the work in preparing the meal. As we remember from the story, Martha had been working hard to make her home ready for her special guest, and Mary chose instead to sit at Christ’s feet and listen to his words. Christ spoke to Martha, not angrily but gently, as He commended her for her diligence, but then told her that Mary had chosen … Continue reading →

Identifying Whose “Problem” it Is

I do not know about your child or children, but mine can get pretty good at manipulating situations and trying to make their problems and issues seem like they are actually mine. As a parent, it can help us to figure out how to respond to our children if we first identify whose “problem” it is—claiming our part and NOT claiming the stuff that actually belongs to our kids. My sister-in-law has a phrase that she uses with her kids when they are trying to make their issues her problem. She will say: “This sounds like a personal problem”—it is … Continue reading →

Imagine Things from Your Child’s Perspective

Most of the time, I think of myself as a fairly level-headed and reasonably evolved person and I can usually figure out what is going on for ME when it comes to family life and interactions with my kids. I don’t’ always do such a great job of seeing things from their point of view. When we are at an impasse or a standstill or my kids are behaving in ways that don’t really make a lot of sense to me, I find it helps if I can get myself to imagine what things might look like from my child’s … Continue reading →

Behavior Patterns

While sometimes our children surprise us with off-the-wall behaviors, their behavior is often part of a pattern. By looking for and figuring out what sort of behavior patterns might be going on, it can be helpful in our being able to solve problems and address problem behaviors. I have found that looking for patterns as a parent can help me in several ways—first, it helps me to determine whether something is becoming a problem or not. An isolated temper tantrum or some other unsavory behavior might be due to one of my children being overly-tired, temporarily stressed or coming down … Continue reading →

“Mom, I’m in a Funk”

My kids are getting increasingly verbal, expressive and creative in the ways they talk to me. Instead of my having to try to pry things out of them or figure out what might be going on, they are getting better at telling me (when they want to) what is going down. While there is still plenty of adolescent moodiness and I know there are certainly plenty of things that they have no intention of talking to me about, they also do sometimes tell me when things are going awry. Instead of the “Leave me Alone!” that reverberated a couple years … Continue reading →