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Take Advice with a Grain of Salt

Advice, self-help, information, suggestions—every where you turn there are other people who want to offer up their advice. After all, as I write these blogs and articles here in the Parenting blog, I am participating in that very reality of American life. As a parent, however, you will get far more advice and suggestions that you could ever implement and in the end—it is up to you to make your own choices and decisions. Keep in mind that most of it is just opinion and it is coming from people with as many questions and confusions as you have! Whether … Continue reading →

The Whole Grain Campaign

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Well, here it is! The Whole Grain Campaign that Tristi suggested we start. Penn State in University Park has conducted yet another useless study to tell us what we all already know but ignore: Whole grain diets lower chronic disease risk and aid weight loss. Well, duh. According to co-brainiac Penny Kris-Etherton, professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State in University Park, ”Consumption of whole grains has been associated with a lower body weight and lower blood pressure.” Gee, folks. How many times to we need to be told before we start eating some oatmeal and kicking the Wonder Bread … Continue reading →

Giving and Taking Parenting Advice

Despite the fact that it may appear that I am in the “parenting business,” I really do not feel particularly comfortable offering up specific and heavy-handed parenting advice. Partly because of my writings on parenting and family life, and partly because I tend to always have a house full of kids and as older teens, they appear to have survived most of their childhood relatively unscathed—I do get approached for advice regularly. I also try to find my own mentors to ask for advice. But, it always seems like a bit of a slippery slope… The thing is—every child and … Continue reading →

The Marriage Blog Week in Review – November 4 –10

It’s been a busy and exciting week here in the Marriage blog. There was a national election on Tuesday that saw 7 states accept constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage, while one state – Arizona said no to that ban. If you don’t read my fitness blog, you may not have known that I also quit smoking this week and today marks Day 4 heading into Day 5 and I’ll be writing about how great my spouse has been in supporting this effort next week. In the meanwhile, if you missed any of our key stories this week, here is … Continue reading →

Want Some Bad Advice?

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When I was a teenager, I knew everything (of course) and as I got older, I think I outgrew my knowledge of the secrets of the universe. Or maybe it’s just that my universe expanded so I had a much greater understanding of a very small portion of that universe and only a little understanding of the much greater universe that opened up. That being said, there’s a lot of advice we get from movies, books and other teenage angst moments that are supposed to serve as our advice barometer for the future. As a nod to these days of … Continue reading →

Find A Vet on Pet Advocate

I’ve talked – extensively – about how important it is to find a good veterinarian. I’ve done that, however, without offering much advice about how to do so. Finding a good vet (or doctor, or dentist, or anything) is always tricky if you’re new to an area, or if you’re the only person you know who has pets. I went through it myself. When I first moved here I only knew one other person who had a pet, and she doesn’t take her cat to the vet very often. She’s the one who recommended the low-cost clinic to which I … Continue reading →

Work At Home Parents Get The Best And Worst Of Both Worlds

Sometimes being a home-based professional and a parent can leave you feeling stuck in the middle of two worlds, the world of the stay-at-home parent and the world of the working parent. It is sometimes an uncomfortable spot, yes, but it is also an enviable position. One of the great things about being a work-at-home parent (besides being home with the kids) is that you are able to understand and empathize with both working parents and stay-at-home parents because your life contains elements of each. You can relate to your friend that works in an office when she talks about … Continue reading →

New Year’s Resolutions

Enjoy these New Year’s Resolutions for pregnant woman and feel free to add your own! I will take my prenatal vitamin every day. I will not forget. I will enjoy that single bowl of Rocky Road ice cream. I will maintain good posture. I will do my kegels every day. I will take the epidural if I need it and not feel guilty. I will quit smoking, for good. I will go to bed early and take naps often, because I can. I will not be ashamed of my pregnant body. I will exercise lightly. I will drink 8-10 glasses … Continue reading →

Decisions, Decisions

Being a single parent there is only one person who is making this decision…you and you alone. If you make the right decision you can beam with delight. If you make the wrong decision you want to kick yourself a million times over. Do you have difficulty making decisions on your own? It is always nice to have someone there who can point things out to you that you might not see yourself before you make your final decision on whatever you may encounter. Also, if the choice ends up being a good choice you can rejoice with someone. A … Continue reading →

Strong Enough to Withstand Judgment

As a single parent, I admit that I do sometimes feel judged–judged by teachers, by my children’s father and his new partner, by other people, and certainly by my own children. The truth is, however, as long as I am doing the best that I can, I also need to learn how to be strong enough to withstand the judgment and be true to myself regardless… I know that for many of us this is easier said than done. I admit that it irks me when I hear that my parenting is being questioned and picked apart by my kids’ … Continue reading →