Don’t Do Your Child’s Homework for Them

One of the biggest complaints of students of all ages is the amount of homework they are assigned. This is true for kindergarteners, college students, and everyone in between. Teachers expect that the students will do their own homework, perhaps with a little help from their parents. You don’t do your children’s homework for them, though, right? An article in The Telegraph reveals some surprising things about who is really doing the homework that teachers assign. The information comes from a poll of 2,000 parents who had children between the ages of 5 and 15. The research showed that in … Continue reading

Happy Kids: Mission Impossible?

You’re familiar with the saying, “Happy wife, happy life,” but have you found the key to fostering that happiness? According to a new survey, happy kids beget happy moms/wives which beget happy husbands/dads. The equation seems simple enough until you factor in life’s discomforts, hardships and disappointments. I’d love for my child to be happy 24/7.  What parent wouldn’t?  After all, nothing makes most moms and dads happier than to see their children in high spirits. My own 8-year-old would love for her entire family to be happy every minute of every day and is visibly uncomfortable when that idealistic … Continue reading

Making Christmas More Joyful for Kids With Special Needs

Many of us look forward to Christmas. Kids that have certain types of special needs might feel left out, or overwhelmed, by the ways that their family celebrates this holiday. Here are some quick tips to help make Christmas more joyful for kids who have special needs. It is a tradition that children write a letter to Santa. Sometimes, Santa answers that letter. When he does, it a note that is written on paper, (and possibly signed by Santa himself). This makes many children happy. However, it leaves out the kids who are blind or who have a vision impairment. … Continue reading

Mistakes To Avoid When Starting Your Home Based Business

I just read an article about starting a home – based business that rubbed me completely the wrong way. Of course, it may be more about me than it is about the author of the article, because it was mostly a good article. It is simply written from a different perspective than the one that I come from. I take my home – based businesses just as seriously as anybody else, even though I work part time because of my primary career as a stay at home mom. The article that I read seemed like it was written for home … Continue reading

Kids Gain Even More When They Lose

Look at that million dollar grin. And by a million I mean nearly 50 bucks. The Tooth Fairy has been very, very generous to my daughter. Since this picture was taken, roughly three weeks ago, my 8-year-old has pocketed an additional $20 from the Fairy who pays for falling enamel. That’s way, way more than the average kid makes experiencing this normal rite of passage from childhood to adulthood, but that’s mainly because the Tooth Fairy’s generous grandparents also add in several dollars to sweeten the pot. Take the Fairy’s parents out of the mix, and most kids these days … Continue reading

What is Your 7 Month Old Up To?

A lot has happened in the last month of my little guy’s life. Tomorrow, he will be 7 months old. How these months keep passing by so quickly, I don’t know, but they do! My little man has started to be a little more mobile, and that makes life fun, interesting, and keeps me on my toes! Sometimes, it can make life frustrating too. But, he recently had his first swim lesson which was a lot of fun. He is sitting up great now, which is nice. I can plop him down on the floor, and his balance is getting … Continue reading

Happy Kids On The Cheap

With all of the expenses of raising a family, parents are often searching for ways to save money wherever they can. One area of the family budget where spending can often be reduced quite a bit is entertainment. Parents often believe that they need to spend more money to keep their children entertained and occupied than they actually do. Children are naturally curious, and often parents are pleasantly surprised by how simple things can capture their imaginations and hold their attention for hours. My favorite example of low or no cost family fun is a trip to the playground. Depending … Continue reading

Happy Sober St. Patrick’s Day

It’s St. Patrick’s Day. The one day of the year that your kids can pinch each other and get away with it… or start a fight, but what’s new? So, really St. Patrick’s Day is like any other day, only with a wee bit more green and a lot more alcohol. Hopefully, your kids will surround themselves more with the former than the latter. Especially if they’re under 21. If you have teens you may want to think twice before letting them out of your sight tonight. According to news reports, drunken driving incidents spike on St. Patrick’s Day to … Continue reading

Happy Helping Husbands

Today I took my kids, including my newest addition, to story time at the public library. My oldest son loves it. I frequently meet other moms there and get a chance to get out of the house and feel a little “normal”. Or at least, as normal as I can with a new baby around. Today I sat next to a Mom and we started chatting. She had 4 kids (twins in the middle) and her youngest was still a baby, although starting to toddle around. During the conversation, she said that she and her husband were going through a … Continue reading

Enter the Tyson “Show Us Your Nugget Face” Contest

Does your child love to eat chicken nuggets? If so, then you might want to enter the “Show Us Your Nugget Face!” Contest from Tyson Foods. Send them a photo of your child happily eating chicken nuggets, and that photo could appear in magazine ads and on a Times Square Billboard. It is no secret that there are a lot of children who enjoy eating chicken nuggets. Parents might not be so thrilled with this idea, especially if the nuggets in question are deep fried and come from a fast food restaurant. Kids, however, just want to eat something that … Continue reading