Halloween Events for Kids

Your kids might be super excited about celebrating Halloween. While some Halloween events are specifically geared for children, there are others that might be too scary for little ones to attend. Here is a list of some kid-friendly Halloween events that are taking place this year. Disney Store Halloween Dress Rehearsal Event The Disney Store near you might be having a Halloween Dress Rehearsal Event. Children must be at least three years of age in order to participate. Kids are to arrive dressed in their favorite Disney character costume. The event will take place on Friday, October 5, 2016, between … Continue reading

Focus on the Candidates – Carly Fiorina

This blog is part of the series that focuses on the candidates who are running for President of the United States in the 2016 election. This blog focuses on Carly Fiorina. According to her official website, Carly Fiorina earned a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. In 1999, she was recruited to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of Hewlett-Packard (1999 – 2005). She was the first woman to lead a Fortune 500 company. In 2010, Carly Fiorina ran unsuccessfully for United States Senate in California against … Continue reading

Kids of Same-Sex Parents Benefit From Supreme Court Ruling

On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States revealed their decision on the same-sex marriage case that had reached their court. The case was called Obergefell v Hodges. In short, the Justices of the Supreme Court ruled that marriage equality is the law of the land. Kids of same-sex parents benefit from this decision in so many important ways. The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 vote, ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment requires states to license marriage between two people of the same sex. They also ruled the the Fourteenth Amendment requires states to recognize a same sex … Continue reading

Dads are Important, Too!

A few months ago, a book was released that emphasized the important role that dads have. It is possible that the book may have influenced some parents to take a moment and think about the importance of dads and whether society might need to update its idea of what dads can do. Let me begin by clearly stating that I think that both dads and moms are very important to their children. Each can have a very strong influence. Whether that influence is positive or negative depends largely on the individual choices each parent makes. A book called Do Fathers … Continue reading

Frugal Tips for Summer Activities

Summer vacation is a great time for families to go out and do things together. Visiting amusement parks, dining out, and staying in hotels can end up costing a lot of money. Travel expenses can quickly add up, too. Here are some frugal tips that will help your family enjoy summer vacation without having to go into a lot of debt. Pack some snacks. Make use of your child’s lunchbox this summer. It is the perfect container for easy to eat snacks that your family can bring along on car trips. Instead of stopping the car at the nearest fast … Continue reading

Favorite Pick: Expanding Folding Crate on Wheels

Expanding Folding Crate on Wheels I know you are wondering why any person would need such a contraption. Do not dismiss this versatile, back saving, cart just yet. I didn’t think I needed on either. I took the advice of a reader and decided to give this a whirl. I discovered it was the one thing I never knew I needed. You see in my homeschool, we are hardly ever home. School is often on the go and that means lugging around a ton of school books and projects. I normally priortized and spread things out among the kids to … Continue reading

When You Can’t Fix It

When things go terribly wrong, young children typically take solace in their parents’ consolations.  They want to know that everything will be okay and that their setback, pain or discomfort is temporary.  However, as kids age the tide can change.  Sometimes when bad comes knocking tweens and teens don’t want to hear that all will be well, that they should “get over it,” or that so-and-so has it much worse.  Rather, they want you to agree their situation sucks and allow them to macerate in their misery for a while. Moms especially are prone to wanting to fix all the … Continue reading

Defining Success

How do you define success as a parent?  Is it dependent on your child’s abilities and talents?  This is a common issue for many families. I have to be honest, I am never impressed when I hear someone rattle off all the activities that little Johnny is involved in.  I’m not moved by the fact a teenager is taking on a heavy load of AP courses, working and involved in sports. As a matter of fact, I actually start to feel sorry for the kid.  The only way I might not is if I have full assurance the extra-curricular activities … Continue reading

Bedtime for Devices

I was always one of those parents who had a bag full of “nevers.”  You know what I mean.  “I will never allow my child to…”  Fill in the blank. It’s so easy before you have children to say what you will never do.  And it’s just as easy when they are young to say what you will never do when they get older. Sure, some of my “nevers” I have stuck to.  But there have been a few I tossed to the side.  And in all honesty, at times it was a matter of not wanting to battle. One … Continue reading

One Trick to Stop Nagging Now

Ever listen to a dripping faucet?  It can quickly become an annoyance.  But have you ever considered that maybe this is how we sound to our teens? Nagging is oftentimes attributed to wives.  We have somehow earned this stereotype.  Yet the reality is that parents can easily fall prey to this bad (and annoying) habit. Here’s what I think happens when we start nagging our teen.  Suddenly all they hear is the sound Charlie Brown’s teacher makes when she talks. In other words, we are incomprehensible.  Nothing is getting through because they stop hearing what we are saying. No wonder … Continue reading