My mother told me that if she had a college education like me, she would be out working instead of being a stay- at -home mom.
My mom was a devoted mom, but with 4 kids within 6 years, she probably went insane and wished to get out of the house. Have you ever felt that [...]
One of the impressions I want to leave with my children is that the home is a place of fun and laughter. I want them know that family life is enjoyable, not just tolerable.
There is enough bad news in the world that we don’t need our home to also be full of solemnness. Isn’t it [...]
What do you remember about your parent’s home when you were growing up? Was it a warm and loving place to come home to? Was there laughter? Did you enjoy being with your family?
Do you remember kind and loving words said to you by your parents? Or was there negativity and criticism, shouting and fighting?
I [...]
The holiday season is approaching. It’s all good, yet, the busyness can get families rather stressed out.
My daughter has been having a lot of stress about school. There are worries about getting assignments and projects completed on time and peer pressure of being socially acceptable. She had an assignment last week to complete a 4-year [...]
I’ve never met a parent who has not been frustrated and angry at their kids. In fact, I would say most parents are worn pretty thin with kids who just simply wear them down.
Are you a parent like that? In this series on Getting Control of Your Frustrations, I talked about getting frustrated and angry [...]
Yelling and screaming is not the kind of mom I wanted to be. But somewhere along the way, I’ve turned from sweet mild Katy to Angry Mom.
Every night I would apologize to my kids. “I didn’t mean to yell at you. I am just tired.”
Being tired was always the reason, my excuse that I fall [...]
A recent conversation with a mom with 3 little kids prompted my post on Getting Control of Your Frustrations.
Before I had kids, I was known to be a mild and gentle person. “Katy never gets mad.” But what happened to her after the kids came??
Children have the power to bring out the worst in [...]
I know how easy it is for a parent to lose it. Screaming, Stomping, Throwing things! I’ve been there.
I don’t know how they do it, but our cute little angels are adorable and cuddly one minute, and drive us insane the next.
But we are the adult here. We don’t need to be controlled by a [...]
A reader asks, “What do I do with my kids when they complain that they’re bored?”
Does it irk you when kids say, “I’m bored!”?
While substituting a 4th grade class, a girl came up to me during recess and said, “I’m bored!” I looked at her and said, “And your point is…?” My sarcasm was lost [...]
It can be hard entertaining smaller children for the summer months but have you ever tried keeping a teenager engaged and entertained?
School ends and suddenly, your teen has no idea what to do. Or they waste their days staring blankly at the TV screen, playing video games or even worse, they just get themselves into [...]
The day was hectic.
After I took the kids to school, I met with difficult clients, followed up with a frustrating transaction, and fought traffic coming home.
There was nothing for dinner. I was hungry, tired, and irritated. “Get out of my way so I heat up some leftovers!” I snapped. I shouldn’t even have tried to [...]
It’s still hard for me to believe that my son turned 21 a couple of weeks ago! It is true what they say, children DO grow up fast!
Time crawled when my kids were babies when all I saw were dirty diapers and midnight feedings. But time, though it may have seemed slow, does not stand [...]
A reader asks, “How do I stop my toddler from whining?”
Honestly, even adults whine! I get whiny when I don’t get what I want. “I want a new kitchen…I want a vacation…I want to eat out every night…”
I whine when I can’t control the circumstances in my favor and get what I want.
So it [...]
I was the featured guest post on Moms Talk Network yesterday on the topic of “10 Ways to Rejuvenate in 10 Minutes a Day.” I give some practical ideas that have worked for me, that would help a busy mom gain back some “perspective” in the midst of a busy day.
If you don’t have time [...]
A big bear hug… doesn’t it feel good to give and receive one?
A baby is often held and hugged, but we forget that people of any age, especially our teenagers, and including ourselves, can use a big bear hug at just about anytime.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me being a parent would be so hard?”
Let me tell you now – being a parent is HARD.
I was talking to a friend who has a one-year-old daughter. “She takes so much out of me,” he sighed.
Yes, being a parent is hard, but it’s also a matter of perspective.
While parenting is [...]
Have you ever had one of those days where you could barely squeeze in 5 minutes to use the bathroom?
At one time I had my 3 little ones in diapers, it’s a wonder my bladder didn’t explode! Or I could’ve used a diaper myself.
As a busy parent, we hardly have a moment to [...]
No matter what a great parent we may be, we all have one of THOSE days…the baby is hollering, the kids are fighting, the dishwasher overflows, there’s nothing for dinner…
We’ve tried all the usual tricks – bake cookies, play with Playdough, eat snacks, watch TV, eat another snack…
Nothing is working.
I just read a great idea [...]
Are relationships a little strained in your home?
Has everyone been stressed lately, pressured with work, school, and chores?
What you need is to get de-stress with a good laugh.
This will be a fun activity to do with your children today, on this Day 15 of our 30 Days to Better Parenting Challenge.
Go to the bookstore or [...]
