How Parents Can Manage Free Summer Childcare Plus Teach Kids Accountability

Kids are rejoicing that "school's out for the summer" but parents who face three months without childcare may be singing a different tune. How do you juggle daycare if you can't afford a babysitter (which many work at home parents can't)? You think like a detective and ask who, why, where, when and what. Then based on your answers, you develop a plan for free and low-cost summer childcare.  How Parents Can Manage Free Summer Childcare, Teach Kids Accountability

Mother's Day Activities for Moms Who Have Lost Children and Kids Who Have Lost Moms

 Mother's Day is a favorite holiday for me. I have four lovely kids plus my mother, step mother and mother-in-law still living. Mother's Day can be bittersweet for kids who have lost moms. And what about the mother who has lost a child? Mother's Day may just be bitter for her. Here are ways to acknowledge Mother's Day (or just survive) if you or someone you love has lost a child. I've included ideas for children (even adult kids) who have lost moms, too. Mother's Day Activities for Moms Who Have Lost Children

Children Key to Challenge of Michigan's Same-Sex Marriage Ban

A Michigan federal court is embroiled in the legalities of a state ban on same-sex marriage. At the heart of that debate are three children: 3-year-olds Ryanne and Jacob and 4-year-old Nolan, says Michigan Radio. The children's parents, April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, a lesbian couple living in the metro Detroit burb of Hazel Park, Michigan, would like to legally adopt each other's kids. Marriage would mean they could do that.  Children Key to Challenge of Michigan's Same-Sex Marriage Ban

7 Reasons Kids and Guns in the Home Don't Mix

As the memorial day for slain peace activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. approaches, it's a good time to think gun control. Gun rights are a hot-button topic of debate. Setting aside the rhetoric, let's look at firearms practically, from a parenting perspective. Here are seven reasons not to have firearms when you have kids. Parents, consider these facts carefully. Reasons for Gun Control

How to Work at Home with Sick Kids

Vacation's over; everyone's back to school; you can finally get caught up on work and wouldn't you know it--a child gets sick. Flu season 2012-2013 is shaping up nasty says ABC News, so if you've got kids, plan on them getting ill. How do you get anything done with sick kids? Let this multitasker mom of four and former homeschool parent help. WAHM parents with sick kids

Parenting Kids With Low Self Esteem

 Have you ever wondered what goes on inside the head of a person with low self-esteem? If you're experiencing low self-esteem for the first time, it can be pretty scary. If you've not experienced negative self-image, it's hard to imagine why those of us who have behave as we do. If you're parenting a child with self esteem issues, it's even more challenging. Kids struggle with communication as it is. To explain negative emotions to a parent can be overwhelming. Here are coping tips. Read more

How I Set Work-at-Home Boundaries with Myself and Family

I've been a WAHM (work-at-home-mom) since 2005. There are advantages to working at home. I see more of my family, I'm readily available. I don't have to go out to work every day. Oddly, those advantages are closely related to the disadvantages. Work-at-home perks caused many problems before I learned to set boundaries. Here's how. Read more

Sandy Hook Elementary, Conn. School Shooting Prompts Kids' Emotional Health Concerns

School shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut on December 14, 2012  have claimed the lives of 27 people, including 18 children. A gunman, reportedly a parent, opened fire killing many little ones, mostly of kindergarten age. Along with child safety concerns, I worry, as always, about the emotional toll such an incident has on kids. This article was written on the anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007 when 32 students and faculty were killed. I've listed a few resources for parents. Mister Rogers always said, in times of crisis, to "Look for the helpers. There will always be helpers." Let kids know you love them and will help them. Follow the example of this brave woman in the picture to the left. She's comforting kids and keeping them together. She must be terrified, yet she's  staying calm for the little ones. Kids need to be reminded that you will do your best to keep them safe. As a praying mom, I advise parents to call upon their higher power and teach kids to do likewise. Recognizing a higher power helps kids feel they're not alone. Read more

Trim Costs on Kids' Christmas Presents

I like the holidays, but honestly, Christmas expenses dim some of the joy. Shopping for four kids, my holiday spending can quickly get out of hand. When I overspend, this Mommy Santa grows less jolly with each incoming bill. Debt-ridden is no way to start the new year. Here are penny-pinching tips to keep kids' Christmas present costs under control.  read more

Making Kids Thanksgiving Helpers (not Hindrances!)

In holiday party preparation, children may be more of a hindrance than a help. Parents may find Thanksgiving not so thankful and Christmas not so merry if they're juggling shopping, cooking, party planning, housecleaning and childcare. Here are ways kids can help with holiday party planning. Tips work for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year's Day, and any party year-round.  Read more

How to actively listen to your teen

"We need to talk." Those words make me nervous. I don't know whether it's the faint implication of censure, the possible portent of bad news or just the fear of the unknown, but I get edgy. Kids do, too. When it's said without any added details, the person can only conclude it must be something really dire. And frankly, approaching someone with an ominous opener like that will not engender healthy communication.  Kids shouldn't have to walk on eggshells wondering what they've done wrong now. If they've done something you disapprove of, say so. Don't be cagey. Don't play games. Don't turn it into a drama fest. The only thing you'll accomplish is to alienate your teen.  Be honest and open with your kids and they'll be more likely to return the favor. Here are other parenting tips on talking to teens so everyone feels comfortable. How to actively listen to your teen and talk with empathy 

Parent coping tips for teen anger and mood swings

Clinical teen depression is relatively uncommon, but tell that to parents of teens and they may not agree. I certainly wouldn't have. Bouts of moodiness are hallmarks of teen behavior and one of the most worrisome for parents. Here's a parent survival kit for dealing with teen mood swings.  Parent coping tips for teen anger and mood swings

How to talk and listen to your teen

"We need to talk." Hearing those words makes me nervous. I don't know whether it's the faint implication of censure, the possible portent of bad news or just the fear of the unknown, but I get edgy when someone says that to me. Kids get nervous, too. Here are parenting tips on talking to teens so everyone feels comfortable.  To read the article, click here How to listen to your teen. (Please note: there are several errors in this article and I apologize for that. I'm not sure, but I think they're happening when I transfer the article from WORD to the template I'm using.)

How to Choose Clothes for Overweight Girls

When I was eight years old, back in 1972, I was put on a diet by a doctor. I weighed 100 pounds. I heard all the fat girl names from' schoolmates, 'tubby' 'whale-o' 'blubber' , plus even some that were probably original. I will say this for 70's kids, they took some pains to be creative in their name -calling: 'lardo': pretty inventive for the oleo-margarine generation. From those early experiences, I developed a nasty case of low self-esteem. I decided that my kids were going to have it better, whether they were thin or fat. I can't fix kids' behavior, but I can do everything possible to reduce stress. One way is by choosing clothes that make kids feel good about themselves. Here's a guide I put together for parents to do that   How to Choose Clothes for Overweight Girls

Teaching kids friendship skills begins with parent example

Making friends (and keeping them) is one of the most important skills kids learn. But it's not learned with textbooks or lesson plans. Building healthy relationships is a hands-on activity. When kids struggle to make friends, it's easy for to blames schools. But schools can only do so much to foster friendship skills. The best lessons begin and end at home. Here are ways parents can teach kids to make friends. Teaching kids friendship skills begins with parent example 

Parents' back-to-school concerns: Should kids ride the bus or walk to school?

Nervous about kids going back to school? A big cause of back-to-school anxiety for parents is transportation. Should kids walk to school? Are school buses safe? I drive to school; how do I juggle schedules? Here are parenting tips on coordinating school transportation. This article explores considerations for walkers, bus riders, parent pick-up and bikers. Parents' back-to-school concerns: Should kids ride the bus or walk to school?

Back to school: Online study aids and apps to motivate your kids

Back to school--three words kids hate and parents (let's admit it) look forward to. Too much unstructured summer vacation gets old (even for kids, but they won't admit it). But no parent looks forward to school homework battles. Got a "reluctant learner" (or in parent-speak--"lazy kid")? Here are free online study aids and calendar apps to crack the organizational whip, er., I mean to motivate students. The penny pincher in me loves that these apps cost nothing and save money on school supplies. There's even a financial planner app for kids. Read more at Back to school: Online study aids and apps to motivate your kids

Why kids cut and self abuse

Self-abuse is a touchy, uncomfortable subject. Kids cutting can be terrifying for parents. Cutting refers to a form of self abuse in which the skin, typically near the wrist, is sliced or pierced. It's scary for kids, too, particularly those who cut or know someone who does. Cutting behavior is dangerous--it spreads infection and causes scarring. Most upsetting of all is that such acts may stem from underlying depression and thoughts of suicide. From personal experience as a mom and childhood self-abuser, here are thoughts on cutting behavior.  Why kids cut and self abuse 

Parenting teens through relationship drama (without tearing your hair out)

 As a mom, I'm generally confident handling childhood hurdles--potty-training, picky eaters, night frights--bring 'em on. There's one issue that shakes my equanimity--teen relationship drama. Whether they're boyfriend-girlfriend connections or same-gender friendships, teenage relationships are often fraught with drama and drenched in anxiety. Frankly, I'd rather walk barefoot over hot coals carrying a sack of nails on my head than deal with drama (esp. OP--other peoples'--drama. I can distance from drama in my own relationships. In my kid's--not so much). Even the term "drama" makes my face twitch. Disagreeable as they are, relationship problems are part of a teen's life and they need us parents for emotional support. After four kids (and a lot of trial and error), I've assembled some thoughts for parents on helping kids navigate peer relationships.  How to parent teens through relationship drama without going crazy - Yahoo! Shine

How to manage and prevent children's shopping meltdowns

Kids act up in stores--it's a fact of life like birth and taxes. Ideally, we parents should march our little miscreants out when they misbehave, but that's not always practical. I heard one (rather self-righteous) mom say that she leaves the cart and goes home if her kid acts up. That's counter-productive. She's taught the kids nothing and made more work for herself and the poor clerk who has to put her groceries away. Here are better strategies. How to manage and prevent children's shopping meltdowns