Thursday, January 24, 2013
A Patch blogger's post about not helping her children on the slide is being debated across the country.
A Patch blog from Alameda, CA, called “Please Don’t Help My Kids” has struck a nerve with readers across the country. Posted in September, the blog has taken off over the past few weeks as it has found a second life through social media sharing. The blog has 124,000 Facebook recommendations and 833 people have tweeted the blog. The blog is an open letter to other parents at the playground. The blogger Kate Bassford Baker’s basic request is for parents to not help her daughters on the slide. She wrote that she wants her daughters to do things and learn things on their own. Learning to walk up the slide’s ladder is the first step to learning new things and overcoming obstacles, she wrote. “Because, as they grow up, the ladders will only get …
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Because of their size, parents may be difficult to discipline properly. ~ P.J. O'Rourke
I was talking to a friend earlier today and she was telling me a story that did not paint her in the greatest parental light, but since I have been in her shoes I did not judge; I offered only empathy at her moment of weakness. She was explaining what happened when she, her dear hubby, and their three lovely children started to decorate their Christmas tree this year. Everything was ready. The tree was in the stand and the lights strung. They were getting ready to put the ornaments on when it started. At first it was small, barely noticeable but it grew. Boy did it ever. “Stop it.” Said one. “I’m not doing anything.” Said another. “DAD!” Said the first. “Knock it off!” Said Dad. From there it escalated. Two little kids screaming and …
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Parents often talk about the younger generation as if they didn't have anything to do with it. ~ Haim Ginott
Parenting is challenging. As your children grow so do the parenting challenges. Sure we still worry about small problems like minding manners and personal hygiene but more complex and dangerous issues are heading right for us, drinking, drugs, dating, and other issues too numerous to name. It’s always been my belief that the groundwork laid earlier in childhood will come to bear at this time. I hope I’m right because we are moving into dangerous territory, high school. When the kids were younger we tried to treat them with respect while establishing boundaries of acceptable behavior. I’ll admit we were lucky that neither of the kids had any sustained behavioral issues and, for the most part, never gave us any real challenge to our parental…
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
'Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings,' ZuZu Bailey.
This is one of the family’s favorite Christmas traditions. After we decorate the tree we all snuggle in with fancy hot chocolate and, if they’ve been exceptionally well-behaved that year, they’ll get homemade snickerdoodles. They didn’t get the snickerdoodles last year. Fingers-crossed that this year when I tally it all up, the good will outweigh the not-so-good. I missed the snickerdoodles last year. This is one of our “newer” traditions. We’ve only been watching for the last three or four years. Dylan started it and he really loves the movie. Honestly, I don’t really remember seeing it in its entirety before I started watching it with Pat and the kids. I’m more of a Grinch girl. Oh, and Frosty. I do have to admit that “It’s a Wonderful …
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by / And that has made all the difference. ~ Robert Frost
I remember being pregnant with Dylan and heading off to the movies one night when the heat was unbearable and our apartment in Dorchester was sweltering. We saw two movies that night: The Lion King and Forrest Gump. I know, right? After The Lion King, Pat told me that when his son was born he was going to hold the baby up over his head as the sun pours from the sky, highlighting the new prince. A little over the top but it was his first. Who am I to judge? We didn’t know at that time what I was having and I had no intention of finding out. I needed a carrot at the end of the stick. A surprise ending for a job well done. Pat, however, just knew that it was a boy. His heir. He was right. Proving there's a first time for everything. (No sir …
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. ~Plato
Youth sports has consumed a large portion of my life. More than I ever thought was possible. From T-ball and Pop Warner to softball and now lacrosse recruiting tournaments, I've seen all ranges of athletic skill. I've also seen a pretty narrow range of spectators. I’m a people-watcher. I love to eavesdrop on the conversations of strangers. Oh quiet, I’m not the only one who does it. I especially love eavesdropping at the tournaments mostly because the people there are more varied than regular league games and I’m always curious to see how parents react to their child’s endeavors. I had several opportunities for eavesdropping this past weekend. I spent a mostly gorgeous sunny Sunday with my dear hubby watching the boy do his thing at a …
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Happiness is a warm puppy. ~ Charles M. Schulz
I think my dog loves me. Not the "he’s a dog, I’m his human" love. But like if I were a dog we’d be getting dog-married love. Seriously. It’s a little ookie. The family, however, thinks it’s a hoot. I’m not what you would call a "dog person." Sure we had dogs growing up but they were city dogs. They roamed around the neighborhood and only came home to eat and when it rained. Sort of like us kids, except better behaved. I digress though. Several years ago we (by we, I mean Pat) caved and got the kids a puppy. After taking an on-line test about which breed would be best for our family (answer: get a cat) we settled on a Boston Terrier. They’re smart, small, and don’t shed were my three non-negotiable requirements for getting a puppy. The …
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Daughters are like flowers they fill the world with beauty, and sometimes attract pests. ~Author Unknown
Pat and Emma have a very interesting relationship. They are cut from the same cloth. Not even kidding a little. We call her the apple to his tree and honest to God, she did not fall far! Their biggest-head butting instances stem from them both having the pathological need to have the last word. As in the very last word. All.The.Time. Throw in the fact that she inherited my wit and sarcasm and some days it’s a real treat to be around them. Just ask her brother. But like all fathers and daughters there is that unwavering bond: Dad as the fierce protector and daughter as his pure and lovely princess. It’s a pretty good story until the princess hits her teens. It’s been tough watching Pat watch Emma grow up. He’s trying to be gracious and …
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Television: A medium - so called because it is neither rare nor well done. ~ Ernie Kovacs
TV is one of the defining technologies of my generation. I can’t remember a time in my life when we didn’t have one. I will admit to remembering, vaguely, having a black and white set and I definitely remember rabbit ears and the VHF/UHF dials. Ha, dials. I also remember being a human remote control. Dad was a constant channel changer. I believe one of the happiest days of our lives was the day he got his first remote control. I’m only kidding a little. I loved, loved, loved rainy Saturdays. If it were raining I wouldn’t feel guilty about staying in and watching Saturday morning cartoons followed by Creature Double Feature. Fun me fact: CDF is where I got my fear of spiders. I was watching The Incredible Shrinking Man and seeing him being …
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
What broke in a man when he could bring himself to kill another? ~ Alan Paton
I was watching the Olympics with Emma Sunday morning when the story broke about the shooting in Wisconsin. I made some noise of disgust and outrage and Emma looked at me with a question in her eyes. I looked back at her and said "Again. Son of a biscuit-eater (not really but I can’t print what I really said) when is this going to end?" She wisely chose not to answer. A little later when details about the gunman came out, she asked me why it happened. I told her I wish I knew but that I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that the shooter believed that he was somehow defending America and trying to "take it back." "Take it back from whom?" She asked. "I don’t know, really," I replied. "There are some people that don’t like people not like …
vijau b ugale
12:44 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
i think its important to kids defense more ›