advice
It takes a village to raise a family; advice and tips to make the most of yours.
What I've Learned from Parenting
Parenting is the hardest job in the universe. Yes, I am convinced it is harder than deep-sea fishing, exploring space, performing brain surgery, or any other job you want to offer up as a contender. Do you know why? Because from the minute that screaming little bundle of joy pushes its way into the world, your life will never be yours again. Every hour, every minute, every second of every day is now a never-ending devotion towards your greatest creation. There are no sick days, no vacation days, and paid time off? Yeah, right.
By Emily Flanagan 5 years ago in Families
Gummy Chronicles
Gummy chronicles: I’m sitting here watching tv and my son yells and grunts from the kitchen. He was eating an Italian sausage and the bun broke. I asked him what was wrong and he told me his bun broke and he hates that. My first instinct was to tell him, well eat it anyway because I’m not wasting a bun. He said “That sucks!” But then the weirdest thing happened. I realized that does suck and I wouldn’t want to be stuck with somebody telling me I couldn’t get another bun. I imagined how I would feel in his situation. I chose to give him some of the power in that moment. I as a parent dont have to have all of the power in the “relationship”. Because that’s exactly what it is, a relationship. Think of how you would feel if somebody you were in a romantic relationship always had all the power. Told you when to eat. What to eat. What to wear. When to bathe. Imagine you rarely ever got to make a decision. Would you enjoy or want to be in that relationship? You could only imagine that type of relationship having a lot of arguing right? Lots of crying and anger? Sound familiar? COMPASSION! I, in that moment, expressed compassion for my child. Compassion that had never been given to me I realized.
By Tiffany Miles5 years ago in Families
Parents Can't Win Arguments
There is no winning an argument with a teen There is a fourteen year spread between my oldest daughter and her half-sister and half-brother. After divorcing her alcoholic father when she was two, I didn’t remarry for nine years. I had managed to get me and her through the toddler and preschool years from two through five and into kindergarten at that point. I was pretty smug, thinking I'd figured successful parenting out. Boy was I in for a shocking surprise! Early childhood and adolescence were only the beginning.
By Jerrie DeRose5 years ago in Families
A Deep Understanding
His leg bounced nervous as he stared at his phone, waiting for that call that would notify him that he’d won. He’d gone as far to tell his mom he didn’t feel good so he didn’t have to go into school. His mom, being the cool person that she was, let him skip, though she could probably see right through his lie.
By Allison Schafer 5 years ago in Families
Avoiding Baby Mama or Baby Daddy Drama with your Ex
Breaking up with someone and staying civil is hard enough when it's just between the two of you, but when a child is involved, it can be a bit dicey. Having spent the past decade as a parent working with an ex to raise a child, these steps have made it easier to focus on what matters most-- our child.
By Robin Jessie-Green5 years ago in Families
Don't Let "The Real Life Monopoly Game" Ruin Your Child's (or Your) Creativity
My dad I and were discussing the other night the way the cruel old world has a way of just grinding up a lot of people and spitting them out of the other side. We got to talking and both feverishly agreed the Monopoly game that is life destroys most people's creative side of their whole personality.
By Travis McDonald5 years ago in Families
Tip to have a successful phone call with young children around
If you are a parent of toddlers or young children then you will most likely know how hard it can be to take or make a phone call and actually be able to hear what is being said when your young ones are around.
By Astraldreamer5 years ago in Families
