Long before there was a husband and kids; before cooking and cleaning and driving everyone and their best friend around; before dog and laundry and paying bills; before packing school lunches and making orthodontic appointments – there was watching movies – at the theatre, at the drive-in, at friends’ houses, at my house. And even…
I talk to my kids all the time. At breakfast, I tell them to put their dishes in the sink and they tell me they need to grab their books upstairs. At school dismissal, they ask me if they can go to the store with their friends and I tell them what time to be…
When it comes to a tattletale – there’s a time and a place. And what I’ve been trying to instil in my kids since they first learned to talk is the art of the perfect squeal. It begins with the reasons why. In fact, the reasons why are (in most cases) even more important than the…
Last month I was reading the Toronto Star, minding my own business – when I was stopped cold by this headline: Another parent told me not to film my child’s solo at spring concert. The gist of the item is this: A mother planned on using her iPad to film her daughter’s solo at the…
Several months ago, a woman phoned my house and spoke briefly to my husband. He hadn’t met her before, but her message to him – to us – was an important one. This one phone call and the reason behind it was a parenting shake-up. It changed the way I think about my parenting methods…
Eyes may very well be the windows to the soul – but the same can be said about a child’s home-packed school lunch. These canvas totes, thermal boxes and even crumpled brown paper bags hold more than just a child’s middle meal – they carry a family’s secrets – revealed for all to see at…
It was meant to be a compliment. As my two youngest and I lumbered safely across the intersection, the crossing guard on duty greeted us as she has done most mornings for the past several years. She then said: “Watching you with your kids, you’d never know you were their mother.” Had she been referring…
Something awful happened the other day. Something I’ve never had to deal with before – something that only happens to clueless and disconnected parents. My sweet, angelic child looked me in the eye and lied right to my stupid, trusting face. And my heart broke a little bit. Kids lie – I know this as…
I will only speak for myself when I say that I get a bit of a thrill from saving a few bucks here and there. It’s like I’ve beaten the system in some way – or pulled the wool over the eyes of society. Pathetic? Possibly – but just let me have this. I won’t…
A bird’s eye view of the school playground will reveal what has been occurring since time immemorial – some laughter and friendly banter as well as huddled cliques, confrontation and even bullies trolling the perimeters. Though this time I’m not talking about the kids at recess – it’s the moms at dismissal. Remember the good…
