There’s this mean girl who won’t leave my daughter alone. When she’s at school, this girl follows her around, criticizing her every action, mocking her every word. She laughs at her and teases her and makes her feel anxious and insecure. When my daughter is talking, this mean girl is snickering and whispering about how…
I hate to be judgemental – but I can’t help it – I just AM. Everyone has specific idiosyncrasies or behaviours that just bug them, rub them the wrong way, that they prefer to steer clear of. When it comes to other parents in my midst – these are the four I do my best…
In recent years, a lot has changed: technology has become more advanced and society has adapted in many ways. Yet, at the same time nothing has changed, many of us relate to each other in the same way, live our lives in the same way and dream in the same way. Much like this, our…
Once upon a time, I took my four-year-old to the mall to run some errands. When he told me he was hungry, I decided to conduct a bit of an impromptu social experiment: I handed him a twenty dollar bill and told him to buy himself some lunch. On that day, I was a social…
My daughter’s birthday is in July. This year, as in the past and hopefully as in the future, family and friends arrived at our house on the holiday weekend to partake in our annual barbecue, eat cake and watch our little angel tear open the gifts she most covets – gift cards and cash. Afterward,…
It goes without saying that it’s difficult for any parent to come to terms with the fact that their child may in fact be a bully; or at the very least, may be engaging in bullying behaviour. Bullies don’t always take the form of out-and-out ringleaders. In fact, more often than not, bullying behaviour is…
As I anxiously sat there listening to the elementary school principal address all the parents, I couldn’t believe that this day had come. I tried to remain positive and smile even though I wanted to run out of there. My eldest was about to start school and this was an “introduction” designed by the school…
Which of my three children do I love the most? The answer to this question will vary – depending on who you ask – and whether or not one of them is currently banned from electronics when you do the asking. Forget about the middle child getting a bum rap – it’s the parents that…
Here’s the thing – regrets can be futile, uninspiring, pessimistic. If only, I wish, I should have can ring through your mind on a constant loop if you let them. But they can also serve their purpose. They can be used as a positive resource – to help guide others who may be going down…
It’s bad enough that most newborns resemble shaved chickens as opposed to actual little people – and we, as functional, politically-correct, respectable adults have to pretend they’re cute. And by the way, I can say this with impunity considering that two thirds of my brood were unsightly at birth. One looked like a hairless cat…
