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…
We have an epidemic on our hands. A rampant, infectious virus of men who believe they have the authority to paw women, massage them, touch them, force their tongues between their lips, threaten their jobs, their credibility, their safety – and far worse. Fortunately, this web of assault and harassment is slowly but surely being…
Becoming a parent can bring out the inner-wacky in anybody. I’ve got to think that people had their children’s best interests at heart when they came up with some of these ideas – but full disclosure – I definitely doubt it where several of them are concerned! While some of these questionable parenting practices have…
Serving up healthy meals never seemed so complicated until I became a parent. Suddenly my heaping plate became overloaded with worry – not just about the food I was preparing – but the example I was setting, the atmosphere I was creating and the language I was using. And when it comes to kids and…
We are what I refer to in my mind as a God-lite family – balancing precariously somewhere on the spectrum between God-less and God-fearing. When it comes to organized religion and probably our thoughts on God (and I say probably because I don’t think we’ve ever formerly talked about it), this family is not of…
The debate rages on: to burka or not to burka. And funnily enough, most individuals vehemently opposed to the full-body veil identify as non-Muslim. I’m not going to pretend I understand the deep-seated meaning, nor the historical significance at the root of this Islamic covering. From what I’ve managed to glean after sifting through the…
There will be complaints. There will be push back. There may even be tears and tantrums – beginnings are often difficult. But stick to your guns and you will make it out on the other side. I’m talking about taking all electronics away from your kids and then seeing what happens. Not as punishment and…
