Category Archives: Conflict with Friends
Are most of us lonelier than we realize?
“We are far lonelier that most of us even realize,” a source explained to me during an interview. At first blush, I couldn’t imagine that this observation applied to me. Afterall, I am so busy and I spend my day talking to other moms – at preschool and kindergarten drop off and pick up, running [...]
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When Other People’s Kids Push your Buttons
Have you ever been with a friend who flipped because your child did something that totally doesn’t bother you? Maybe your child talked too loudly, or interrupted you mid conversation or asked a question mid-chew. Annoying, absolutely? Cause for extreme punishment? Your friend seems to think so. You may think she’s over-reacting. But we all [...]
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Secrets: Can our Shame Hurt our Children?
Shame. The dictionary defines it as the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous, etc., done by oneself or another. Shame is a popular emotion among us moms, along with guilt, fear, anxiety and frustration. On the simpliest level, we may feel shame if our child talks too loudly in public, [...]
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Money Changes Everything
Since motherhood, Mary is finding it harder and harder to maintain her friendship with Cara. Mary can hardly believe she feels this way because she and Cara have been super close friends since college. Both are SAHMs, but Mary’s husband makes considerably less money than Cara’s. Whenever Mary and Cara hang out during the day [...]
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Can this friendship survive children?
After kids you may expect to drift apart from your childless pals. But not from friends with kids the same age. Or maybe not? It seems to come as a surprise to most of us when long term friends, the ones with whom we have so much in common and a rich shared history, have [...]
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Can Friendships survive children?
I love my friends, but I love my children more. This means that if a friend acts in a way that is unkind or disrespectful toward my child, I’m going to side with my kid. Offenses can be minor, like the friend who invited herself to lunch with our friend Sharon and her toddler [...]
Also posted in What a mean thing to say Leave a comment
Real Housewives of New York Mommy Manners Drama
Watching a Real Housewives of New York marathon last night, I felt sympathy for Alex, who struggled over how to respond to Jill’s comments about her children humping a stranger’s leg. Alex was clearly caught off guard by the comment as she wasn’t there when the incident took place and her husband failed to [...]
Also posted in What a mean thing to say Tagged mama drama, mean moms, parenting, parents, real housewives of new york 1 Comment
Just Say NO
We have a friend who can’t say no. Candy for breakfast? Well, just this once. One more T.V. program? Sure. Two more? Oh, all right. A new toy? If you finish your dinner. Constantly saying “no” to our kids can be exhausting. Most of us pick our battles and give in on occasion. The problem [...]
Diagnosing Developmental Delays in Other People’s Children
We all love our friends and want to be there for them. Sometimes this can take the form of feeling it is our duty to tell them if we observe concerning behavior in their child – like walking on tip toes, or avoiding eye contact or lack of impulse control. We somehow fear that they [...]
Also posted in Judgement Days Tagged advice, developmental delays, how to ruin a friendship, jodi sternoff cohen, mommy manners, my mommy manners, parenting, Parenting Police Leave a comment
Torture Momma