Tag Archives: mom
Mrs. Who??
I guess I’m old-fashioned, but I can’t get over how casual parents are with their kids—and with their friends’ kids also. When I was little, my friends’ parents were always Mrs. Schwartz and Dr. Spector and Mr. Canto. Not Carole and Bob and Jerry. This was not a big deal; they were grownups just like [...]
Have Your Cake and (Not) Eat It, Too
Every February when we visit my snowbirding parents in Florida, we celebrate my daughter’s March birthday. It’s a win-win for everyone: my parents don’t feel guilty for missing her actual party, and my daughter gets to celebrate her birthday twice. So the birthday girl and my mother bake a lopsided, four-layer Duncan Hines tower and [...]
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 [...]
Bad Mother:You let your child climb trees at the park
We were at the park today enjoying the sunshine and my 3 year old decided to climb a tree. Soon his 5 year old sister and their friends joined them and were laughing with glee. I stood close enough by to help if anyone needed it but let them have their fun. Two other children [...]
Is it ever ok to tell another mom that something is wrong with her parenting?
If your friend doesn’t ask, is it your place to tell her parenting or her child need improvement? Most of the stories we have heard on this topic, do not have happy endings. Take, for example, our friend Mindy who was devastated when her old friend Jessica gave her an earful about her son, [...]
Different values
Most of the parents I meet value honesty and integrity and teach these same values to their children. As a result, I am always somewhat taken aback other parents do not live up to what I consider to be basic moral standards. I recently had one such awkward experience selling a used car seat [...]
Do you need to invite everyone to the birthday party?
The preschool that my daughter attended for three years had a rule that if you invited any kids from the class, you need to invite the entire class. So from age two on, her birthday parties accommodated 20+ kids. Still, the policy seemed reasonable so I never thought to question it. Until we switched [...]
Gossip… Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary?
The Wall Street Journal had an interesting article today on gossip and the efforts to teach kids to ask themselves: “Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary?” before they say something to or about someone else. It’s certainly a practice that we parents can take to heart as well. After all, how can [...]
The Blame Game
Beth had a friend over for a play date and the kids were having a great time running around in the backyard. When it was time to go, the moms called them inside. The friend’s child, clearly still excited from running around outdoors starting running through Beth’s house yelling loudly. Beth, a relaxed mother of [...]
When Other Adults Tell Your Kids What to Do