The Trouble with Toys

(If I step on these one more time I’m going to…) Actually, it’s not the toys I have trouble with; it’s the child owner who repeatedly neglects to pick-up said playthings despite various forms of yelling, nagging and threatening. Sound familiar? Then, you too can likely relate to that Febreze commercial where the mom places all of her kids’ stuffed animals in the toy box only to find them strewn back on the floor the instant she turns around. How many times have you seen that ad and thought, “That’s so my life”? Not the possessed toy part; rather, the … Continue reading

Flying the Not-So Friendly Skies

What is it with families and flying these days? And by flying I mean getting booted from airplanes. Barely a day goes by anymore without some innocent clan getting the heave-ho from a commercial flight due to a perceived threat made by a child. However, the latest incident doesn’t involve a screaming baby, a chatty toddler or a hungry infant; rather, a California family claims they were kicked off an American Airlines flight simply because their 16-year-old son has Down syndrome. Joan and Robert Vanderhorst, of Bakersfield, California, are irate by what they are calling “pure discrimination.” “It’s defamation,” Robert … Continue reading

Time Out Before Two Years Old

Once your child is older, time out can be a great tool for any parent when trying to teach your child what is wrong and right. But, in the beginning, time out can be frustrating for a mother of a smaller child. My son started doing plenty of naughty things when he was very young. He was so much more mischievous at a younger age compared to my daughter. He would write on the couch with lipstick, throw things and break them, grab knives out of the dishwasher, etc. etc. As soon as he could walk, I was in trouble! … Continue reading

Gisele Bundchen–Loving Stepmother or Insensitive Troublemaker

She’s a drop dead gorgeous multi-millionaire with a super star new husband, and now women of the world have one more reason to hate supermodel Gisele Bundchen. Apparently, marriage has made the rich (rhymes with witch) more arrogant than ever. If you missed the headlines (and the thousands of subsequent Internet posts), Bundchen is speaking out for the first time about being more than just a stepmom to John Edward Thomas Moynahan, the 18-month-old love child of her new hubby New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and his ex-girlfriend model-actress Bridget Moynahan. In the latest Vanity Fair issue, Bundchen let … Continue reading

Wagging My Tail Goodbye to the Pets Blog

I’m sitting in my office looking out the window watching the snow melt from the rooftops and bushes as I’m writing this. Last night we got measureable snow, a bit of an oddity in December for us here in Nashville. Whenever we get snow like this now I think about the first winter I was writing for Families.com. We got snow one February and I took Murph outside to play in it, then wrote about it as my blog for the day later. How much inspiration I’ve drawn from my pets over the past two years since I first began … Continue reading

Baby Blog Month in Review: July 2008

Two of my three children are summer babies. That is, they were born in the summer and had their first months surrounded by sunshine streaming in the windows, the sound of birds chirping, and days spent wearing nothing but a diaper and a “onsie.” I made sure that they had Fourth of July outfits ready, even though one of them arrived a week after the holiday. I guess he just wasn’t interested in the parade. Do you have a summer baby, too? We had a lot of new information to share this past month, such as recall notices and new … Continue reading

Baby Blog Week in Review: July 14th Through July 20th

Did you have a fun weekend with your baby? We had a lot of fun with a trip to New York City. That isn’t the main reason for my absence on Friday, though. We had our Internet connection go down and only restored today. At least the downtime gave me an excuse for extra baby play time! Now, here is the week in review. July 14th Baby Blog Week in Review: July 7th Through July 13th With babies, there is always something new every day. My little one turned two-years-old today. It is hard to believe that this energetic toddler … Continue reading

End of Year Behavior Trouble

At the beginning of the school year, the new classmates, new teacher, and new environment are exciting. The students are usually geared up and ready to start the year. They are typically very cooperative and get along fairly well. However things change as time passes by. The Christmas holiday break is a good refreshing separation for the students. Yet when school resumes in January, the students have a long stretch together until summer vacation. The students begin to get very comfortable with the teacher, the classmates, and the environment. They begin to treat these things more like home and like … Continue reading

Good Behavior or Academics- Which is More Important?

Each year teachers encounter very different groups of children. Although the students may be in the same grade and the same age as the previous group, they all behave and work very differently. It is odd how a class of children usually takes on a common personality. Some groups are quiet and reserve while others are loud and rambunctious. Some groups tend to be low academically while others excel and go beyond grade level. I have years when my class is very well behaved and I can carry out many special projects. I also have years when my group is … Continue reading

Benadryl Flight Attendant Saga—The Untold Story

This blog is a continuation in a series I have written regarding air travel and families. Most recently I covered the incident involving a mother and her chatty tot who got booted from a flight after an irritated flight attendant couldn’t convince the mom to quiet the child with some Benadryl. The flight attendant’s employer banned her from publicly speaking about the incident until a full investigation is complete. However, in the days since the much publicized booting, various flight attendants who have no connection to the case have come forward to shed light on the issues flight attendants face … Continue reading