Search Results for: blog is your child involved in too many activities

Defining Success

How do you define success as a parent?  Is it dependent on your child’s abilities and talents?  This is a common issue for many families. I have to be honest, I am never impressed when I hear someone rattle off all the activities that little Johnny is involved in.  I’m not moved by the fact a teenager is taking on a heavy load of AP courses, working and involved in sports. As a matter of fact, I actually start to feel sorry for the kid.  The only way I might not is if I have full assurance the extra-curricular activities … Continue reading →

7 Ways to Manage Kids’ Sport Fees and Costs

There are so many reasons to give your kids the opportunity to be involved in sports, and one big one not to do so–the costly fees. Before you decide to give up the sports altogether, consider trying the following strategies that will help you manage kids sports fees and reduce the amount you spend. 1. Get some perspective Parents can get a little crazy when it comes to sports. They all want their kids to succeed and will provide them with all of the extras that they think will make this happen, such as extra training or lessons, top of … Continue reading →

Managing Family Paperwork

You know, I just had a realization. This realization involved the family paperwork. I do far too much of the stuff. Our paperwork takes at least 45 minutes every day, and that’s with one child. Granted, we have some complexities, but so do all families. I have a medical condition that involves paperwork. We’re members of a number of farm shares that need paperwork-related attention. We go to church. My daughter has extracurricular activities. She goes to school. I attend classes. We have a lot of pets. I run a couple of small businesses. Oh yes, and there are the … Continue reading →

Teens Commit Violent Acts Just for Fun

When I was a teenager, some of the things we did “just for fun” were pretty typical. I won’t go into details but it usually consisted of activities my parents wouldn’t have approved of. However, it never involved hurting someone. So it’s very hard for me to understand how brutally beating someone is “fun.” That was the reason six teenagers in Pennsylvania were arrested last week. They attacked a 48-year-old woman who was sitting on her stoop “just for fun.” Imagine being the one to ask them why they did it. Not because they were high on drugs. Not because … Continue reading →

A Foray Into Sensory Play

As you may know, I love to read about all things related to parenting. Sometimes that is a good thing, and other times it just gets me into trouble. Yesterday, I was reading about how important it is for children to engage in “sensory play” or “messy play”. When I started reading about bags and boxes filled with fun things to squish, pour, sort, and explore I became worried. Was everyone else out there already doing this with their toddlers? Have I been depriving Dylan of something important for months or years? Why hadn’t I thought to do anything like … Continue reading →

Enjoying the Car Ride

At times when you are a single mother it may seem that you live in your car. Between work, shuttling the kids to school, day care and after school activities you may see more of the inside of your car than your home. Not all trips with children are a joy, let’s face it, babies cry, toddlers get cranky and older children get moody. Unfortunately there really is no way to reduce the amount of time spent in the car unless you restrict your children’s activities. Since we don’t want to do that, we have to find ways to make … Continue reading →

What is Your Holiday Business Style?

With Christmas just a week away and New Year’s Day so soon thereafter, now is a good time to talk about the different ways that home – based professionals approach their work during the holiday season. There is no real right or wrong way to go about it, it is more about figuring out what your “holiday work style” is, planning for it, and embracing it. After all, you are who you are and your holiday work style is an extension of what makes you, well, you. To attempt to force it into submission so that you can do what … Continue reading →

Sesame Street Can Help Your Family Plan for Emergencies

Gone are the days when kids were taught to get under their desks in emergency drills at school. Now kids have the help of beloved friends that will teach them how to stay safe in an emergency and how to help their families plan for disasters. The lovely furry old Grover and others will present your child with key things that they should know and help them to learn it. For example, it is important for children to know their own full names, and there is a fun video that talks about this. You can take the lesson one step … Continue reading →

Keeping Kids Safe Online

When you are a single parent your child may spend more time unsupervised than you would like, it’s important to teach them basic safety. One of the big areas that you need to be concerned with is the internet. While there are many good things online, education things, there are other things that can be harmful if your child ventures in unsupervised. Everyone has heard stories of online predators and bullies, so how do we protect our kids? I think the most important thing you can do it talk with your children. Before they go online the first time it … Continue reading →

Mom’s Taxi Service

We all feel like a taxi service for our kids from time to time, and sometimes there is just no way to be every where you need to be. I read an article today about a service whose time has come. In Broward County Florida a new service has started, it’s called Mom’s Taxi Service. A woman who quit her job in order to be able to get her kids back and forth to school and activities came up with the idea. This unique service operates to shuttle your kids to and from school, lessons, practices and the like. Who … Continue reading →