Search Results for: blog a friend who believes in you

Sleeping in Separate Beds: You’re Not Alone

Our culture believes that couples who sleep in separate beds are either experiencing or inviting problems in their marriage. Because I’m a light sleeper, I’m a firm believer that couples should be free to sleep separately if necessary. Jon and I almost always sleep together, but if one of us is restless we move to another bed, to keep that person from being woken up. I know that sleeping in the same bed improves intimacy. Once kids are part of the equation alone time between couples is scarce, and time in bed together, even if it’s just the process of … Continue reading →

Special Needs Blog Week in Review – Week of April 29 – May 5, 2012

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Every week, the Special Needs Blog Week in Review gives you a brief review of each and every blog that appeared here in the past seven days. This is a quick and easy way to catch up on whatever you might have wanted to read, but didn’t have the time to when the blog first went up. What did you miss this week? The Special Needs Podcast Roundup went up on April 30, 2012. This time, I’d like to point out an episode of The Coffee Klatch that was called “Dr. Temple Grandin – Different Not Less”. This is Dr. … Continue reading →

Don’t Let The Media Parent Your Children

Sometimes I let Hailey watch too much TV. It’s an easy habit to fall into, especially when you are a single parent and there are so many things to do. You plop your child in front of the television, just for a few minutes so you can get something done and a habit is started. All the media in our children s lives is like another influence in the house. Our children are bombarded with messages and even if we are diligent about what they watch they may still see things that go against our values. Many shows that you … Continue reading →

Turn Love Song Lyrics into Lovely Layouts

I can’t get Katy Perry’s “Firework” out of my head. The song was blaring from the speakers at the gas station while I was filling up, and now all I can think of is: Cause baby you’re a firework Come on show ’em what you’re worth Make ’em go “Oh, oh, oh!” As you shoot across the sky-y-y Ugh! I tried to purge the song from my mind by calling my friend in Texas. Unfortunately, all she did was replace “Firework” with “Cowboy Take Me Away” by The Dixie Chicks. Great! Interestingly, they are both love songs whose lyrics could … Continue reading →

Are You a Tiger Mom?

  Are you a tiger mom? In case you haven’t heard, a controversial book from 2011 still has parents stirring. The author is Amy Chua and she has written a parenting book called “Tiger Mother.” In a nutshell she proclaims Chinese parents to do a better job than the rest of us. Why? They are much stricter and stringent. Her children have turned out well and she believes it is the result of her teaching and training. Honestly, my idea of strict is taking away the television for the rest of the day but her ideas are clearly different. To … Continue reading →

Do You Believe in Santa?

I grew up in a home where Santa was completely taboo. My mother hated him so much that we didn’t even have a single Santa decoration, we didn’t sing any Santa Christmas songs … I mean, it got a little intense sometimes. Now, as a mother, I can see her point – I don’t teach my children that Santa is real, either, but I ‘m not quite so fanatical about it. I actually have some Santa ornaments on my tree, we sing about “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer,” and we enjoy doing Secret Santas for people. The “S” word is not … Continue reading →

Book Review: “My Gift to You” by Lori Nawyn

Trish Ingram has a secret. Beneath the facade of the perfect housewife lies a woman who is emotionally insecure, battling her own feelings of doubt and discouragement, wondering if she’ll ever really measure up to the standards she has placed on herself because of her past. Her need to remain in control at all times has alienated her from her family and friends, who feel that she is reluctant to give of herself. But if she opens up and becomes vulnerable, she’ll get hurt … so she believes. She maintains her distance for her own self-preservation until a good friend, … Continue reading →

Is Your Teen Ready to Date?

If you are the parent of a teen there is one particular issue that you have probably been dreading for many years…teen dating. It conjures up in my mind all kinds of emotions from my past. I remember how difficult teen dating was. So often my heart would overtake me and I was so sure that I was in love. When it didn’t work out, I was left with broken pieces. Teen dating is not something that every teenager will be interested in. Sometimes we make the false assumption that as soon as high school hits, every teenager will be … Continue reading →

Three Must Have CDs for Your Child’s Music Collection

Swimming in Noodles by Jim Cosgrove was just released on the 5th of this month. The CD contains 14 tracks of kid tunes that will appeal to even your music snob friends. The lyrics are hysterical and the music is solid. Kid music often contains subpar music but not this CD. The music touches on a variety of musical genres for you and your children to enjoy. I have owned quite few children’s CDs in my time and most only appealed to the children. This CD is one that you will be happy to pop in during long car rides. … Continue reading →

Is Your Toddler Destined to be a Troublemaker?

He is if his name is: Alec Ernest Garland Ivan Kareem Luke Malcolm Preston Tyrell Walter Ah, so, now we finally know what’s in a name… trouble, trouble, and trouble. At least that’s what the experts maintain. And by experts I mean a professor from Shippensburg University named David Kalist. Writing in Social Science Quarterly, Kalist insists that giving your boy any of the aforementioned names could land him in jail later in life. Why? Kalist believes that giving newborn males odd, girly or strange first names it “increases the tendency toward juvenile delinquency.” Kalist based his conclusions on a … Continue reading →