Perhaps one should not describe ‘parenthood’ as a battleground. It is, however, a never-ending battle of the wits, with your foe – aka your children – continually changing, growing, morphing into more and more capable opponents. Every skill they learn, every ability they gain is one more challenge that you never saw coming. And from one day to the next, these newly honed skills can be wielded with shocking dexterity. So. I often find myself counting the little bitty batt

The threat out there against us is very real: a tiny speck of a incomplete bit of genetic material is taking down hundreds of thousands of people, wreaking havoc on mankind, on the economy, on life as we know it ... on 'normal', and there is seemingly little we can do to combat this. Except there actually is. With very little effort you can help give yourself and your family a bit of armor against this virus. How? By wisely choosing foods that boost your immune response,

If you are a working mom, you need to hear this. If you are in a relationship with or married to a working mom, you need to hear this. If your mom is a working mom, you need to hear this. I am a working mom, and you should know I am doing the best that I can. I feel as though I am doing all of the jobs that I have been given or have volunteered for rather half-assed. Try as I might, the tasks I am juggling are not being completed to my satisfaction, and I know it shows. I a

I read this a while ago on a site I can’t remember and it really stuck in my mind. Not just rules for us, but also rules for us to help our little people learn/own, as well. Rules for being Human 1. You will receive a body. 2. You will learn lessons. 3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. 4. A lesson will be repeated until it is learned. 5. Learning lessons does not end. 6. ‘There’ is no better than ‘here.’ 7. Others are merely mirrors of you. 8. What you make of yo

We all feel as though our generation grew up at that ONE pivotal time, THE era, and, regardless of our age, we feel our growing up years were significantly different than what our children are going through. Sure, sure, not all of us walked uphill through the snow - both ways! - to the single room schoolhouse, but .... certainly our experiences were different than those of our children, especially those of us raising kids in the foreign service. I believe understanding these

My dear eldest child/teenager, I know that I tell you these things often, but sometimes it is easier to truly believe something when you read it rather than hear it. Additionally, I feel it is important to acknowledge those around us who positively impact us with their behavior and presence. I think it is important to actually tell these individuals how much we appreciate them instead of just assume they know it. So, in light of that, here are some things I really apprecia

Tough love – Parenting lessons from the Marines Have you heard the expression that the Marines offer the toughest job you’ll ever love? I think that was their slogan at one point, perhaps a while ago. Not having ever been a Marine, but related to two (sister and bro-in-law), and married to a former Marine, I feel a strong affinity for this military branch. Enough to join? Nah, but definitely enough to admire. In many ways, the lessons offered through being a Marine can e

My dearest boys, So excited! School is starting today! This is your big day! Summer was so fun, but … I know you are not excited for classes to start so much as you are to see your friends. What fun it will be to tell them all about your summer, your adventures, and your triumphs! So much and so little has changed. I look at you three and I can't help but get a knot in my throat: look at how much you have grown and changed over this summer break! So many inches gained!

Focusing on the good When you’re in the midst of a heated ‘discussion’ with your kid (no matter their age), I would be willing to bet the last thing you are thinking about is any one of that child’s good qualities. Oh, we’ve all been there. The blind anger you are probably feeling makes everything fade away but that one issue. Grrr! This is the point at which any parent will feel the most challenged. Is there any way to help make this situation any easier? Yes, but it

Reading, writing and (life) rules It is a very large job we take on as parents, is it not? Even if we leave all of the book-learning to school, (which of course we won’t), we still have a lot of other matters of importance on which we can focus our teaching efforts. Kids have a lot to learn. So do we, even though we are adults; perhaps though, through life, and years, and experiences, we have a few insights to offer. Maybe. What can we teach our kids? Compassion – We teac

Let me preface this by asking you to please consider how important this is. I know, I say that about pretty much every topic I broach on this site, but what you do for your kids by protecting their skin, and by teaching them proper skin protection methods will save them from needless skin issues later in life. You can help them develop smart skin-saving skills that will help keep their largest organ safe for their whole lives. I say this having suffered now multiple spots

I saw this once somewhere in Internet land. Since boys are home from school for a week-long break, this is completely useful right now! I am not responsible for fixing everything for my kids. I am not responsible for their happiness. You're bored? Okay. That’s your choice. What are YOU going to do about YOUR boredom? Your brother is irritating? Well, welcome to life. People are irritating. What are YOU going to do so that you can enjoy your day even when other people don't d

Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. When you look at a person, any person, remember that everyone has a story. Everyone has gone through something that has changed them. That they are reacting to. That has colored their viewpoint. You don’t know where people are coming from, or what is driving their belief system … unless you ask. You don’t know where a person is coming from unless you have gone through the very same battlefields tha

5 things you can do as a parent to make an immediate positive impact on your kids. And yourself. Win, win. 1. Hug them more. Seriously, studies show that the boost a hug gives a child (or, really, anybody) gives a boost of oxytocin that not only makes a person feel happier, but they also feel more secure and at ease. The effects are immediate and lasting. Not only that, but longitudinal studies of children also show that adults who were regularly hugged as children are h

Too fat. Too tall. Too skinny. Too scrawny. Too chubby. At what point do we become 'just right'? At what point do we stop and hear the things we are telling our kids - yes, both boys and girls - and realize that rather than helping them to grow strong and true and to have unyield self esteems, we are instead creating wicked echos in their ears, that stomp out the truth? Our words are the unintended weapon of choice here. How you wield them depends on you. How your chi

“The moon doesn’t consider one phase better than another; she just glows, equally stunning at each turn. Why should we be any different?” ~Cristen Rodgers A couple of things to preface: Even though we’ve lived overseas for years and years (and years…), sometimes I still have those a-ha moments, where it becomes crystal clear to me that I still see things in a purely American point of view. And second, an in-your-face example of something another person has been mentioning

I love multi-tasking expressions; hey, if I can be a multi-tasker, why can’t a phrase, right? I love it when a phrase transcends its original purpose, and can apply to multiple aspects of your life. (as an aside: I also love Jillian Michaels: she’s a hard-ass, yes, but she also gets results. Isn’t that what we are after in a work-out? You are not looking for a best friend; you are looking for someone to get you over that hump, get you motivated, and get you into whatever

Yes, I know men are from Mars and women are from Venus, but … boys and girls? I think they benefit from a lot of the same things. Especially the messages they get from their parents; clearly, males and females are not the same, but I think it is a good thing for them to hear positive messages about the other gender, beginning at ages wherein they aren’t even really sure of the difference. It’s never too early to start. Some of the things we historically tell girls (‘You’re

In less than a week, we will have a teenager in the house. You’d think this wouldn’t be such an awe-inspiring shock-inducing moment … except that I know that as soon as we hit the teen years, the angst will ramp-up, and no longer are my hubby and I the ones making all of the decisions. I mean, the teen angst; we’ve had our fair share of experience with the adolescent and tween issues already. I’ve been reading books and articles and working on this for a long while now. I l

Moving towards ‘yes’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4tefnQGtNY Sorry, that was a joke. (The song) Honestly, have you ever counted the number of times you use the word ‘no’ with your kids? 3,607 and it isn’t even noon yet, right? Partly, you are running the labyrinth of obstacles that can maim/harm/impair your child (sure, this is less true as they age and become a little more self-aware, but this is our job as parents regardless of their age: keep them safe from harm. A