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NOT SO PERFECT PARENT Blog |
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March 2009
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April 2007 ArchivesYou burp, you scratch, you spit – these habits are unwelcome to say the least. However, boys at every age can’t help but giggle when they or a buddy produce obscene sounds. Tonight, my youngest spent five minutes trying to burp as loudly as his older brother. He tried so hard that he started gagging and his eyes started watering. Finally, after endless attempts and a few sips of soda, he was able to produce a respectable belch. So what wa... I have been doing an experiment lately. My son is in an after-school program called “Thursday Boys” (see February 19th blog). Every Thursday, two hundred plus kids ranging from ages 5 – 15 meet in a local park for games, snacks and lessons on sportsmanship. It is led by Jim Redwine - better known as Mr. Redwine – a tough-talkin’, bear-huggin’, makes no apologies father of four who has made extraordinary contributions to hundreds of kids. ... I remember being thrilled when my oldest grew out of Barney videos. Now, I find myself trying to convince my three-year-old that a big purple dinosaur is cool and shouldn’t be traded for an obnoxious talking sponge wearing shorts! With my first, I couldn’t wait for the various milestones to be reached. However, with my youngest, I cried at the first steps, the first tooth, the first birthday and the first day of preschool. I know how quick... It is difficult for me to think of anything else other than the tragic events that occured at Virginia Tech. Although my heart goes out to all of those personally affected by this tragedy, I have been consumed with thoughts of the parents who lost their children as a result of this senseless, evil act. I think about the utter devastation and heartache that comes when your child, that you have loved beyond distraction, is suddenly take... Last night, our family watched “America’s Funniest Home Videos”. It is one of the few shows that is entertaining for mom and dad and appropriate for the kids. While watching, I began to notice a disturbing trend. I have listed some of the highlights below. However, I am not going to give you the outcome of these various scenes or the common denominator found in each, but I bet you can figure it out. 1. Boys doing shopping cart r... I met with a talent coach. For all of you not in this glamorous business, a talent coach reviews your tapes and critiques everything from your haircut to your voice pitch. It's not for the faint of heart and you should leave your sensitive shoes at the door. Since I'm the new kid on this block, not to mention as green as they come to TV Land, I was encouraged to meet with her. It’s a weird phenomenon having someone review your tap... There is a lot of power in perspective. One is capable of seeing a situation in a completely different light if they can muster a change in perspective. Although there are some circumstances where the silver lining is hard to spot, I believe most of life’s challenges can be seen as opportunities if you simply alter your point of view. For the past few days, I have been feeling down. Overwhelmed by the details and struggling with con... “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray” could be re-written to say, “The best laid plans of pip-squeaks and parents often go astray”. Although kids depend on schedules and routines – they often are the ones that screw-up the plan. Whether it is a forgotten show-and-tell project, a make-up baseball game, or an unexpected trip to the emergency room, parents must maintain a delicate balance between structure and flexibility. >> Continue reading: Not-So-Perfect Parent: Best Laid Plans I was one of the volunteer moms at my son’s school “Nature Hunt” – a politically correct term for Easter Egg Hunt. Volunteering at school is a relatively new phenomenon. With my revised work schedule, I am able to find time to be at the school and participate more in his activities. However, it’s a new hat I’m wearing and I’m struggling to make it fit. Volunteer moms are of a different breed. They can produce sun block, crayons and... I volunteered at my son’s school today. I worked in the library and tried not to shelve the books in the wrong place. There was a visiting author reading his most recent book to the children. He said, “I love to write books because I can make the ending anyway I want to.” I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be great if life could be that way? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could draft our own stories with a guaranteed happy ending? A... Easter always reminds me of my grandfather. He loved the holiday and what it represented. As a boy, he and his sisters would each make a nest in the blue bonnet fields by his East Texas home. The Easter Bunny would come in the night and fill the nests with candy and eggs. One year, my grandfather was industrious and made a dozen nests hoping for more goodies than what his sisters collected. Unfortunately, the Easter Bunny only selected on... Parenting can be a thankless job. I spent forty-five minutes finding the perfect tennis shoes for my oldest (by “perfect” I mean “coolest” for under $30). His response? “I liked the shoes mom, but you got the wrong socks.” I spent three hours of undivided, one-on-one, didn’t-even-answer-my-cell-phone time with my youngest only for him to fall on the floor screaming when I needed 10 minutes of privacy in the bathroom. I lovingly packed a lu... |
