From the category archives:

Parenting

Don’t Always Take The Easy Way Out

8.20.10
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I’ll never be a hard-ass parent. I’ll never be the type to get up every day at the same time and follow the same routine. I don’t want to be that person. I do want to get better at seeing things through and providing an example for my kids.

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Siblings And Family Time

8.19.10
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I’d like our after-dinner time to be a scene out a 50′s sitcom, where we all talk and laugh and play together. I realize that’s not going to happen, but I’m sure we can make it better than it is now. What’s your advice? What’s your family-time routine?

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7 Good Things To Do With A Dollar

7.28.10

A couple weeks ago I participated in 77kids Do Good Day with some awesome Jersey bloggers. As a follow-up to that event, I wanted to pass on “7 good things to do with a dollar” that you might share with your kids.

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Christmas In July… And Every Other Month

7.15.10
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My daughter is obsessed with Santa. And not in the “I can’t wait for Santa to come!” sense, but in the “Do you believe in Santa?” sense. She asks almost everyone she meets if they believe. It’s basically her second question after “What’s your name?”

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Everything I Need to Know About Economics I Learned Playing Age of Empires III

6.23.10
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Video games have come a long way since Space Invaders and Asteroids. And while vile, cop-killing, Grand Theft Auto-style games capture the headlines, hundreds of other games that don’t grab headlines would be labeled educational if they simply weren’t so much fun to play. Parents need to rethink their perception of video games and stop lumping everything on a computer or console as a wasteful diversion away from productive, educational activities. It may be time to recognize that some video games are both productive and educational and it’s their extra element of fun that makes the learning process so effortless.

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Stepping Back

6.5.10

My number one goal right now is to be a better role model for my kids. Part of that means being a better me, and part of it means letting go of some things that simply didn’t add much to any of our lives. So the blogging mojo? I actually feel it coming back now that I’ve let go of the pressure on myself. For the time being, I think I just might have found the elusive balance.

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I Love You, Girl

5.6.10

When I graduated from college, all my friends scattered. I moved to another state and spent most of my time with my boyfriend/fiance/husband for the next few years. I had drinking buddies from work and couples friends, but I didn’t have a close girlfriend again until I became a mother.

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The Case For Technology

4.17.10
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Yes, TV, video games and the internet can be time-sucking, mind-numbing and addictive if you choose to use them that way. But they can also be engaging, social, motivating, and educational. I believe we need to stop blaming technology for family disconnect and learn how to use it effectively to connect the family.

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Growing As a Parent: Revisit the Past

4.3.10
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Last week, I went through my old blog, PHAT Mommy, and pulled out the posts I wanted to import into this blog. I wanted to choose the most important posts that told the story of my life over my past 5 years of blogging. What I thought would be blog maintenance “busy work” turned out to be a very enlightening experience.

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Mom-Improvement Monday

3.29.10

Welcome to “Mom-Improvement Monday.” Each week I’ll be highlighting my favorite blog posts that inspire us to be the parents we want our kids to become.

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Routine and Responsibility: Musings

1.23.10
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While I know where I stand on my schooling philosophy, the “responsibility and routine” theme of our conversation kept haunting me. My kids have responsibilities (that don’t involve specific schoolwork), but they don’t have a routine.

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My #1 Parenting Tip: Shut Up!

1.16.10
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Yelling has never gotten me anywhere in my parenting. Talking to my kids, reasoning (don’t you see that this behavior only gets you in trouble?), and negotiating has not solved one problem. Ever. What has gotten results?

Shutting the hell up.

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December 2009 Can Suck It

12.31.09
My Little Devil

I am so happy to be saying goodbye to December tonight. Here’s to a MUCH better January and joyous 2010!

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Eleven Things I Love About You

11.26.09
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Eleven years ago today, as my family sat waiting at the Thanksgiving dinner table, I was giving birth to my son. I couldn’t have been happier or more thankful.

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The Mom In The Mirror

11.18.09
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I think a lot about how my children are a mirror of myself. I think this is one of the most profound things about being a parent. I have stood, slack-jawed and wide-eyed, looking at my son and thinking, “I do that. How can I help him NOT to act a certain way when I act that way all the time?” And I am at a loss.

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Peeling Back Emotional Layers With Onionhead

11.17.09
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Onionhead offers tools to help kids and adults make friends with their feelings. Their goal is help everyone learn to “name, claim, tame and aim” their feelings. We’ve been trying out the Onionhead A-Z Magnet Set for the past few weeks and it’s been an enlightening experience.

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The Ten-Day Kick-It-Into-High-Gear Fitness Program

11.16.09
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I know from experience that results are motivating, so today I’m starting a ten-day intense diet and exercise program. I need to feel more energetic and see some pounds drop off.

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