Today I thought I’d show you the first part of a video series I’m involved with (along with several of my beautiful Chicago blogger friends!), produced by MJ Tam for the Chicagonista Live show. The series is called “Our Voices” (#OurVoices). I love many things about this particular video, but my favorite is the Barbara Walters/Oprah-style lighting that worked miracles I’ve never seen before. I’m working on a way to have that light follow me around everywhere. Happy Valentine’s Day!
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Pamela Druckerman’s “Bringing Up Bebe” Stirs The Pot On Parenting
There’s been another dust-up in the news this week, and this time the big story is how great the French are at parenting. I mentioned it briefly in yesterday’s vlog, and I really need to expand on it because parenting and its various styles is a topic for which I have endless passion. (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, click here to read the Wall Street Journal essay/excerpt by Pamela Druckerman, author of “Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting”.) First, let me give you the disclaimer: I am not ragging on the author OR the book, which I have not read.…
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The Balance of Parenting
I think it’s important to have hobbies and interests that aren’t directly related to my children. I have always believed that if I focused 100% of myself on raising my kids, I would be gasping for air when they eventually went out on their own. Me, rolling myself up in the fetal position in a corner of my house when J, the younger of my two sons, waves goodbye really isn’t an attractive mental image, and so although I am a very active parent, I maintain activities that don’t rely on my kids being around. I feel like it makes me a better parent, that I have more to offer.…
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With Apologies To My Future Daughters-In-Law And Grandchildren
It’s no secret that I am not a fan of the pomp and circumstance that comes with holidays. I have never much enjoyed decorating for holidays–I even wrote my fourth post on Suburban Scrawl EVER, about it–because it makes my house seem too cluttered. (I have enough problems being okay with our everyday clutter!) I don’t like holiday stress. I adore my family, but I don’t like the pressures of family togetherness and making “picture-perfect” memories just because it’s a certain day. With the exception of birthdays, which we love around here, I’d rather enjoy fun times being together on any old, “normal” day. Yes, I *do* realize this is…
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Metamorphosis
Ahh, teenagers. It’s tough, you know, trying to parent young people who are caught in the middle of childhood and adulthood. The physical, emotional, and behavioral changes brought on by the stages of puberty can be enough to drive an entire family insane, and it can be a dark time, my friends. Even if your teen is relatively well-behaved in the grand scheme of things (as mine are), puberty can be ugly. As they grow older, teenagers push back against “the system” in their fight to be more independent while still being taken care of within the family unit. They want to make their own decisions, and it’s a struggle…
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Are You Teaching Your Kid That Stealing Is Okay?
Before I begin this post, let me apologize in advance because I may end up sounding a little judgmental. I have very strong feelings about this issue and though I do believe that my opinion is the right one (of course I do!), I do encourage respectful conversation in the comment section, from both sides. I would guess that every parent in the world (except for Madonna, I’m sure) has had the experience of bringing their child(ren) along to the grocery store. It’s not always a fun time, especially when the child is very young. (I always found the toddler age to be most challenging because I had to focus…
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The 21st Century College Search: Way Easier Than It Used To Be!
It has been more than two years since I first wrote about starting the search for the college that D would eventually attend. I am shocked to have to report that we are now beginning the same search, for J’s post-secondary home. (You feel old, right? Welcome to MY world!) When we began the college search the first time around, I had a rather elaborate filing system for all of the various fliers and brochures we were quickly collecting. I was dreading collecting all of the updated stuff: it’s too much paper, and not easy to compare schools. I was overjoyed to find out at an informational evening put on…
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At This Rate, We Won’t Even Have To Stop The Car When Senior Year Begins.
We took D back to college yesterday. As I mentioned last week, emotions are very different from this time last year. Driving D and all of his belongings–well, all of his belongings that he wanted to take into that tiny dorm room of his–to school was going to be a pretty average experience emotionally, this year. We didn’t know the half of it. About a month ago, D ever-so-delicately came to Jim and me and said, “Um, I was wondering. I don’t want to upset you guys or anything, but I wondered if it would be okay if you just help me move my stuff TO my room and then…
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Transitions, Part Two
Yesterday I wrote about D’s return to college, and how different it feels this year compared to last. There are some changes where J is concerned, too. He has just begun his junior year in high school, which is really hard to believe in itself, so let’s all just pause for a moment to think about that. *pause* At the beginning of June, J got his first real job, working for an internet-based company. The owners of the company, a husband and wife, are members at our temple and gave him a chance for the summer, even though they were initially looking for a college student. J jumped right in…
- I've Got Mad Skillz, Jim Has Mad Skillz, My Kid Has Mad Skillz, Proud Moments, Random Thoughts, Reflections on Parenting
Transitions, Part One
Ahh, life. We’re going through all kinds of changes in this house right now. I’m not typically a fan of changes, but I’m learning to roll with them as they come up. The biggest thing happening this week is D’s imminent departure. He’s going back to college on Monday, to begin his sophomore year. When I think about how worried and emotional I was last year, right before he left us for the first time, I smile a little bit. I wish I had known back then, just one tiny little year ago, that even though things were changing, they were staying the same in so many ways. He had…