How to Get Your Kids to Talk With You

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Are you tired of getting one word answers from your kids? Are you wondering how to get your kid to finally open up and talk with you? The solution might be one that Kenneth Barish, Ph.D., wrote about for Huffington Post. Give his ideas a try, and see what happens! Frustrated parents should take a minute to read over what Kenneth Barish, Ph.D., wrote in an article titled: “Why Won’t She Talk to Us? How to Have Better Conversations With Your Children”. In it, he explains some of the reasons why kids become uncommunicative with their parents. In short, there … Continue reading

Balancing Blogging and Mothering

I squinted to make sense of scattered letters through the glare on my screen.  Focused attempts at deciphering HTML became distracted by bursts of giggling from the other side of my window.  Rejoicing from finally making a text box that scrolled, I missed a small excited voice asking me to “look at me”.  Dripping hair and sopping wet footsteps ran inside to beckon me to join their mini water park complete with a blow up monkey pool.  Promising just five more minutes I shooed away wet fingers from my computer.  Next I looked up and the time for sprinklers, popsicles, and water slides … Continue reading

When Your Doctor Frustrates You

What can you do when you are frustrated by your doctor or your medical care (or the medicare care of a loved one)? It turns out, quite a lot. There are many reasons why your doctor may frustrate you, and some of these issues can be addressed directly with the doctor or the office. For example, if you feel that they doctor is talking at you instead of to you, you can gently point this out. Make sure that you bring a list of questions or concerns with you to your appointments and don’t be afraid to speak up when … Continue reading

Girl vs. Monster: Disney’s Answer to Buffy?

As I was poking around on the refurbished Disney.com site (it’s very pretty and well-organized now, I’ll have to do an overview of it later) I noticed something called “Girl vs. Monster.” Immediately my hackles rose. I know I should give Disney the benefit of the doubt, but I guess I was just jumpy after the premiere of “Once Upon A Time,” where Belle stays with Rumple again to “change him with the power of love,” or some other terrible abusive-vibe thing like that. I’m glad I followed the link to learn more about it, though, because “Girl vs. Monster” … Continue reading

23andMe Has Final “Back-To-School” Quiz

23andMe has been doing a series of short, online, courses for genealogists. Each had something to do with genetics. Those who watch the videos, and take the quiz at the end, have the chance to win a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card. This is their third, and final “Back-to-School” quiz. 23andMe is a company that makes a home DNA test kit. You provide a sample of your saliva, and that sample gets analyzed. Genealogists can use this tool to learn more about what their genetics say about their health risks and also to find out more about their heritage. You might … Continue reading

Letting Hope Light Your Path

When a teenager decides to take a path you never hoped they would travel, nor did you ever imagine they would, it can result in a mother questioning her abilities. I know because I have been there. You ask yourself what signs you might have missed. I know because I asked myself that. You wonder if you could have changed the course. I know because I have wondered the same thing. You wonder if it will ever get better. I know because I had those concerns. And you ask yourself, “What can I do to make sure this never happens … Continue reading

Does Your Toddler Test Your Patience?

Today was a particularly trying day for me. It seemed as if each time I asked Dylan not to do something, he look right at me and did it anyways. Also, he had a couple of tantrums over things that I could do nothing about. For example, he wanted to play with Play Doh and I could not find any in the house. For about forty five minutes he let me know how upset he was that I did not have the Play Doh that he needed. The whole day seemed to flow from one limit testing scenario to another … Continue reading

Finally an Invitation

The kid were excited that we were going to the in laws but they were a bit nervous too which we totally get. We were nervous too especially we know how hard conversations have been and sitting together may be even harder. We need to have a hard conversation with my mother and father in law and it is coming soon. We need to know if they plan on having a relationship with our family going forward. Being told that they are too busy to see their son and his family before February is ridiculous but this is where we … Continue reading

When Children Test Your Marriage

Throughout all the years of my marriage, arguing about the raising of our children has never been an issue. We have always been in agreement. We have the same values and standards. I consider this to be a good thing, since the raising of the children is one of the more common areas that couples argue about. However…well, things have slightly changed now that they are teenagers. Suddenly it’s not so easy. Raising teenagers is like walking a very fine line. Sometimes you really don’t know how to balance the scales. Some things you say yes to, other things you … Continue reading

Taking Care of Your Car

Where would we be without our cars? When I was first separated from my ex husband I didn’t have a car. Hailey and I walked to the grocery store and loaded up a little rolling cart with groceries and headed back. That worked great until the wheel came off halfway home on one trip. Now only did we have to carry all the groceries but the cart too! I was very grateful when I finally got a car, it was used, the air conditioning didn’t work, you had to take the fuse out to make the windshield wipers stop working … Continue reading