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“Gentle Parenting:” we Might Need to Rethink Some Things
Ok. So I watched a TikToker or mom influencer or vlog or something about “gentle parenting” the other day and I have to say, as an older mom, I was a little confused. This mom had just finished making herself something to eat when her three-year-old son – who’d already finished his lunch – insisted… Read more
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Community Building 101.
Quick reminder: in case you forgot, you have a chance – today – to help build your and your kids’ sense of community. I write this on the first Tuesday of August – National Night Out. National Night Out was the brainchild of Matt Peskin, a town watch member in a community just outside of… Read more
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Nanny Cams: Trusted Friend or Sneaky Frenemy?
My friend Sarah’s niece, Abbie, asked her to babysit her six-month-old daughter while she and her husband enjoyed an evening out. Sarah and her husband, Steve, – both exceptionally trustworthy and responsible people – have been married for thirty years, raised four kids clean through to adulthood, and remember quite well how important it is… Read more
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Looking for a Parenting Style That Fits You? Try “Informed” and “Authentic” on for Size.
Max was about nine. I had just yelled at somebody for something and found her waiting in my room, tearful. “I wish I lived at the Bartniki’s,” she said quietly. Almost all of my kids have made periodic requests to be relocated to another family. Apparently, in other families, no one does homework, everyone has… Read more
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Need Another Reason to Get Your Kids Outside? Consider Their Eyesight.
Maybe it’s the lawyer in me – or the news junkie – but I’ve always approached momming from a knowledge-is-power perspective. As a full-time mom, I felt that it was part of my job to keep abreast of the latest books and trends and research to help me become a better parent. Maybe it’s the… Read more
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How – and Why – I Taught my Daughters to Brag
When I was in high school, I won a regional poetry contest. It wasn’t a Pulitzer, but fourteen-year-old me was proud of it. When my parents and I arrived at the recognition ceremony, a receptionist scanning the list of invitees asked my name. “Maureen Mahoney,” I said. “I won first place.” She smiled warmly at… Read more