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Adopt a Dog With Kids: Involving Children In Making A Major Decision

Kids and Parenting

As I mentioned in a recent post we very recently lost our 15-year-old dog.  It was difficult for us for sure but at 15 years old we knew it was coming. Honestly, the hardest part was bringing ourselves to say good bye.  To read more about helping your child deal with losing a pet click here. AND as hard as it was on is it was way harder on our 1-year-old Labrador.  She was quickly (by quickly I mean the next day) stir crazy. It was no doubt time to find her a companion.  A companion preferably her age, close to her size, and ready to Continue Reading...

Helping Your Child Cope With The Death Of A Beloved Pet BEFORE, During, and After

Kids and Parenting

This is not what I was planning to write about today.  The unfortunate reality is that this is based on our current situation. My Husband and I got a dog from a pound roughly 14 years ago, at which point she was fully grown maybe a year to 2 years old.  She is a curious looking little mutt...cute in her own right I say while many others disagree. Boo was fearful and skittish.  She settled in but forever remained a bit jumpy and neurotic. We loved her though.  She moved with us three times and was right there as our family grew.  She had a Continue Reading...

Teacher Requests: Getting Your Child’s Needs Met In A Public School

Community & Education

Teacher Requests: Getting Your Child's Needs Met In A Public School It is only April and already I am fretting about what is in store for next year. Will his teacher be sweet? Will his teacher have good structure? Will his teacher understand?  Will he feel safe?  I want him to have a certain teacher but how do I get the school to take my request seriously? Little Man you see has OCD.  As his mother and a psychologist it is easy for me to connect how safe he feels in class and how well routines are adhered to  the status of his symptoms.  To Continue Reading...

Tough Boys, Good Boys, Smart Boys: The Impact of Societal Expectations on Boys

Community & Education

We hear a lot about the terrible messages our society and media send to young girls.  Messages about their worth lying in their beauty, that men need to take care of them etc.  As a woman and a mother I completely agree.  I have often found myself silently celebrating that I only have boys when I listen to the mom's around me talk about the body issues and social/behavioral influences on their daughters. Then I take a step back and think about the cultural challenges for boys.  The challenges are real and hold just as much potential for Continue Reading...

Nightmares Vs. Night Terrors: What to do

Kids and Parenting

Nightmare:  A scary or sad dream that results in waking from sleep.  Generally a concern to parents because it causes distress and a difficulty returning to sleep.  Everyone has dreams that could be classified as nightmares at all ages. Nightmares are not harmful unless they disrupt daytime function or result in significant sleep loss on a recurring basis. VS. Night Terror:  Night Terror occurs during sleep.  The child partially wakes often with eyes open.  During a night terror the child may scream, yell, or mumble.  They may kick, Continue Reading...

Getting Out Of A Fun Rut With The Kids

Kids and Parenting

Human beings are creatures of habit and as such we create routines without even realizing that we are doing it at times.  Routines allow us to get to everyday things that we need to get done efficiently.  When routines for relaxation and recreation are developed they can limit our experiences. I for one am a creature of habit and especially if there is something that I enjoy I tend to do it over and over again.  That is great except when it limits what I am getting a chance to explore that I also may enjoy. I make photo books online Continue Reading...

Mommy Stress

Kids and Parenting

Being a mom is the best job in the world...the best most stressful job in the world. Yeah, being a mom is great and rewarding but intense and demanding.  It is fulfilling and completely draining. Being mom is a job that is never done, and you never feel like it doesnt deserve even more than you have given it. Today being a mom is more stressful than ever.  The expectations of moms has increased exponentially over the past decade. I blame changing societal expectations and social media equally.  Kids are no longer seen roaming the Continue Reading...

Parenting tips and tricks: How to Get Your Child to Practice For Their Music Lessons

Kids and Parenting

Oh how quickly it turned from... Son:  "Mom please can I get a guitar!!  Please Please Please I want to learn guitar." Me: "Okay but you will have to practice like every day to make taking lessons productive." Son: "I will I promise, it is going to be awesome! I love you I love you thank you mommy." (3 weeks later) Me: "Time to practice guitar" Son: "But I am soooo tired." Me: "You have to practice so you can get really good" Son: "But I just don't feel good....I had a bad day....I just got home...I need to play for Continue Reading...

The Kid Your Kid Doesn’t Like- Teaching Them How to Deal

Kids and Parenting

*Names have been changed to protect the not so innocent. I walk in the door after work and a commute.  My feet barely over the threshold and I hear, " Bobby took the dodge ball.....he's such a jerk."  I have been hearing about Bobby all year long. At this point I have to agree Bobby is a jerk.  I can't really say that to my little guy though now can I?  Though I admit I have nodded in agreement on more than one occasion. Anyway, my little guy is frustrated and talking to me about it because he knows that he is not allowed to be mean Continue Reading...

Time Change Monday and the 8 Stages of Suck. The cost of Day Light Savings Time

Kids and Parenting

They say it saves money.  Really, Arizona seems to manage just fine without messing with the clocks on their walls a couple times a year. I personally have never seen any saving that I could attribute to our clock change whoever is saving here better be saving an awful lot of money because playing with the time space continuum in my house sure sucks. Macy's may save money on their electric bill but for all of us poor moms out there Spring Forward sucks.  If you are a planner like me you try to prepare your kids for the time shift.  Even as Continue Reading...

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