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Parenting

Children: A Blessing And A Thrill!

The last time I got together with my sweet friend, Denise, was in NY, so I am very jealous that she is soaking up the big city without me. However, envy takes a serious back seat to rejoicing because we are celebrating her son Nick’s debut in the Broadway production How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. It just doesn’t matter to a mom whether her child is 9 hitting his first homerun or 19 hitting the big lights in NY – it’s the same thrill! Nick – we are so proud of you! Anybody going to NY? I promise to be the best tour guide ever! I took my girls twice last year – so fun! (If you go, get the family discount here – http://howtosucceedbroadway.com/family.php )

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Parenting

Encourage Your Kids on Valentine’s Day and Every Day!

It can be so easy to forget to encourage our children. When was the last time you really thought about the words you repeated everyday to your child? Valentine’s Day can be a great day to focus on saying loving, encouraging words to your child. Start on February 14th, but commit to making it last the rest of the year! Here are some of my favorite free Valentine printables to help you get started. Check out all of iMOM’s Valentine’s Day Ideas!

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Parenting

The Perils Of Popularity

Years ago one of my children, after just one week as a freshman in high school, made this comment, “Sometimes I wish I were a geek, it would be so much easier.” I knew exactly what the child was thinking and the child had correctly assessed the high school dynamic. There are perils that come with popularity. Perils fraught with pressure – pressure to stay connected, pressure to compete, pressure to look good, pressure to be in the know…cutting edge…included…doing the “in” thing…taking risks…asserting independence…seeking thrills…shocking others with drama…experimenting with…?! The geek, on the other hand, is defined as a computer enthusiast or one who is overly intellectual. Or according to the popular television show Glee perhaps it can also be defined as one involved with chorus or band. My kids have played all sides from chorus to sports and clubs in between. There are two sides to every story and every child has a different way of sorting through adolescence. Some seem unscathed, some struggle. Whatever side they fall on popular, geek or somewhere in the middle, they will be challenged as they stretch and grow into adulthood. It has been my observation, as well as my child’s, that popularity …

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Parenting

Techy Tuesday: Keeping Up With The Kiddos

Love this App – it makes keeping up with the kiddos a game. I am trying it out now – so far so good. It’s kind of fun. Let me know what you think. It’s called I’mOK. The kiddos check in by phone with any or all of the who, what and where and a picture. The more info they give the more points they get. If they check in this is what I would see below. Of course this is not my family but I am hopeful I can train them. It would be incredibly efficient when I am out of town. I could

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Parenting

Parenting Plan – Keeping It Simple

Sometimes or most times the best plans are the simplest. Right now my kitchen plans are way too complicated. The myriad combinations of cabinets, colors and contraptions have culminated into a mass of cancerous confusion in my brain. Should I get the GE Monogram 48 inch refrigerator with the Wolf 48 inch range? Or the range top with the double wall ovens? But if I don’t get the Wolf Sub Zero refrigerator with the Wolf range or range top I don’t get the $2000 rebate they’re offering. But the Sub Zero is so expensive and only 36 inches. If I go with Jenn Air they will throw in a free dishwasher! I like their refrigerator but not their range… Parenting can be the same especially if you have multiple children. The myriad combinations of their diverse personalities, shifting stages, ages and gender can complicate and overwhelm a poor woman’s brain. Should I let (daughter)(have to delete names to protect the innocent) go with her friend to the beach for the weekend even though it’s Nonny’s birthday? Where should I send (son) to school. If I keep him where he is it is free, but he really needs more than he …

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Parenting

To Quit Or Not To Quit?

Ah, now that is the mom question of the decade! In the last ten to twenty years, there has been an explosion of extra-curricular activities. And it is a multidimensional, 3-D explosion. There are now a million types of activities, offered for more ages and with an alarmingly intense level of competition. It’s enough to intimidate Rocky Balboa. That being said, some kids love it. That being said, some kids don’t. You don’t want your child to be a quitter but, on the other hand, you don’t want to force something that will cause your child regret. We floundered around

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