Search Results for: blog parent tug of war

Parents Needed More Than Ever

I used to think the ideal years for being a stay-at-home mom was when the kids are very young, before they ventured off to school.  These are the years where so much forming and shaping of their lives takes place. Yet I have come to see another stage in life to be just as important.  It is during the teen years.  So often parents see this as their time…after all, teens are independent and don’t seem to need mom and dad as much as they used to. Whether the issue is staying home or just being available, too many parents … Continue reading →

Parents Celebrate Ouch-Free Bandage

They can send a man to the moon, but they can’t design a bandage that doesn’t cause pain when it’s removed? Parents the world over know the torment that’s triggered when their child’s bloody bandage needs to be replaced. When my daughter was a toddler, she would scream like a peacock on fire when I would come within 10 yards of her bandaged knee. Now, the wails don’t start until I’m four yards away. Baby steps. At 8 years old, the kid is still deathly afraid of any discomfort she may have to endure during the bandage-changing process. The crying, … Continue reading →

Building Loyalty in a Single Parent Family

Single parent families can feel fragmented—especially if children actually go back and forth and live in two homes. Of course, most of us want our children to feel cherished and attached to both sides of the family which can create some problems when it comes to creating a solid, cohesive sense of family loyalty. There are things we parents can do, however, to help build a sense of loyalty and belonging in a single parent family… Our children need to feel as though they belong and most of us want to create a sense of “loyalty” to the family unit. … Continue reading →

More Viral Animal Emails: Heart Tuggers

Back in August I wrote about a certain type of email we all get: the forwards. You know what I’m talking about –the jokes and anecdotes that assure you they’re the funniest thing and you just have to read them. I probably delete 95% (if not more) of these without passing them on and making them even more “viral.” But some I just can’t resist sharing. Like now. Here’s some that tugged at my heart so much I not only forwarded them but felt the need to write about them. The Hippo and the Tortoise Remember the tsunami of 2004 … Continue reading →

Single Parents Need to Keep Good Records

I have to admit that one of the tougher “administrative” things that has come with life as a single parent is how important and challenging it is to keep good records–keeping track of birth certificates, immunization records, social security cards, and other details when there are two parents and two homes can be a very big deal! It seems like it’s not enough just to have two of everything. I think that just about every year in the years since my divorce, my ex has asked me for my kids’ social security numbers. I just keep giving them to him … Continue reading →

Parent Tug-of-War

If you are among the majority of divorced parents, you find your kids often put you in a parent tug-of-war game. Let’s face it, kids are really good at getting what they want. Not that they’re bad kids but they quickly learn that coming from a divorced family has its advantages. I remember many times when I had told my kids no about something, only to find out their father took them on his weekend not knowing they were not to go. For instance, my son had been grounded one particular weekend. He had planned on going roller-skating with friends … Continue reading →

Dealing with Guilt as a Single Parent

I never knew what guilt really was until I became a parent. I found myself on my own by the time my daughter was just two-months old. Working full-time was a necessity. It broke my heart daily to leave my infant and head to work. Fortunately, I was able to lean on my twin to help me with her during the day. Daily I faced issues of guilt. I wanted to be home with my daughter being the Mother I wanted to be. Instead I was forced to be in an office away from my baby and was forced to … Continue reading →

The Power of a Parent-Child “Love” Letter

Today, out of the blue, my mom sent me a “love letter.” We’d been writing back and forth about the happenings in our week and I’d just told her my kids had fallen asleep on the carpet. Although her heartfelt note was personal, I know she won’t mind my sharing it with you here: “I know you can understand what I am about to say now. It really does seem like yesterday that the 3 of you were all snuggled up in blankets in the living room watching a movie and it was raining and I can still see you … Continue reading →

The Pacifier Wars

Over the years, there has been a tug of war between proponents of the pacifier versus those who are against the pacifier have swung the pendulum back and forth. When my daughter was born, pacifiers were recommended against (especially if you were breastfeeding) and now once again the pendulum is swinging back to be in favor of the pacifier including as an aid to help reduce the changes of SIDS. Pro Pacifier On the pro pacifier side of the fence, there are the medical studies that suggest the babies sucking reflex helps to prevent SIDS. The pacifier is a great … Continue reading →

Think Yourself Out of That Funk

If you ever feel like you are caught in a permanent tug – of – war between your home-based business and your home life, you are not alone. It is only natural to want to be successful at work, and it is just as natural to want to be a successful parent and homemaker. When you find yourself feeling down because you feel like you are not excelling in one or both of these areas of your life, it is important to take time to address those feelings. Working through the feelings will eventually help you to feel better because … Continue reading →