Search Results for: blog the idea of children and family vs the reality

The Bedroom TV

My father just offered to purchase a television for my daughter’s bedroom. I’m still waiting for John Quiñones to pop out of my hall closet because there’s no way my dad’s proposition can be legit. He’s testing me right? Like Quiñones does to all those unsuspecting individuals on “What Would You Do?” A new flat screen TV for my 8-year-old’s bedroom… riiiiight. From a guy who refused to allow me to touch our family’s TV, which didn’t move from its spot in the living room.  The same dad who mandated that an egg timer be set each time me and … Continue reading →

Perception is Reality

I am the world’s biggest complainer. Just kidding. Sort of. Ok, not really. Well, maybe… but at least I am not in denial. Actually, I willingly admit to my fault and actively work to eliminate complaints from my conversations. But, it hasn’t always been this way. I’ve been a complainer since I was a teenager, but interestingly, I didn’t realize the extent of my bad habit until I became a parent. How many times have you done this: You and the rest of your clan gear up for a weekend getaway to the beach? Overall, the trip is pretty darn … Continue reading →

LDS Week in Review June 2nd-7th

Welcome to our Week in Review here in LDS. If you weren’t able to join us throughout the week, here is your chance to get caught up at a glance. We began the week with “Depression vs. Depression,” which talks about the differences in the two definitions of the word “depression” and how we can best support those who are dealing with the effects of the condition. Then we had a book review on “The Master Deceiver,” which talks about the importance of fortifying ourselves against the adversary. We kept on track with our “Dinner Discussions” for the week, and … Continue reading →

Real Live Kids (Not Television Actors)

I have found that friends and acquaintances that do not have kids often have an unrealistic expectation of what life with children is like. My opinion is that they have 1. forgotten what it is like to be a kid themselves and/or 2. been unduly influenced by movie and television children who are extra-cute, extra-brilliant, or extra-obnoxious. Those of us who have taken the parenting road know, however, that real live children are really nothing at all like television characters… Sometimes my kids are cute, sometimes they seem like the most brilliant people on earth, and sometimes they are pretty … Continue reading →

It is Okay to Introduce New People Slowly

I should probably admit up front that I learned this lesson the hard way—as single parents, it is perfectly alright if we want and need to take our time before introducing new friends and/or dates to our children. Often, we might feel pressure from either side—our kids want to “check out” this person we might be seeing or getting to know and our new friend wants to “check out” what our children are like. As the parent, though, we do get to choose and while I’ve heard different opinions on this—for me, slow is better. I want to be clear … Continue reading →

Single and Dating…Learning to Ask Better Questions

I have had a few years to get used to this single parent, dating and socializing scene. I know that some of you may think that I am “down” on dating because I tend to be someone who is perfectly happy with her life as it is now and not at all willing to give that up for something less than fabulous—BUT, I do date and I am open to the possibilities. One thing I have found is that over the years and with all of the experience dating I have, I have learned to be much more discerning and … Continue reading →

The “Idea” of Children and Family Vs. the Reality

Yesterday I wrote about the single parent’s dilemma of trying to find grown-ups to date and socialize with and not people who are interested in us or attracted to us BECAUSE we are parents and they think we can help take care of them too. As I was writing about it, I realized that there is another “issue” that single parents attempting to date face and that is the fact that many people are intrigued or think they like the “idea” or the “ideal” of children and family life, but they are not prepared at all for the reality… Sure, … Continue reading →

Saving On Gas With Prices On the Rise (part three)

Continuing the article Saving On Gas With Prices On the Rise (part two), I’d like to focus on some more fine points to save us all money in the gas department. Gas prices are literally jumping everywhere, almost daily. It’s impossible to keep up and pretty soon we might all be destined to never leave our homes (slightly kidding!). Hopefully that won’t happen, but for now, it’s a reality we need to take into consideration. The following are the rest of the great tips I have for saving money on gas! If you have children who ride the bus to … Continue reading →

Help Your Child Triumph Over Irrational Fears

Our family was visiting a botanical garden, and Kyle was very unhappy. As we walked through the trails between the trees and blossoming bushes, he covered his ears and squinted his eyes, sometimes humming to himself. “He’s afraid of bees,” his older brother informed me. I was somewhat surprised. I’d had an inkling he didn’t like bees, but now I was seeing the real depth of his fear. A couple times on our walk, for no apparent reason, Kyle would shriek and duck in horror, as if aliens were attacking. Sometimes I saw the culprit “bee” (several times it was … Continue reading →