Helping your Teen Transition to High School
Aug 17, 2019
The first day of high school can be a flurry of emotions for your kids. New school. New experiences. And new freedom to gain. It’s both exciting and frightening.
Parenting
Travel Mysteries
Dec 1, 2016
I have written several posts about traveling with kids and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. Lately I’ve been travelling alone for some work functions and conferences. Not having to wrangle kids has given me the opportunity to notice some of the other things going on in the travel world. In short, it has opened my eyes to some very annoying things going on at airports everywhere.
Can You Be Too Old for Trick-or-Treating?
Oct 21, 2016
Halloween is upon us and one of the common complaints you hear about this holiday is that some trick-or-treaters are too old to be knocking on doors looking for goodies. To this, I say: Get over it. I have to admit, I have a long history of being afraid of teenagers.
Struggling with Bed-Wetting
Jul 6, 2016
I was recently invited to an event hosted by the folks from GoodNites to have a bigger conversation around bed-wetting. It’s actually a topic that really interests me because I had a kid who really struggled with this – and I mean well into puberty.
Advice For My Thirteen Year Old Girls
Mar 9, 2016
Two of my real life daughters are ages 13 and 14. Out of respect for their privacy, I couldn’t possibly talk about their entrance into teenage-hood.
Are you Friends with the Parents from your Kids’ School?
Feb 24, 2016
When you’re raising school-aged children, it’s pretty easy to make friends with other parents. I’ve spent many years enjoying the friendships I’ve made simply because my kiddos made friends at school and those kids have nice parents.
To Grandma on her 100th Birthday
Jan 27, 2016
There’s no question, I’m pretty lucky to still have a grandma. This particular Grandma is pretty special for a few reasons. She was one of 21 children born in Ireland to her entrepreneurial parents.
Teen Trends: Who Knew?
Jan 15, 2016
We recently went on a family ski trip that involved very little skiing.
Mother Nature has not been well behaved, so we had no snow and conditions were not even cold enough for the snow-making machines to do their thing.
Surviving the kids’ birthday party
Mar 6, 2015
March is birthday month in my life. March brings birthdays for both me and Mabel’s Labels. I also have a daughter with a birthday this month. I recently had a parent ask if I had any birthday party activity suggestions.
What I Learned About My Kids on Instagram
Feb 4, 2015
For all you social media types, I have to admit I was a little late to the party when it came to Instagram. For those who don’t know what Instagram is, it’s basically like Twitter but with photos – and it’s a favourite social networking site for teens and tweens.
Putting Creativity back into Christmas
Dec 6, 2014
Our family is going overseas for the holidays this year. I hate the thought of Santa having to turn up at our holiday destination because it means I have to lug oversized bags full of gifts both there and back. A family of eight has enough gear to drag around.
When One Parent Travels … A Lot
Aug 13, 2014
For the last 2.5 years, Daddy-o has been a FIFO (Fly In, Fly Out) Father. His current client requires that he be onsite during the week so as such, he arrives home on Friday nights, then leaves again on Sunday evenings. I have not written about it because I was advised not to go public that I was ‘alone’ during the week. But since I
Making the Cut: Children Dealing with Disappointment
Jun 2, 2014
With such a big family, I’ve always told my kids that they can’t be on travelling sports teams. When my children have asked to try out for such teams, my response has consistently been, “There are enough kids in your own city that are good enough to play with you.”
Valentine’s Day Made Simple
Feb 12, 2014
Despite the fact that Valentine’s Day can be a bit of a contrived holiday, kids love it! And with six kids in elementary school, it’s generally a very busy holiday in my household. I try to remember that it’s only a Hallmark holiday – there’s no point in letting it cause stress. So, I have a few easy tips to keep Valentine’s Day in perspective:
A Whale of a Tale
Jul 18, 2013
What Happens When Someone is More Worried About Your Kid Than You Are. Last week while on holidays, my family went on a whale-watching tour. The boat looked very much like a pirate ship, so the kids were fairly impressed. About half way into the adventure, a visibly stressed out older woman went over to my four-year old, took him by the hand and brought
Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby
Apr 26, 2013
Are kids learning about sex from porn? This question came up on a Raising America segment I was on. I certainly hope they are not, but parents spend a fair amount of time dodging situations and conversations that might cause their kids to ask questions about – gasp – sex. For unknown reasons, my kids can ask me any question and I never feel awkward or embarrassed. I also have this knack
Do You Have a Man-Boy?
Jan 7, 2013
Thirteen years ago, I had my first child. He arrived into this world all tiny and delicious after a fairly unpleasant delivery. Our eyes met and I fell in love. He’s always been my baby boy. Until recently.
Things I Can’t Remember
May 26, 2012
When you’ve been changing diapers for almost 11 years straight and you have been pregnant for about 250 weeks, it is fair to make claim to a bit of brain mush now and again. Sleep deprivation can make a mama foggy at times. Going to the grocery store and leaving without the item I went for is a common occurrence. Once, I was driving down
Helping your Teen Transition to High School
Aug 17, 2019
The first day of high school can be a flurry of emotions for your kids. New school. New experiences. And new freedom to gain. It’s both exciting and frightening.
Travel Mysteries
Dec 1, 2016
I have written several posts about traveling with kids and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. Lately I’ve been travelling alone for some work functions and conferences. Not having to wrangle kids has given me the opportunity to notice some of the other things going on in the travel world. In short, it has opened my eyes to some very annoying things going on at airports everywhere.
Can You Be Too Old for Trick-or-Treating?
Oct 21, 2016
Halloween is upon us and one of the common complaints you hear about this holiday is that some trick-or-treaters are too old to be knocking on doors looking for goodies. To this, I say: Get over it. I have to admit, I have a long history of being afraid of teenagers.
Struggling with Bed-Wetting
Jul 6, 2016
I was recently invited to an event hosted by the folks from GoodNites to have a bigger conversation around bed-wetting. It’s actually a topic that really interests me because I had a kid who really struggled with this – and I mean well into puberty.
Advice For My Thirteen Year Old Girls
Mar 9, 2016
Two of my real life daughters are ages 13 and 14. Out of respect for their privacy, I couldn’t possibly talk about their entrance into teenage-hood.
Are you Friends with the Parents from your Kids’ School?
Feb 24, 2016
When you’re raising school-aged children, it’s pretty easy to make friends with other parents. I’ve spent many years enjoying the friendships I’ve made simply because my kiddos made friends at school and those kids have nice parents.
To Grandma on her 100th Birthday
Jan 27, 2016
There’s no question, I’m pretty lucky to still have a grandma. This particular Grandma is pretty special for a few reasons. She was one of 21 children born in Ireland to her entrepreneurial parents.
Teen Trends: Who Knew?
Jan 15, 2016
We recently went on a family ski trip that involved very little skiing.
Mother Nature has not been well behaved, so we had no snow and conditions were not even cold enough for the snow-making machines to do their thing.
Surviving the kids’ birthday party
Mar 6, 2015
March is birthday month in my life. March brings birthdays for both me and Mabel’s Labels. I also have a daughter with a birthday this month. I recently had a parent ask if I had any birthday party activity suggestions.
What I Learned About My Kids on Instagram
Feb 4, 2015
For all you social media types, I have to admit I was a little late to the party when it came to Instagram. For those who don’t know what Instagram is, it’s basically like Twitter but with photos – and it’s a favourite social networking site for teens and tweens.
Putting Creativity back into Christmas
Dec 6, 2014
Our family is going overseas for the holidays this year. I hate the thought of Santa having to turn up at our holiday destination because it means I have to lug oversized bags full of gifts both there and back. A family of eight has enough gear to drag around.
When One Parent Travels … A Lot
Aug 13, 2014
For the last 2.5 years, Daddy-o has been a FIFO (Fly In, Fly Out) Father. His current client requires that he be onsite during the week so as such, he arrives home on Friday nights, then leaves again on Sunday evenings. I have not written about it because I was advised not to go public that I was ‘alone’ during the week. But since I
Making the Cut: Children Dealing with Disappointment
Jun 2, 2014
With such a big family, I’ve always told my kids that they can’t be on travelling sports teams. When my children have asked to try out for such teams, my response has consistently been, “There are enough kids in your own city that are good enough to play with you.”
Valentine’s Day Made Simple
Feb 12, 2014
Despite the fact that Valentine’s Day can be a bit of a contrived holiday, kids love it! And with six kids in elementary school, it’s generally a very busy holiday in my household. I try to remember that it’s only a Hallmark holiday – there’s no point in letting it cause stress. So, I have a few easy tips to keep Valentine’s Day in perspective:
A Whale of a Tale
Jul 18, 2013
What Happens When Someone is More Worried About Your Kid Than You Are. Last week while on holidays, my family went on a whale-watching tour. The boat looked very much like a pirate ship, so the kids were fairly impressed. About half way into the adventure, a visibly stressed out older woman went over to my four-year old, took him by the hand and brought
Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby
Apr 26, 2013
Are kids learning about sex from porn? This question came up on a Raising America segment I was on. I certainly hope they are not, but parents spend a fair amount of time dodging situations and conversations that might cause their kids to ask questions about – gasp – sex. For unknown reasons, my kids can ask me any question and I never feel awkward or embarrassed. I also have this knack
Do You Have a Man-Boy?
Jan 7, 2013
Thirteen years ago, I had my first child. He arrived into this world all tiny and delicious after a fairly unpleasant delivery. Our eyes met and I fell in love. He’s always been my baby boy. Until recently.
Things I Can’t Remember
May 26, 2012
When you’ve been changing diapers for almost 11 years straight and you have been pregnant for about 250 weeks, it is fair to make claim to a bit of brain mush now and again. Sleep deprivation can make a mama foggy at times. Going to the grocery store and leaving without the item I went for is a common occurrence. Once, I was driving down
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