If you routinely isolate your child when he misbehaves, what’s the bigger message? Yes, you may get “better” behavior, if what you mean by “better” is “more compliant.” You may have a child who does what you want when you say you want it. But aren’t you also teaching him that when he misbehaves, you will withhold your love? […]
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Please forgive me. If you are in a curmudgeonly mood, please come back again tomorrow. I’ll try to be more snarky then.
I have a partner. This is big. Really, it is. What I’m saying is, I have someone to share my life with. Someone to face life’s ups and downs with. Someone to celebrate with. Someone to talk things over with. Someone to laugh, cry, and argue with. Someone to love, and someone who loves me.
Someone to help fold the laundry. […] Continue reading
“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk?” –Albert Einstein My house is a mess. Seriously, it’s a total mess at the moment. There are boxes all over, clean laundry … Continue reading
I have confession to make: My kids fight with each other. A lot.
Two recent conversations with friends about their kids’ relentless arguing has me thinking about sibling rivalry. My father once described the job of a parent as part cheerleader, part teacher, part playmate, and part traffic cop — keeping the kids apart during the worst of the fighting.
If I hear one more person tell me, “my boys are each other’s best friends,” or, “my kids couldn’t bear to spend the summer apart,” I think it might send me to the looney bin. My kids, um, definitely not each other’s best friends.
But here the thing: I’m OK with that. […] Continue reading
Wondering why there’s a photo of George Foreman? I promise, it’ll be clear if you keep reading. But this post really isn’t about Mr. Foreman. I read something by Real Delia the other day, and I’m still mulling it over. … Continue reading
That little Monkey of mine…she’s quite something. At the barbecue/cookout this weekend, Monkey was playing foosball with a friend of mine. My friend described it like this: The game got kind of heated and I accidentally lifted the table a … Continue reading
