Do you realize you are raising someone’s future spouse? I know I do.
In my group of female friends, whenever someone’s boyfriend is acting up or somehow not behaving like a man (boyfriend) should, someone inevitably says, “Well, he doesn’t know any better. He didn’t have much of an example growing up….” It always goes back to, well, he wasn’t taught to be a good boyfriend/husband – so how could he be?
I don’t want my future daughter-in-law looking at me crooked because my husband and I failed somewhere along the way …

After playing on the playground on a hot day, ice cream, popsicles, and cold fruity drinks are the go-to choices for snack time and refreshing thirst-quenchers for your little ones. Although yummy and cooling, these frosty foods and drinks are packed with sugar that can lead to cavities and tooth decay. To help your child’s teeth survive the sugary summertime, Dentist Dr. Dan Smith offers his Top 5 Tips to keeping your child’s pearly whites healthy.

1. “Be sure your child brushes their teeth twice a day with ADA-approved fluoride toothpaste,” …

Have you ever met someone that was only in your life for a moment, but in that brief moment they were able to say or do something to positively impact your life?

By Tiya Cunningham-Sumter
Aside from all the advice I have received on parenting from others, I am finding that parenting is something you learn as you go forward. I use to find myself picking apart the things I didn’t like about how I was raised. My silent promise became to always be slightly different from that. I remember saying when I was younger, when I’m a parent I will hear my kids out, because they are people too and they have an opinion. However, I am learning there was a method …

by Eric Payne
My parents have a great poem posted on the wall in their kitchen.

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they …

Our son is 16 years old now.  He has his first summer job at local amusement park.  And although he is not driving, he has several cousins and friends that are.  This new reality just snuck up on me before I knew it.  The other day, he did not come home from work until almost midnight.  He got off of work around  9 PM and waited around for his cousin (my nephew) to get off of work so that they could ride home together.  They …

by Tara Pringle Jefferson
Let me preface this by saying that I truly have no idea what it is like to be a single mom. This is just my thoughts on a particular experience I’ve had.
My husband works as a director of a pre-college program. He works with high school kids who are smart but are maybe the first in their family to even consider college. As part of his job, he brings 125 high schoolers to the local college campus where he works for a summer enrichment component. For five …

by Tara Pringle Jefferson
I wrote a post on my blog called “Do Dads Really Get It?” discussing whether or not dads approach parenthood from the same perspective moms do.
The answer was an emphatic “NO.”
Dads do not look at parenthood the same way moms do. But in saying that, is any one way better than the other?
I compare moms view on parenthood to the “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” book. For example, nap time. If the kid skips his nap, chances are there will be a meltdown during dinner. …

by Tiya Cunningham-Sumter
The kids need you, the spouse wants you. So just how are we suppose to divide our time in order to make everyone happy. Most often when we hear folks speak about balance, they’re usually talking about balancing career and family. What about balancing the spouse and children?
Besides work, our daily grind includes making sure our children are well taken care of and seeing to the needs of our spouse. But, does spending the majority of the time with your children …

by Tara Pringle Jefferson
Everyone always talks about the “Terrible Twos” like they are only one step below being set on fire.
But I find that (yes, even on the bad days) I’m enjoying my daughter’s second year. Sure, she doesn’t listen, and she wants to stomp on my head if I lay on the floor (true story), and she refuses to do anything that she doesn’t feel like doing right at that moment. True, she has these tantrums that I call her “BFs” - baby fits. She’ll scream, talk real …