I have two kids and one on the way. I am not a perfect mom; far from it. I make mistakes daily. Sometimes, they are tiny, so I just dust them off and keep it moving. But sometimes, those damn mistakes make it hard for me to fall asleep at night. I stay up wondering if I did the right thing… if I made the right call. But I try my best to not let it get to me too much. No one … [Read more...]
Why You Need To Stop Feeling Guilty About What Your Child’s Father Isn’t Doing
My mom is 73 years old. Even at that age, she still expresses guilt about certain things that happened when we were kids. It breaks my heart to hear because I don’t think anyone should hold on to guilt and pain for that long. And, of course, it is especially painful to hear because she is my mother. I have told her time and time again that she did right by us. We were always … [Read more...]
9 Important Questions to Ask Yourself That Will Help Transform Your Life as a Parent
Children are such a joy. Despite the craziness each day can bring, I can’t imagine life without my two kids. They fill my heart up in a major way. But, like most parents, I have moments when I struggle. I wonder if I am making the best decisions or if something I am doing today will cause my kids damage in years to come. These doubts and questions don’t mean I am a bad mom. … [Read more...]
Can You Really Afford to Have Children?
Can you really afford to have children? How many of you thought about this before having little ones? Does your financial status determine the number of children you will have? According to the USDA report the cost of raising a child in today’s time is a whopping $245,340. This is to see the baby to adulthood (18 years old). What the what! Who has that much money per child … [Read more...]
Should Your Children Fear You?
I personally think a healthy fear benefits the parent/child relationship. When I was coming up, my mother had “the look” and we knew right away we either needed to straighten up or there would be consequences. Those consequences ranged from belt spankings to punishments. All of which shaped me into the woman I am today. I am grateful for the lessons and the discipline I … [Read more...]
23 Questions Every Mother Should Ask Herself Today! Especially 1, 7 & 12
There is one thing that I believe all good moms have in common—we all want to do the best thing for our kids. Mothers everywhere are full of good intentions. We love our children and we want them to have the best life possible—often a better life than what we had. We aren’t perfect, so we get things wrong (whether we choose to admit it or not). Then we feel guilty when, … [Read more...]
What Are You Teaching Your Kids About Santa?
When I was a child, I believed in Santa Claus. I don’t think my belief was long-lived, but I did believe in him until I was about 6 or 7. I never thought he brought all the gifts, but whenever I would get a “big” gift, I thought it was from him. I’m not quite sure if my mom or dad told me that, or if it’s just what I chose to believe. We lived in an apartment building on … [Read more...]
Having More Kids: What’s the Magic Number?
My husband and I have two beautiful children. Our 3-year-old son is hilarious and our 6-month-old daughter already has a ton of personality. Some days I wake up and I am excited by the idea of adding one more little one to the mix. But I can’t front – some days I think two is plenty, and my husband and I are not trying to be outnumbered. So, how do we decide whether or not … [Read more...]
Why Our Son’s Future Wife Will Want to Thank Us
My husband cooks, cleans, and folds laundry. He is also pretty handy with tools, he mows the lawn, and he takes care of all those annoying issues that can come up around the house. Overall, he’s a great guy. He takes good care of us, and for that I am grateful. Now, my husband isn’t like this by accident. If you’ve met his mom, you’d understand. I am certain that … [Read more...]
Apologizing for the Mistakes of Our Children: Christopher Dorner’s Mother Offers Her Condolences
As parents we often do our best to raise our children to become positive contributing members of society. We hope that the values we instill in them as little ones will be at the forefront of the decisions that they make as adults. Many of us pray that our children do not fall victim to violence but what happens when they inflict violence on another person's child? What happens … [Read more...]
Keep Calm and Love Affectionately: Kids Need to See Affection
"Don't worry that your children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you". ~ Robert Fulghum Truer words have never been spoken. Just last week, my husband called home. We were running around, so I put him on speakerphone. As I was rushing our kindergartener out the door to catch the bus, she briefly spoke to him and ended the conversation with her usual: "I … [Read more...]
Are You Sharing Too Much With Your Kids?
I was in the salon the other day and overheard a rather interesting conversation. A client was talking about her frustration with her husband's approach to handling delicate family situations. She stated that he always wants to be upfront and honest about everything with their children because that's the way HE was raised. That alone wasn't really her problem. Her gripe was … [Read more...]
If I Had a Daughter
by Gwen Jimmere If I had a daughter, I'd teach her that her black is beautiful 366 days a year, 8 days a week, 25 hours a day. I'd teach her that she is to be proud, yet grateful, to have the distinction of being a black woman. That she is to be honored, yet humbled to reside in this hue of greatness. I'd sit her in front of a mirror every day and rave about how high her … [Read more...]