"No adults allowed," read the signs at NYC playgrounds, "unless accompanied  by a child."  Seeing these notices, I'm always struck by the thought that playgrounds aren't the only wonderful places children bring the  grown-ups who love them:  Your infant curls into your shoulder, breath soft on your neck. Your two-year-old picks up a golden maple leaf and clutches it for the rest of the day. Your four-year-old dawdles and stares at the homeless man on the sidewalk as you speed up your pace.  Children invite parents into a different world.

Lexi asked me who she would live with should my husband and I die. That may seem morose coming from a six year-old, but we don’t find any of her questions to be strange anymore. It’s just who she is. And we don’t shy away from tough questions. It keeps parenting interesting!

My husband and I have discussed the question of legal guardianship should something happen to us, but I was guessing that Lexi already had some thoughts about the topic since she initiated it.

“If something were to happen to us, Lexi, where would you like to live?”

Does this conversation seem familiar to you?

 He Says:  She's always nagging me to do something! I work 40+ hours during the week. When I get home from a long day at work all I want to do is relax! All I get are complaints from her! It's "Why do you sit in front of that T.V. all the time?" Oh yes,we can't for get the "You love that television more than me!" I especially hate that on weekends when there's a ball game on! That's when she wants to go out and do stuff together. I ask her repeatedly to cut me some slack,but all I get is more drama! What's a guy to do?

Portion Control

What is Portion Control?  Strategy to self-regulate food consumption. 

Why It’s Important:  The ability to self-regulate is a by-product of understanding your needs and clearly defined goals.

This morning I focused on creating order amidst hot spots of clutter and chaos a few minutes at a time. I followed these simple rules for moving quickly and efficiently:

The Olympics have the power to foster friendships between nations and showcase the world’s greatest athletes. Group runs and races can provide individuals with significant friendships as well as a healthier lifestyle. Recently the Editor of the “Glastonbury Reminder News” asked me and several other busy working parents who attend the free fun runs in town why we participate.

Article first published as Kids and Concussions - Are You Ready for Some Football? on Technorati.

Do you ever start out the day with a great plan, only to have it completely foiled within minutes of getting out of bed? Welcome to my morning this morning!

What started out as a cozy, {much welcomed} rainy day full of potential to relax, play with the kids and get a few jobs done around the house has turned into complete chaos.

What It Is:  Saying ‘please’ is more than meeting social expectations; it’s the attitude of gratitude and appreciation from which your child automatically operates.

Why It’s Important:  “Please, may I . . .” is the beginning of gift giving and receiving.  It’s the request that creates the opportunity for the giver to feel good about giving.  Without these few words the whole thing feels like an entitled demand.

I have read many articles and books as well as listened to countless individuals share that money is the number one cause of most marital arguments and divorce.

I beg to differ. In our house, home improvement projects are the greatest source of contention. And, no, it’s not the cost of the projects that often divided us. It’s the “doing” part that gets us every time.

And it ultimately comes down to different communication and personality styles. You can insert any home improvement project, but it typically sounds a little like this: