I often see people start tackling one huge project; only to quickly find that the enormity of the project paralyzes them so they do nothing.  This came to light with a recent incident in my household.  It has to do with my daughter and her teenage bedroom.

Have you ever thought what can I do to really excite my kids about a “Family” Vacation?  While younger ones can be enticed with just about anything sometimes, those a little older will only think of family vacations as a downer.  Their thoughts of course are how uncool it is to be on vacation with their parents! Let’s chat about how to refresh the “family vacation”!

I’m not being facetious. That was Lexi’s battle cry last week. Despite my efforts to have her “chill” and watch television or engage in something non-school related, she was determined to finish her homework and upon completing it, she asked me for more.

Update your after school debrief to focus on your kids, not your kids’ problems

What is a school day debrief?  The Q&A right after school.

Why It’s Important:  With the right questions parents can increase their social capital—every single school day!

The Problem:  Parents aren’t looking to connect to their kids; they are looking to connect to their kids’ problems.  It sounds similar, but it’s as different as night and day.

I know fall is not here yet, but it's definitely looming on the horizon. Here in New York we got a nice taste of beautiful, crisp fall weather this weekend {along with some windy, wet weather, too!}. There's something about that change that is so comforting, and this weekend our family took every change we could to embrace it.

Before I started my healthy living journey, trying new (to me) foods was intimidating.  I can honestly say that just two short years ago, I had

Last night my seven-year-old son played the first game of his competitive soccer career. Have you ever watched a John Hughes movie where the white suburban kid is about to learn a major life lesson at great personal embarrassment and expense? So that ‘s pretty much how this game went down. As my son and his teammates pranced around the field like baby lambs about to be led to the slaughter the bad-ass music and slow-mo vision was cued and a team of children who clearly were fathered by the Brazilian national soccer team came strutting onto the field.

Yes, I realize that this is an online forum for mom, which makes it a “mom group.” I’m not opposed to spending time with you all and discussing topics of significance to us as working mothers. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy the camaraderie we share here. I just think the dynamic would change if we committed to forming a mom group that met face-to-face for coffee on a weekly basis. I would have to say no to that.

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It’s that time of year: school is starting (or has started) for most of our children, and with it comes the excitement and anticipation of a school year. When I was a teacher, I used to start the first week off with a “Toast to Change.” We would acknowledge the mistakes of the past, let them go, and set new goals for the future. We’d then have an apple juice toast and write down and display our goals.