The Worst Question of All: “What’s for Dinner?” It’s 5:30 pm. You’ve just rushed in the door from (fill in the blank: soccer, ballet, the library, work) with your kids. Everyone is complaining “We’re starving!” Or the baby is crying because she’s hungry. Or the toddler is tantruming because he wants a snack. And the … Continue reading What’s for Dinner?

Not so long ago, a student of mine wanted a little help on a paper. She opened her laptop and together we had a look. At the end of the first paragraph, I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Many teenagers today,” she’d written, “take their parents for granite." And how lucky those teenagers are, I sat … Continue reading Bedrock

I had my annual physical today and the nurse asked me the same three questions she always does – multiple times in fact. “What’s your name, what’s your birthdate, and do you feel safe at home?” On the surface, all three questions seem so easy to answer. Except maybe the last one. Have you ever … Continue reading Are You Safe at Home?

“I’ve told you to get your coat on four times, and you still haven't done it!!” Ever say those words before? Like a million times? One of the most maddening things about trying to teach kids to follow directions is that it often feels like they are not listening to you! So, what do you … Continue reading Are You Listening to Me?

I asked two little girls recently how old they were. They each said “4 years old,” but then one of them quickly added, “But I like to pretend to be 5.”  (When you’re a kid, you always want to be one year older!) And then I said, “Well, if that’s the case, I’d like to … Continue reading Embrace and Escape

I was frantically trying to run a few errands before I had to get my child from preschool. How much could I check off my list before I had to make the mad dash back to school and not be the last mommy to pick up? To add to the chaos, I wasn’t alone on … Continue reading Stolen Purses and Other Disasters

AKA: Walmart Wailing!  Target Tantrum!  Michael's Meltdown!  Kohl's Conniptions! So you know where I’m going with this, right?!? Has your child ever had one of those public displays of mania that happen when you’re running errands and have perhaps pushed him or her a tad too far?  Out of the car seat, into the cart, … Continue reading Home Depot Hysterics

Right next to our back deck is a forsythia bush- beautiful yellow flowers in the spring, dense green leaves all summer. A good location for a robin’s nest; except that Bryan and I invade the space every time we eat on the deck (which following a long New England winter, is every chance we get!) … Continue reading Building Your Nest

Danielle was in a full-blown tantrum: rolling, writhing, screaming, and drooling.  Like a tornado, a twirling dervish, or a maniac (take your pick!) She was uncontrollable and inconsolable!  She dropped to the ground and went boneless, dead weight and screaming fury. All this in a two year old body that you had happily kissed and … Continue reading It’s Tough being a Toddler

One Christmas Eve, when I was already pushed to the limit, a restaurant worker made a disparaging comment about one of my kids.  Without thinking, I leaned in close and hissed at the woman (and I quote) “If you say that again, I will go for your throat!” A half hour earlier I had been … Continue reading Fierce