“I am so confused! We don’t spend time together anymore.  I loved our long walks together. We used to enjoy time on the couch watching TV. Now you won’t even let me on the couch or even worse, I’m banished to another room or outside. You used to greet me at the front door with a smile and a pet. Not anymore…now you rush past me as if I’m not even there. I’m beginning to think my new name is “Get out of Here”.  I can see all your attention and love is going to that noisy bundle you often hold in your arms. What the heck is that! To be honest it kind of scares me. I have no hard feelings. Okay, maybe I did pee in your bed that one time but it got your attention! I just want to be part of the family again. Is that too much to ask?”

Sincerely,
Your Best Friend Forever

(more…)

Buying clothes for your baby can be a daunting experience. Firstly, the variety, cost and sizes of clothes available for babies are as wide as those available for adults. Then there are obvious questions to consider like whether the clothes are meant for regular use or for special occasions. And the biggest consideration apart from safety and comfort would be the fact that babies grow at an astounding rate, so clothes worn by a new born are significantly different from those worn by a six-month old baby and buying a lot of clothes is not advisable.

(more…)

Let me start by saying I am not anti-TV. I grew up on TV and I can still give you the plot summary for any Gilligan’s Island or Brady Bunch episode within 30 seconds of turning the show on.  Heck, as I write this I am watching a $100,000 Pyramid marathon on Game Show Network.  As a dad, I like that my kids can relax a bit in front of the TV after attending the boot camp that is now elementary school.  I am far from being one of those parents who brags about having no TVs in the house and implies that this will guarantee my children’s future acceptance into Harvard when we all know it really just guarantees the kids will be sneaking over to friends’ houses to watch the most sordid shows they can find.  It is not an issue of yes or no when it comes to TV but rather an issue of moderation vs. obsession.

(more…)

Elevating parenting and values gives children a solid basis for making life choices. Young children naturally look to their parents for direction. Having a solid, well defined value system provides the necessary roadmap. It is imparitive that parents have a clear understanding of what is important and consistently live out these values.

(more…)

Recently I was having dinner with several girl friends. After the frantic winter holidays, it was nice to just relax. Mary (not her real name) shared some family news that was a bit astounding for a private person like Mary. Her youngest son, Ben (not his real name) had completed his first semester in community college and wasn’t going back. Three years ago, this would have elicited an emotional breakdown for Mary.

(more…)

I am an attorney and life coach who helps parents with young adults still living at home as well helping young adults achieve independence.  With two sons in college, I remember quite well the frantic last years in high school. All the tests to be taken such as the ACT, SAT, the subject matter cousin tests to those two, and the AP placement tests caused abundant stress. Of course, there were trips to colleges and universities both in state and out. Finally all the applications due right around Thanksgiving of senior year had to be sent out and test reports coordinated. Mentally fried to a crisp, we parents still endured “senioritis” and a downswing in our senior’s motivation while we planned graduation parties and events.

(more…)

An approach towards developing capabilities of Mothers

A child is undoubtedly the most precious gift from God. There is no better feeling than to ensure a positive future for your child by making their foundation early years productive and valuable. Long before the formal schooling begins, a child starts developing language, social skills, the capacity to learn and healthy habits.

(more…)

Suddenly, we reached a point in my children’s lives where, unlike before, they not only understood what they needed to, but they were also willing to do it. It was time to lead from behind, and the transformation was much more difficult for me than it was for them.

(more…)

Nursing multiples does have its challenges. First and foremost, it requires dedication and a real desire to provide nourishment.

Susan Kimes was breastfed when she was a baby in the early 1950s, even though bottle-feeding was in vogue and breast-feeding was considered, well, old-fashioned. Years later, she watched her sister breastfeed her children. Kimes had always assumed she would breastfeed her own children as well; to her, it was a natural part of being a woman and a mother.

(more…)

Positive talk about adoption emerges from feeling good about it, from feeling that your baby came into your life as a matter of much-welcome destiny.

Several years ago, I went out for dinner with a friend, may newly adopted infant, and my four-year-old son. I remember thinking proudly, “Look at me, the mother of two, and life is going so smoothly!” But on the cab ride home, my friend asked, “Do you know anything about the baby’s mother?” In a flash, my confidence crumbled; and for an endless moment, I felt like a child pretending to be something she’s really not.

(more…)