I am a fun mom. Really, ask anyone. Ask my kids, my husband and my friends. I love having fun, pushing the routine from time to time, and a good belly laugh makes my day. But when it comes down to manners, even a fun mom has to be shown a little respect. I think it hit me when my kids started karate a few weeks ago and even Sensei Diana demanded a little respect. She would not accept "Yeah" as a child’s answer when asked a question. She requested eye contact, a calm body and a proper "Hello" and "Goodbye." I like Sensei Diana! Boy, those kids listened and listened happily. I decided then, and…

  Let’s just put it out there shall we: We don’t keep our New Year’s resolutions. We mean well, but those grand thoughts of ditching the holiday weight and curbing our TV watching usually fall by the wayside just weeks into the first month. Not this year! I am making resolutions that I can actually keep. What’s my secret you ask? Simplicity -- no need to set yourself up for failure. Make some resolutions that are actually attainable. Here are some off my parenting list: Count to three before yelling at kids. Mind you, I didn’t say stop all yelling at kids; I just suggest that taking a deep …

  In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting the range of emotions run from terror to sadness to anger. I can’t get the image of terrified little Kindergarteners out of my head. I tried distracting myself with mundane chores. I tried playing Legos with my Pre-K and first-grade children. I tried calling friends and family. I finally decided to write. After all, that is what I have been doing since I was in Kindergarten. I write when I am happy and I write when I am sad. But as a parent, you never want to write about this. I was horrified when I saw the hoards of emails coming …

  I don’t consider myself a martyr, but after a recent admission to friends that I hadn’t been away from my kids overnight in years, I began to rethink things.  The weekly all-nighters, the hourly feedings and the screaming fits are over. Well, to be honest, the screaming fits still happen just not at 4 in the morning because of diaper rash. So, doesn’t that mean that taking time for myself should be easier? Maybe the problem aren’t the kids, maybe the problem is me.   Well, that’s a load off my shoulders. I thought my kids were dragging me down. It turns out, I am dragging myself down. I am …

  Believe it or not, I have a friend who once claimed, “I am bored at home because raising this baby is so easy. My baby is easy!” Of course every set of eyes at the dinner tabled rolled with contempt as our friend blathered on about life with an easy baby. "She coos all day. She goes to sleep without any fuss and her poops smell like roses." Blah, blah, blah. None of us bought it for one moment and, while I wanted to press her for the real deal, I let it go. If she believed her baby was easy, then what was wrong with that? For starters, it makes the rest of us feel like inadequate, …