I didn’t grow up with a brother or a close male friend, so when it came to boys, I was pretty clueless. This isn’t to say that I’m a girly-girl – I’m not – but when it comes to how males think and why, I am often confused. This confusion was increased by the belief [...]
When our son was born, my then-husband and I had to figure out our roles as parents. Later when we separated and divorced we had to figure out our roles as sole parents. This transition happened when we were also trying to determine who we were as not-married people. Worse, we had to figure out [...]
Does this sound familiar? Your child is crying hysterically, seemingly for no reason, and everyone around you (especially your mother-in-law) claims to know the purpose – “He’s cold, put on his socks”, “She’s hungry. Do you want a cookie sweetheart?”, “He needs a nap – he’s tired”. But the answer is obvious to you, even [...]
I get so excited when the holidays roll around – the aisles of your favorite store filling up with decorations and dollar stores cramming their storefronts with cheap plastic trinkets. I’ve held off from buying decorations for the past couple of years, but finally my daughter is old enough to participate in the traditions – [...]
I wish this idea were my own, but sorry to say, it isn’t. Lately, my night-time reading selections consist of autobiographies on personal and family struggles. Two months ago I finished both “Beautiful Boy” by David Sheff and “Tweak: Growing up on Methamphetamines” by Nic Sheff (his son). The elder Sheff, if I can recall [...]
Once October 1st rolls around each year, I find myself google-ing Halloween costumes hoping to find something original, precious and, guaranteed to grab a laugh for my youngster. But every year, I find the same old boring over-priced stuff next to the latest animated character favourites. While these favourites serve their purposes when your child [...]
In my opinion, single parents are probably the hardest working category of people in the world. I don’t care under what circumstances you arrive at being a single parent; no matter how you look at it – it’s a lot of work and it all, ultimately, rests on your shoulders. It’s not just the labor [...]