I never was a huge advocate of using time out as a means of disciplining the kids. Why? It did not work, in my opinion. I spawned the kind of children who would punch holes in the wall as they stood screaming in the corner. I have the kind of kids who know how to wear me down by getting out so many times that I finally give up or forget that they were ever in the corner, in the first place. It just wasn’t worth the headache it gave me to keep the perpetrator in the corner long enough to …read more

As some of you know, I have recently taken my son off of his ADHD medication. Many factors contributed to this decision, too many to get into now. However, we are doing other things to combat his ADHD symptoms. We are no longer bandaging the problem, rather, searching for answers as to the cause of his symptoms. It is not an easy task, to say the least. Gayla can testify to how exhausting it is to be the mother of a child with a disorder. We love our children, dearly. The things we do for them are labors of love, for sure. We …read more

When a child commits a misdemeanor in your home, do you resort to using the same punishment every time, or do you tailor it to fit the crime? Do you skip the “punishment” in favor of a lecture lesson?
My son made the mistake of writing on the wall, yesterday. It was pretty obvious who did it. Yet, the guilty party was reluctant to admit his guilt. After he confessed, his dad and I convened in the bedroom to choose the appropriate sentence. In this case, it was the chore of washing walls and a talk about the importance of truth. We …read more

Ever had one of those days when your head feels like it is going to split down the middle? Or maybe you just plain feel like crap, but errands still have to be run, meals cooked and the house cleaned? That would be today, for me. I woke up with this headache and it has plagued me all day. Yet, the cupboards were bare and the kids were hungry, so shopping had to be done.
Shopping with three kids is always a lot of fun, if you enjoy saying “No” a thousand times, keeping items from falling off the shelves as …read more

Germs are everywhere. Like death and taxes, they are unavoidable. Getting sick is inevitable and as a parent, I try to avoid it as much as possible. I also try to keep our sick germs within the confines of our home when we do get ill, as a common courtesy. So why do some parents think it acceptable to expose other parents and children to their own family’s sick germs? Am I just being paranoid, or is this one of the biggest faux pas that parents can commit?

Sometimes my kids push me too far. They mistake my amicable mood as a sign of weakness and try to take advantage of it. That’s when I have to pull the reigns back and deliver a little reminder of who is boss. For example, over the last week or so, the kids have been coming in from school and tossing their belongings wherever is most convenient for them. I cannot tell you how many backpacks, shoes and jackets I have tripped over recently. They pay no mind to my efforts to keep the house picked up and in some kind of order. They grab snacks, …read more

My mom was a screamer, I am a screamer, my kids are screamers. In our family, screaming is passed down like an antique family heirloom. Before starting my daily 5mg of Lexapro, I would have some days when my voice would be hoarse by nightfall (you know these days as “Summer Break”.) I am a lot calmer now, but screaming will always be something that I do. Partly because my house is always so full of rambunctious kids, cacauphonous cartoons and Hannah Montana music, that nobody can hear me unless I scream or use a bullhorn and partly because it is an innate reaction that …read more

When my kids have friends over, which is quite often, they are expected to follow the same rules that my own adhere to. We don’t have a formal rule orientation, of course, but if there is a minor infraction then I usually let the friend know that “In our house, we have a rule about…”. Usually the offending child acknowledges the rule from that point on. There have been instances, however, when the friend completely ignores my requests to comply with our rules. There are two reasons why this usually happens.
1. The friend’s family does not set down house rules.
2. The …read more

Days like today, when my seven little mischief makers are all home, it really throws a wrench in my day. The usual routine of cleaning, blogging and enjoying my three adorable toddlers has to be put on the shelf and replaced with 16 hours of pure damage control/fight prevention.  I have found myself so frustrated and fed up with their lack of consideration for the house and each other, that I have actually lost my voice from screaming. Sound insane? It is. I decided after last summer break, when I nearly ground my teeth to nubs and had to be put on an antidepressant to …read more

It’s no secret that divorce is a common ending to over half of marriages in America. The traditional line, “Until death do you part,” just doesn’t hold the same meaning as it used to. In fact, many people are opting to substitute such binding vows for less definitive ones. So why then, do so many of these couples chose to procreate and add more victims to the train wreck that is divorce?
I’m sure that there are some who really do plan on staying for the long haul, as my mother did. But life’s cruel hand often deals cards that are …read more