How often have you heard this line from your friends: “I don’t want to turn into my Mother!” or “I fear becoming my father when it’s my turn to be a Dad.” Parenting is difficult. There are moments when you wonder if you’re doing anything right at all, moments when you reflect on whether you’re doing the best that you can.
Then there are moments when you wonder how close to your mother or father your parenting style is. The reflections can take a positive or negative spin, depending on your perspective of the moment. It’s more comfortable to emulate the …read more

I was in the cargo area of a big jet with Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Russell holding a blue tarp and about to do something heroic – I’m not sure what – when my son’s voice rattled me back to consciousness, out of bed and to his bedroom. He tapped the empty space beside him and I, given I was sleepwalking anyway, fell into place. My mind began to search for the portal to reenter my dream so I could find out if I succeeded in that heroic act, whatever it was. But re-entering dreams is never really possible. It was …read more

“There’s a new style of martial arts training sweeping the nation amongst older adults called ‘Cane-Fu Fighting’, “ says Derrick at Elder-Guru.

If you’re concerned about your elderly parents, physically challenged parents, or those who may be targets for attacks, robberies, and physical abuse, check out the possibility of them taking a cane-fu fighting class.  (You may want to take it along with them!)
This is physical defense using a cane.  The cane-fu classes also are good sources of exercise and many senior centers are offering them.
Check out the post about cane-fun fighting at Elder Guru for more information (click on link …read more

Another form of parenting consists of caring for one’s parents or elderly relatives. You’ve gone from being parented to parenting that older person.   Most caregivers go into this stage of life without adequate preparation or support.
Finding caregiver support groups in your area, or online, can be a challenge.  Here are a few suggestions.
Check out the following places in your community to see if they have a support group or know of any:

Home health agencies
Senior Center
Local Hospital
Local Nursing homes
State Alzheimer’s Association
State Department of the Elderly or Family Services
Others caring for elderly parents or spouses

If there is nothing in your community, the …read more

I don’t fault the parents of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. I’m not sure I would still stand by that statement had my child been at Columbine the day of that deadly macaque. But from my very distant perspective, as a parent, I feel for them.
“Dylan did not do this because of the way he was raised,” said Susan Klebold during a 2004 interview with New York Times columnist David Brooks. “He did it in contradiction to the way he was raised.”
Following the attack, Eric Harris’ parents wrote letters to the families of their son’s victims. To one injured girl …read more

One of my readers stopped by to comment on my post, The Charm of Imaginary Games, and reminded me of the delight of big boxes.
One of my kids’ favorite toys is a big box that they can decorate as a plane or castle or car or whatever they are feeling like that day. They have way more fun with that than with the fancier more finished toys
I want to thank Mike for calling my attention to big boxes.  My grandchildren, as well as my daughter before them, have been fascinated with big boxes and all that can be done with them. …read more

Encouraging youngsters to use their imaginations, to create their own games,  and to play in the out-of-doors instead of sitting before a computer or TV screen results in enjoyment many may not experience in today’s technological world.
When I see my grandson and his cousin spending the afternoon in the woods around our home, building forts, playing games without electronic accompaniments, and using their imaginations, I’m taken back to my childhood when the radio was the only gadget we had around.  Televisions did exist but we couldn’t get reception out in the country where we lived.
My sister and I made dolls, played …read more

Parents, if you’re into Earth Day emphasis and would like some projects for your youngsters, check out those at edHelper.com.  These would be great for parents in general, home schooling parents and teachers in schools.
The Caring for Earth and Earth Day Theme Unit offers a wide variety of resources and projects for a variety of ages and grades.  These involve reading suggestions, puzzles, research of related topics, worksheets, and much more.

Many parents are caring for children still at home while becoming responsible for their parents. They’re that “generation between” or the “sandwich generation,” who are parenting in two directions.
When I cared for Mother and Auntie,  I had my dad and my uncle who needed assistance, too.  Father and Uncle Al had physical problems but not dementia or Alzheimer’s.  Mother remained my responsibility for eight years after the others passed away.
My daughter was grown and caring for her children.  So, even though I helped with grandchildren, I didn’t have full responsibility, as many of you do with younger children at home.
The …read more

Do you and your youngsters have bedtime story rituals? Is reading a story to young children or allowing them to read at bedtime a fun occasion in your family?
Some of my fondest childhood memories center around bedtime stories.  When we four children were very young, Mother read to us.  We piled on one another’s beds, alternating each evening, while she read chapters from Heidi, Robinson Crusoe, Little Women, and Tom Sawyer.
Then, often during the day, we might act out these stories.  I particularly recall our pretend jaunts around the Swiss Mountains as we visited Heidi, Peter, Clara and Grandfather.
When we were …read more