As more and more people (children and adults) use text messaging as a means of communication via their cell phones, will we find that correct spelling becomes obsolete?
Many young people use numbers and letters (4 instead of for, u for you) to speed up the process so they often don’t remember the correct spelling.
Adults also have developed this trend, and I find myself (as a teacher, author and English minor) doing the same.  However, most adults have learned to correctly spell.  Many youngsters have not, so they begin to substitute the text spelling into their work at school.
Do you feel it’s …read more

This category is full of everything from getting kids ready for school to picking out those summer fun activities. So it shouldn’t surprize you that when someone emailed and asked me
My son is 3 years old and refusing use his potty chair. Any recommendations?
My first question would be to ask if something has happened between said child and the toilet? I remember my 3 year old reacting the same way just after she learned to use her new potty, only it tried eating her. That’s what she said when she came running out of the bathroom holding her butt in her …read more

I swiped this from my sister’s Facebook page. It’s a great feel-good video aptly named “Anti-Depression Video.” I think any parent would dig this.
For centuries, people have touted the benefits of laughter. Experts say that a good laugh can reduce stress by relaxing tense muscles and energizing you by sending more oxygen into your bloodstream. It has also been shown to lower blood pressure.
Loma Linda University School of Medicine researchers Drs. Lee Berk and Stanley Tan have conducted studies that show laughter lowers serum cortisol levels, increases the amount of activated T lymphocytes, increases the number and activity of natural …read more

Do you have “small treasures” made by children and grandchildren that you’ve saved over the years?  Do these take on special significance for you?
 I’ve saved a number of these and find the memories joyful.  ONe is a pincushion my daughter made by herself and gave me as a surprise Christmas gift when she was about eight years old. Even though she’s grown with a daughter in college, I still use this and treasure it.
My daughter has Christmas ornaments her son and daughter made in art class in elementary school.  Each year she puts them out for display.
There are other items …read more

Making Christmas gifts with your children can be a fun family project and one that creates happy memories, too.
It’s not too early to start these projects so you’ll have plenty of time and won’t be rushed in December.
When my daughter was small, we were involved in many types of crafts and often made gifts for our holiday giving.  (Grandparents, especially, express appreciation for these items…whether they’re really useful or not!)
What types of items can you and your youngsters create? This all depends on the age of the children.

Woven and patchwork potholders
Collages with family events throughout the year
Shadowboxes containing momentos from trips
Placemats …read more

My daughter, Sarah, is 11 and in the 6th grade. She is a good student (just brought home a perfect report card), an athlete playing on both the volleyball and the basketball teams, and a musician with weekly guitar lessons.
She’s silly and funny, usually looking on the bright side. She is also a bit of a tattle-tale.
 
I worked at her school for 4 years as a playground and lunchroom aid. In that time, I learned a lot about tattle-tales. Sometimes they just want to be heard, sometimes they are trying to shift the blame, and sometimes they are trying to …read more

When I was 7, I learned the truth about Santa. Sort of.
My friend Emily said Santa was not some jolly old elf who appeared in the night and left presents under the tree, but was really my father who would crawl out of bed and pull toys from the closet. I suppose I knew Emily was telling the truth, but inside I wanted to believe Santa was real.
It was back when my family and I used to eat dinner around the dining room table that I made the announcement to my parents. “I know the truth about Santa. It’s you, …read more

A friend described how his granddaughter was injured…in an auto accident because the faulty driver was texting on her cell phone. 
 His granddaughter and her brother, who was driving, had stopped in a line of traffic at a red light.
They were rear ended and the granddaughter was thrown against the windshield.  (She was faulted for not wearing her seat belt.)  The hit from behind was forceful enough that it threw the grandchildren’s car into the one stopped ahead of them.  People from all three cars were taken to the hospital.  Fortunately none were injured enough to require  more than outpatient care.
Do you …read more

I don’t care what they try telling you, mom and dad are soft spots for kids.  No matter what they don’t want to see mom and dad vulnerable, hurt or sick, when they do it frightens them.   have been sick for over a week and not just the common flu bug, this is one of those where mom doesn’t ever leave the room and she’s weak with a fever that just won’t drop.
My little girl begged me, “Mom, please don’t die and get better really soon. I miss you.”  My other daughter echoed the sentiment especially when she heard the …read more

I used to roll my eyes at people who would get depressed during holidays. Seriously, what was there to be depressed about? And then my mother died. It’s not her absence that upsets me the most. It’s been 10 years since she died and I have learned to live with that void. It’s how our family tradition and togetherness died with her.

I don’t blame my father for that. He has a new life now with a wonderful, beautiful wife. And she has her family there. I’m a grownup now. I have husband and a child. And if anything, I should …read more