Thursday, March 15, 2012
Overnight, we have an 'adult child' and 3 grownups at home.
There are many milestones of parenthood—but for me, today, three stand out: Number 1 took place 18 years ago this week. So Number 3 is very fresh. I couldn't put a finger on my feelings the day our oldest son turned 18. Was it a sense of accomplishment, love, pride, relief, maybe the mysteriousness of life? All I knew was I felt shaky and it wasn't from too much (or too little) caffeine. The night before, over a very late dinner (don't ask), I heard myself say, "Well, you have two and a half hours of childhood left." That was weird. In the morning, the other two kids and I were sitting in the kitchen. Down the hall we heard a door open and a groggy voice grunt, "I'm an adult." Now what? We now have something in the house called an "…
Thursday, February 16, 2012
We teach our children about “stranger danger” but some organizations and schools encourage kids to sell products door-to-door to raise money.
Each year at this time, we get the knock at the door. It’s the Girl Scouts, selling their cookies. Don’t get me wrong, I can chow down a Thin Mint like nobody's business. But, the selling process leaves something to be desired. In fact, I tend to turn away most youth fundraising requests that appear at my doorstep for two reasons: I don’t think I’m alone in my safety concerns. In fact, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children says that while door-to-door solicitation may be a confidence builder for children, it causes “potential risks for child safety, even within the confines of your own neighborhood.” The safest thing is to prohibit your children from participating in door-to-door solicitations, the organization says on its …
Thursday, December 8, 2011
What sort of evasive action do you take when a child screams or cries to get their way?
Whether you have kids or don’t, you've likely seen a child throw a fit in a checkout line at a grocery or heard the wails and cries coming from the toy aisle. What happened? Some kid didn’t get what he or she wanted and resorted to a full-out assault on his or her parents complete with tears, screaming or my personal favorite—the wet noodle collapsed on the floor. Or, maybe your kid just likes to throw the temper tantrums at home. I still remember going absolutely nuts on my mom when she wouldn’t let me wear my favorite pair of pink jeans because they were in the dirty laundry. And, no, that wasn’t last week—I was probably about 7 years old. I’ve seen parents handle the situation a variety of ways. I’ll admit, I’ve used some of these …
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
It's only a couple of hours, right? How much could go wrong?
I confess. I'm starting to worry that I've bit off more than I can chew. The idea of Thanksgiving without my husband started out as a present to both of us. The kids and I would be able to spend some extra days in Nebraska with my family, unhindered by his work schedule. Meanwhile, he could have a few days of peace and quiet, alone at home for what will likely be the last time for many years—with a list of chores to do around the house in order to prepare for the new baby, of course. As the family continues to grow and airline-ticket prices soar, there weren't going to be many more chances for me to take the children home to their grandparents. Bass is still young enough to fly free, I'm still officially allowed on airplanes for a few more…
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Do you go for store-bought or homemade Halloween costumes? Leave a comment below.
Halloween is just around the corner, and for me that means it's time to panic. Halloween used to be such a simple holiday. I remember spending my early 20s throwing on some zombie makeup and hitting a bar, or watching horror movies while we waited for trick or treaters. Then my daughter came along. Simpler Times At first, it was still pretty easy. Her first Halloween was a $5 butterfly costume from the Gap, and a toddle down to the end of the porch steps to have her picture taken. Her second Halloween was half a cat costume (also purchased at the Gap the year before, but somehow the pants disappeared in the intervening 365 days), and knocking on two doors. We ended up missing the Halloween before she turned three. It was the weekend we …
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
My biggest fear about my daughter starting school isn't "Will she have fun?" but "What should I feed her?"
Tuesday marks one of the most monumental days in my life—my daughter's first day of school. I've done everything I can think of to get her prepared for and excited about her journey into the land of Pre-K. Last weekend we went on a "girl date" downtown so she could pick out a backpack and a first-day-of-school outfit, her own folders and binders, and even a book to give to her brother so he wasn't left out of the new school year celebration. I've explained to her repeatedly that she won't be going to daycare with Daddy and Bass in the mornings, but instead we'll be getting ready together and I'll be taking her to her classroom and picking her up when the day is over, trying to make the five-minute ride on the city bus sound like an …
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Local fairs like 49er Days and Jamboree are just right for kids.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Robin Marty
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Wednesday, June 22, 2011
I have a love/hate relationship with summer. I love long days but hate putting the kids to bed—or having them wake up at 5 a.m on the dot due to the sun in their rooms and the chirping of the birds. I love the pool but hate the trials of putting sunscreen on a frantically wiggling preschooler. I love walks and cookouts and picnics, but I really hate getting hot and sweaty. And I really love the Minnesota State Fair. But anytime I'm there for more than an hour I find myself hating the expense and the crowds, and just wanting to go home. Small is Beautiful With their smaller crowds, shorter lines, and more laid back attitudes, suburban festivals like Fridley's 49ers Days and Columbia Heights' Jamboree—both of which are happening this weekend…
45.081997
-93.258085
Commons Park
6249 7th St NE, Fridley, MN
/articles/moms-talk-for-love-of-summer-fests
1799613
/locations/4671355
45.037717
-93.255266
3965 Jefferson St NE, Columbia Heights, MN
/articles/moms-talk-for-love-of-summer-fests
/locations/4671356
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
As death toll hits 500, here are safety tips—not only for 'bad parents.'
It was almost one year ago that a Minnesota couple left their six-week-old baby in the back of their car on the hottest day of the summer. The parents, who were visiting the CVS pharmacy on Central Avenue NE in Minneapolis, just south of Columbia Heights, left the windows rolled down while they went inside, but the car still reached temperatures of more than 100 degrees. (The baby survived.) Some parents do it on purpose, thinking it will only be just a second and as long as the windows aren't shut it can't be that dangerous. Others have it happen accidentally—the result of a change in routine (such as one parent taking the baby to daycare when that's not usually his or her job, and heading straight to work instead), or a mixup such as one…
45.03464
-93.247225
3655 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN
/articles/moms-talk-how-not-to-leave-your-child-in-a-hot-car
/locations/4541350
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
We're heading off on our first road trip since we became a family of four, and I'm scared to death.
Memorial Day Weekend is almost here, the official launch of summer and weeks when the Land of 10,000 Lakes becomes the highway of 10,000 road trips. We're getting an early start on the family vacation this year with a long weekend in Omaha for my grandmother's 90th birthday, an event I'm both excited about and filled with dread over. I can't wait to finally greet my family, many of whom have never even seen our new son, except via Facebook pictures and YouTube videos. But the actual process of getting there? That is definitely not something I'm looking forward to. Night Driving "We learned pretty early on from our car trips to Omaha with Vi that our best bet for easy traveling was to take off shortly before she was ready to go to bed, and …
Friday, April 29, 2011
Kids get special destinations and parents get peace of mind.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
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Friday, April 29, 2011
Are you looking for something to keep your kids busy and active this summer? The Fridley Parks and Recreation Department is once again offering the popular summer ROCKS program for kids completing kindergarten through seventh gradd this school year. The ROCKS program meets Monday through Friday for nine weeks of continuous recreation and enrichment activities. The program is based at the Fridley Community Center and Commons Park, but Wednesdays are field-trip or special-event days. Kids will get a chance to visit places such as Hyland Park, Cinema Grill, Valleyfair, Bunker Beach, Nickelodeon Universe, Vertical Endeavors, Cascade Water Park and more. This low-cost program ($125 per week) offers children opportunities to participate in clubs…
45.07867
-93.25805
Fridley Community Center
6085 7th St NE, Fridley, MN
/articles/summer-rocks-for-kids-in-fridley-program
1707943
/locations/4179938
45.081997
-93.258085
Commons Park
6249 7th St NE, Fridley, MN
/articles/summer-rocks-for-kids-in-fridley-program
1799613
/locations/4179939
M. Meisner
5:00 pm on Monday, March 19, 2012
Sorry Chris, typos distract me... more ›