5 Safety Tips For Latch Key Kids

August 27, 2015 by
Today, I’m sharing parenting advice on tips for latch key kids.  Do you have a Latch Key Kid?  If so, this post was written with you in mind.  When school is in session or during the summer months, some parents will be leaving their children alone for several hours.  Furthermore, some parents are single mothers who can’t afford the expense of child care.  Many families have both parents working outside the home.  Others because their children are old enough to take care of themselves.  
Furthermore, we have those who can’t find after school care.  Whatever the reason, there are approximately 15 million Latch Key Kids in the U.S.  So, don’t feel that you’re a bad parent or that you’re alone in your decision.
latch key children

 

Safety Tips for Latch Key Kids:

 

My daughter was around 10 when she became a latch key kid.  I’ve always hated that term, but it is what it is.  I was a single mother at the time, and I was trying to purchase a home.  I was saving every penny that I could.  As a result, I asked my daughter if she thought she could stay alone for several hours.  I was looking at it from the perspective of cutting out child care expense.  However, she saw as independence and she jumped at the opportunity.

Although I realized that I wasn’t the only parent who had a latch key child, the guilt I felt initially was beyond measure.  Thankfully, the bus stop was 500 yards from my front door.  In cases of an emergency, my neighbors told me that would step in.  Also, they made sure she went through the door each afternoon after school.  After several weeks, I soon released the guilt and became comfortable with my decision.

Many parents question the appropriate age for leaving children unattended. So, if you’re considering leaving your child alone be sure to check the legal ramifications.  You will also have to assess your child’s maturity level and their ability to follow directions.   Think about the time frame that your child will be alone.  Is your neighborhood safe?  If it’s more than a few hours, you may want to find another option.  Two hours was the maximum number of hours that I left my daughter.

Before we jumped in head first, we decided to do a trial run.  If we were comfortable, we would implement the plan.  If you have latchkey children, consider these tips:

1.  Rules Must Be Established – No friends over, do not answer the phone or door unless it’s for people who are checking on them, do not leave the home to play in the neighborhood etc. It’s also important that your child understand that they can’t tell people that they’re home alone and why. It’s imperative that your child understand the rules.

2.  Establish a Routine – You must give your child a routine. In my home it was to come straight home, let me know that she was home and that start on her To Do List. Today there are nanny cams and home monitoring devices that allow you to see what’s happening in the home while you’re at the office. There are also devices that allow you to turn off the alarm system remotely and reset it once your child gets inside the home. Skyping is a great idea too if it’s allowed in your office.

3.  Create a To Do List –  Keeping your child occupied is important.  When they’re occupied, they won’t have time to think about much else.  Furthermore, I created a list of things for my daughter to do once she arrived. She could get a snack, no cooking allowed.  She was allowed to turn on the television, radio etc.  Yes, sound is nice when you’re alone.  However, homework had to be completed before she could stop and watch her favorite shows.

4.  Establish Emergency Procedures – Make sure your child knows to call 911 if an emergency arrives.  Create a list of phone numbers for neighbors or relatives who are close by. My daughter knew that she could go next door for help or company if needed.

5.  Give Lots of Hugs and Praise – Show your child or children how much you appreciate them contributing  to the household by being responsible. Children love praise and they deserve it.

Finally, the experience actually built confidence in my daughter. It also made her understand responsibility and the importance of following directions.  Did you raise a latchkey child or do you currently have one?  What were some of the rules that you implemented?  They could be of benefit to other parents.  You may also like How to Keep Your Children Safe.

Filed Under: Safety Tagged With: , , ,

Potting Training, Weening, and First Awards

June 16, 2015 by

How important are memories to you? At certain times I go through pictures and look back over various events or remember things that have either made me laugh or cry. You know like the birth of your children, my divorce (that was a combination of laughter and tears), my grandchildren’s birth and things that your children have said or done. I came across these pictures and thought about my grandson’s special day.  It was so adorable, and remains one of my favorite memories.   

Reminiscing is a good thing don’t you think? I decided to revive one of my post from several years ago, because the memories are so near and dear to my heart. Here’s one of the fondest memories of my grandson: I attended the graduation and preschool ceremony at my grandson’s school last week-end. It was adorable. We decided to put him in nursery school last year, because he’s an only child and sharing was not a part of his repertoire. We thought it would be an excellent way for him to interact with other children and enhance his education. It was money well spent.





Here’s another thing that I will always remember. Have you ever been truly impressed by someone that you met? It doesn’t happen often for me, but Miss Joy the Director shown in the purple dress will always have a place in my heart too.  She became so emotional in her opening speech and she knew each song that the children performed. She truly adores them and it shows. There’s nothing like walking away and knowing that your child will truly be loved. Miss B., one of the teachers is assisting her.  Miss B. has a twin sister who is also a teach at the school, Miss T. 

Decisions can be difficult, but if you do your homework and research things it helps to put things into perspective. When we decided to put Xavier in nursery school, we did a thorough investigation. We read reviews, visited schools and talked to other parents before a decision was made. Maybe I’m strange but it gives me comfort knowing that the money being paid is not just going into someone’s pocket. I want to know that it’s used to enhance the education of the children. This school doesn’t have a problem demonstrating that education is their number 1 priority. Not only did they focus on helping the children with social skills, sharing, potty training, weening them and helping with a schedule nap time, they learned colors, numbers, the alphabet and even had homework assignments. A banquet room overlooking the beach was used for the graduation and ceremony, the Director presented each of the teachers with beautiful gifts, the entertainment from the children was delightful, and refreshments were served to all in attendance. I don’t know how it could ever be topped, I understand why the school has a 5 star rating. 


Think about one of your proudest moments with your child or children and how you felt. That is exactly how I felt watching my Sweetie Pie and all that he had accomplished in the year that he has attended. I was able to see why he had grown so much, the school definitely puts the focus on the children.  

As you can see in the second picture above, my grandson is not shy. He had no problem grabbing the microphone and he knew all the words to the songs. He also won the Potty Training Award. My big boy is wearing big boy pants now. Good by pampers and hello potty! 




He adores his daddy, so daddy was the recipient of his Big Boy Award. The students in the background are graduates from the Kindergarten class. My big boy moves up to the young 3 year old class in the fall. Another aspect of the school that I like is the fact that they have 2, 3, and 4 years; however, each age has two classes. They integrate the children into the young class and gradually prepare them to move with the more mature students within the year. 


If you’re considering nursery or preschool, I would highly recommend it. I believe my little Sweetie Pie has enjoyed the experience as much as we did. He looks forward to going to school each morning to see his friends and teacher. That in itself speaks volumes.

You may also like: 9 Benefits of Preschool 

Filed Under: early childhood development, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

This Grandma Doesn’t Wear Depends

April 23, 2015 by
grandparents, grandmothers, grandma

Why do people associate grandmas with being old, gray haired, and wearing Depends?  Now I may have a few gray hair, but this grandma doesn’t wear Depends.  I’ve have some issues when I have coughed or sneezed, but when I do reach the point where I need Depends, will Depends define who I  am?  I think not. 

Here’s a picture of me that was taken of me last year during a promotion that I did for JC Penny’s Portraits, and the second picture with my daughter approximately 5 years ago at a family function. Do I look like an old, gray-haired woman who’s peeing on herself in either?

So you’re wondering what prompted this post, right? Another blogger, yes I said another blogger. Long story short, I was complimenting her and the fact that I liked various things about her site. As the conversation progressed, she stated that she had quite a few grandmas who visited her blog and she didn’t know why. She gently invoked Depends in the conversation. My initial response was is she trying to throw shade? I’m so glad that I have matured and handle things much differently than I did in my 20s, 30s even 40s because: 


1.  I’m the queen of reading your ass and it ain’t pretty. Yeah, Bye Felicia! 

2.  I would have left you with your mouth hanging open and words burned so deep into the recesses of your brain, you would be shaking your head for the rest of your life trying to get rid me. 

However, I don’t see a need to go there anymore so I responded by laughing and stating that I have a few creaks and some other things going on, but I wasn’t close to Depends. I also stated that I was on her site because I was looking for the same things that she and other mothers were looking for with their children. Do our positions or the differences in our ages change that?

 


I further stated that my responsibilities with my grandchildren are no different from her raising her children.  When my grandchildren are in my care and custody, I raise them as if I gave birth to them. It is my job to guide and lead them in the right direction just like their parents. The only difference between their parents and me, I have more money.  She seemed to get it after that, but did it really require an explanation?  

Being a grandmother is quite a prestigious position and one that I will wear with honor even when I reach the Depends stage.  As a grandmother I want to tell you a few things that you should not do with me:

1. Assume that I’m old and gray and ready for a rocker.  I have a lot of fire inside of me and I’m not close to throwing in the towel and rocking the rest of my life away just yet.  

2. Assume that I’m technically challenged and not cool. I have a smart phone, text, use a camera phone, have an SLR digital with long range lens, a laptop, a tablet, a GPS in my vehicle, flat screen TVs, and any other electrical gadgets on the market that I feel I want to buy and can use them. 

 3.  Assume that I don’t have any obligations to my grandchildren.  I’m just as obligated to my grandchildren as my daughter and son-in-law. I contribute to their upbringing, clothing and shelter too. I would die for those babies, wrap myself around a pole and shake my groove thing if I had to so that I could take care of them. Thank goodness, I don’t have to resort to those tactics. I know you’re as happy about that as I am. 

4.  Assume that I don’t know the likes and dislikes of my grandchildren or the latest on the market. I know their favorite cartoon characters, favorite TV channels, latest clothing fads, what sneakers are cool, up on the movies and games, know the great vacation spots, and can make their favorite foods and treats. More so than my 30 year old children. That’s right, they look to me for the information because they don’t know. They love coming to Mawmaw’s too. My grandchildren don’t want to go home because my house is the bomb.    

5. Assume you can say or do whatever you want to me. No you can’t, so be prepared to get a response that you may not like if you don’t come correctly. I require the same respect that I give you. 

As bloggers networking is important, we can all learn from each other. As bloggers and human beings, we all want to connect, build a following and interact. I really don’t think any of us want to talk to ourselves when we write and publish a post, so isn’t our goal to connect with readers and to share what we’ve written? I believe that we have the same goals as parents and grandparents.    

I understand having a target audience, and  a niche. Quite frankly, I write about what I love which is family, gardening, crafts, quotes and motivating others. My target audience is parents who are in the age range of 20 – 60 who are looking for parenting tips/advice, ways to save on food expense, budgeting, a little motivation and lots of laughs. Not once have I wondered why anyone was on my site because of their perceived age or position in life. I have worked hard to make Mother 2 Mother warm, inviting and inclusive!  Everyone is welcome.   


You may also like: Creating Family Traditions

  How To Establish Boundaries For Grandparents

Filed Under: Life-Thoughts Tagged With: , ,

The Benefits of Family Meals

January 26, 2015 by

Do you eat as a family? Research has shown that there are benefits to eating together as a family. I believe it. When I was raising my daughter, I made it a point to prepare a meal and we sit at the table as a family. Sometimes it would breakfast, but the majority of the time it was dinner. Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on the benefits of family meals.  

 

I used it as an opportunity to discuss the events of the day, and to exchange other pertinent information. I remember my daughter having a guest one week-end. We decided to order pizza. When the pizza arrived, her guest opened the box to have a slice. I explained to her friend that we didn’t eat out of the box, I set the table and we shared the meal.

benefits of family meals

 

It was a beautiful day, so I decided to make use of the deck for the meal. The young lady seemed shocked and at a lost when I set out dinner plates, glasses, forks, knifes and napkins. I had prepared a salad and ice tea to go along with the pizza, so I placed the salad and pitcher of tea on the table as well. She explained that they didn’t eat that way in her home. Everyone eat when and what they wanted, and I could find her mother with a beer in her hand any time of the day or night. Once we sat at the table and I started the dinner conversation, she became at ease and joined in. I realized how differently things were done in her home and family dinners were truly a benefit. Family dinners allowed me to:

  • Be a role model and set an example for my daughter
  • Find out what was happening with her in school
  • Find out what was happening with her friends
  • Discuss outside activities and the news
  • Discuss what was happening with other family members
  • Make plans for the week-end

A study at Cornell University has shown that having family meals also prevent:

  • Youth drug/substance abuse
  • Unhealthy eating habits
  • Developing a disconnect with parents
  • Failure in school

Because of family meals, my daughter grew up eating healthier and knowing the importance of family, school, planning and setting goals. You can reap the benefits of family meals too?

Filed Under: Meal Time Tagged With: , ,

Why You Should RSVP

January 23, 2015 by

Do you RSVP?  Maybe you heard about the story of the parents who were billed for a portion of a party because they failed to attend a party?  Apparently they sent an RSVP stating they would attend; however, they didn’t show up.  But they failed to contact the hosting parents to let them know of their change of plans.  Since the host parents paid for accommodations for their child, they wanted to be reimbursed for the expense. So they sent the parents a bill and threaten to take them to small claims court if they didn’t pay up. You can read the details here.

I laughed when I read the story.  Because I remembered all the times that I sent invitations and asked guests to RSVP.  And they never bothered to  respond one way or the other.  I have never thought about sending a bill to those who did RSVP, but never showed up.  I most admit, I like the thought.

When I send out an invitation for an informal or formal event, I ask guests to RSVP.  For example, if it’s an informal events I always ask the guests to call me. I give a date that they must call by and my phone number.  Additionally, I expect them to call and say yes they are coming or no they are not coming.

I ask for the RSVP to be mailed to me when I send out a formal invitation.  Furthermore, I include the RSVP card and a stamped return envelop.

I ask guests to RSVP because I need to know how much food to prepare, how much liquor to purchase, or how many party favors to purchase. To me it’s just disrespectful when a guest does neither. RSVP means respond/reply please. I never do Regrets Only, I want to hear yes or no from the invited guests.  I’m not unique, other people who are hosting parties expect the same.

I hosted my grandchildren’s birthday several years ago. It was a huge backyard event with clowns, magicians, a bounce house and everything else that goes along with a carnival themed party. I had 10 people show up with their children and they never bothered to RSVP.

Needless to say, I had not planned for 20 extra people. One of the guests had 5 children. It left me scrambling. I had to purchase and cook more food, put more party favor bags together and accommodate more children and parents. I should have billed the parents for the stress alone. That would teach them the meaning of RSVP.

Proper etiquette requires those who receive an invitation to not ignore it. It is not up to the host to call you to find out if you’re coming or not. If they thought enough of you to send an invitation, you should think enough of them to respond one way or the other.

For those who RSVP and don’t show up, you have cost the host money.  Because they have included you and/or your children in the food, beverage and party favor count.  The cost is even more profound for weddings and other formal events. Those events normally require a cater who charge by the plate.  Additionally, if alcohol is involved it’s per bottle and bartenders must be paid.  

Finally, now that you know the meaning and importance of RSVP, please respond.  In conclusion, you may find that family, friends, co-workers and neighbors are leaving you and your family off the party list. Better yet, you may find an invoice in your mailbox if you end up being a no show.

Filed Under: Life-Thoughts, Parenting Tips Tagged With: , ,

15 Signs of Bullying By Kids

October 5, 2014 by
Today, I’m sharing parenting advice on signs of bullying.  Do you have a child in school? If so, this post is for you regardless of their age.  Bullying can start in kindergarten.  Is your child scared to go to school or scared of someone in their class?
School bullies are a national problem in America’s school systems.  Bullies can be found in preschool, elementary, junior, and high schools.  A bully is defined as a person with internal anger, resentment, and aggression.  And, they normally lack interpersonal skills and choose to displace their aggression onto another person.
signs of bullying

 

 

Furthermore, it’s anti-social behavior.  For example, school bullies usually come from families who lack warmth and affection or abusive homes. They are usually poor students and aggressive.  However, this is not always the rule.  A new bred of bullies have emerged.  They are referred to as “brat bullies or cyber bullies“.  These bullies are usually seen as spoiled, and they believe the world revolves around them.

Most importantly, bullying isn’t gender specific.  Believe it or not, girls are just as capable as bullying as boys. They just use different tactics.  Additionally, boys usually resort to physical violence.  Where as girls inflict psychological pain.  For example they may resort to calling their victim names, starting rumors, gossiping, or excluding the victim from groups or parties.  Psychological abuse can be just as devastating as physical abuse.  Some of the effects of psychological abuse are eating disorders, ulcers, depression, and suicide.

Just as importantly,  nasty emails and text messages are a part of the brat bully’s psychological warfare.  So, bullies are not limited to children who come from poverty, low income, or broken homes.  As a matter of fact most suffer from low self-esteem.  They wear the latest fashions, and engage in the latest technological trends, but deep down they feel inadequate.  So know that middle class and well to do homes have bullies too.  They call their victims fat, ugly, poor, make fun of the victim’s family or their cloths. They send emails or post pictures of the victim on-line and start rumors about them.

So, pay attention. Most importantly, if your child’s behavior changes, grades go down or they have mood swings, they may be having problems with a bully.  Likewise, don’t ignore the signs or think that the problem will go away.  You must get to the bottom of the problem and deal with it head on.

 

signs of bullying

 

 

 

Signs of bullying:

  1. Afraid to walk or ride the bus to school
  2. Feeling ill in the morning, and not wanting to go to school
  3. Asking for extra money or starts to steal
  4. Starts bullying siblings
  5. Stops eating or starts eating excessively
  6. Poor grades
  7. Cloths torn or dirty
  8. Starts stammering
  9. Crying themselves to sleep at night
  10. Crying before going to school
  11. Attempts or mentions suicide
  12. States that they hate themselves
  13. Withdraws from activities that they previously enjoyed
  14. Nightmares
  15. Have conversations with your child on what’s happening in school, with friends etc.  You may be able to detect problems during the conversation

 

It’s imperative that you let your know that abuse from other people is unacceptable.  Be sure to notify school officials of your concerns.  Safeguard your child by taking proper action. Bullying affects a person’s self-esteem and leaves life long scars.

Additionally, if your child is a bully you must address the pain that your child is inflicting.  So, don’t think that it’s not a big deal or kids are being kids.  For this reason, it’s imperative that you understand that children are killing themselves as a result of the pain they are enduring.   Most importantly, ask if you’re setting a good example for your child?  Are you contributing to your child’s mistreatment of another person?  Bullying is a serious issue within our society.  I hope my insight on signs of bullying will help you to help your child.  We would love to hear from you about your child’s bully experiences.  Please leave us a comment.

You may also like:   How to Help Victims of Bullies

Filed Under: Parenting Tips, Safety, Teens Tagged With: , , , ,

How To Find Mentors When Mom or Dad Is Absent

May 21, 2014 by
Are you a single parent  who needs to provide male or female influence for your son or daughter?   I’ve bee there, and I also know that parenting is a taxing role.  But one that can be rewarding too.  As single parents, we worry about everything because the majority of the time we do everything. Furthermore, having daily support from dad is rare.  So, we must become the back bone when it comes to raring our children.  However, finding resources is imperative.  Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on how to find mentors.  
how to find mentors

 

 

 

My ex-husband was involved in my daughter’s life after we divorced, but it was on his terms.   His priorities were all wrong.  For example, the responsibility of getting my daughter up, providing clothing, feeding her, educating her, taking her to activities and turning her into a young lady was my responsibility.  For the most part, he thought if he handed over money he had done his part.  As a result, I ended up divorce and making it on my own.

Regardless of whether you have a son or daughter, they will need a male influence in their life.  You can and you must provide a strong male figure.  Speaking from a male perspective is something we as women simply can not do.  However I do have a  a few tips on how I accomplished that goal and provided male role models for my daughter.  Here’s a few tips on how to find mentors:

  • First, call a trusted family member.  A sister, brother, cousin aunt or uncle who has an established a home can make great mentors.  I’m sure their husband or wife would be willing to spend time talking to and teaching your child how to become a positive person in our society.
  • Next, contact your local Big Brother and Sister organization – They have volunteers who wish to spend time with local children.  Also, one of my male employees was a volunteer for a little girl.  As a matter of fact, he was a huge supporter for most of her life and is still involved now that she is an adult.
  • Also, church activities are great.  Preferably with someone who is trustworthy.  We hear so much about Catholic Priests and ministers who abuse children.  Take the necessary steps, and ensure your child is around those who can truly be trusted.  Predators choose churches because we as parents make the mistake of thinking that everyone is holy.
  • Furthermore, camps are also a good way for your child to learn about leadership from both a male and female perspective.  This can be a church camp, sports, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, or whatever organizations you can find locally.
  •  Fathers and grandfathers have great influence on their grandchildren.
  • Recreational centers are another way to provide role models and mentors for your child.
  • Last, if you have positive nieces or nephews, have them spend quality time with your son or daughter. They will share things with each other that most won’t talk about in front of their parents.  This will give your child an opportunity to hear things from a different perspective too.
In conclusion, don’t worry that your son will become a murder, rapist or bank robber because mom is not around. Don’t worry that your daughter may become promiscuous and bring home babies out of wedlock or marry the first man who comes along because dad was absent.  The world is filled with people who fit into these categories who were raised in 2 parent homes.  Most importantly, there are many people in the world who were raised by single parents, and they are successful.
You must talk to your child constantly, so they know what path to take and be honest.  Let them know that being a single parent is not a glamorous job, but in fact hard work and you want more for them.  Lead the way, they’re depending on you.  We hope that you found our tips on how to find mentors helpful.

 

 

Filed Under: Entertainment, Parenting Tips Tagged With: , ,

11 Manners You Should Teach Your Child

May 8, 2014 by

Do you believe children today have less respect for elders and using manners is of no importance? I have found that excuse me, thank you, and please don’t seem to be a part of our children’s vocabulary these days. When did we lose this value? Teens have either cut in front of me or reached across me and never uttered a word.  Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on teaching children manners.

 

 

manners, parenting,

 

 

When I was raising my daughter, manners were important. Good manners will take our children a long way.  I have been baffled about some children’s interaction with their parents on various occasions.  I have heard children call their parents by their first name, yell at them, just be downright disrespectful and the parent took no action.

Teaching children manners begins at home.  Along with manners comes respect. Instilling manners is a sign of respect for your parents and your upbringing as well as respect for yourself.  Who wants to be around rude and impolite children. These rude and impolite children will grow up to be rude and impolite adults. Here are a few tips to get your child on the road to respect and being polite:

 

  1. Please and Thank You. When you ask your child to pick up their toys, get ready for their bath etc. say please. When your child abides say thank you. Children learn by example.
  2. Yes Ma’am and Yes Sir. This is extremely important, especially when they are responding to seniors.
  3. Say Hello or Hi when you introduce them to friends, co-workers, church members or you have visitors in your home.
  4. Share toys, treats etc. when playing with friends or siblings.
  5. To Not Interrupt adult conversations unless it is an emergency.
  6. Table Manners. This will be important when you’re dining out or invited to a friend’s home or family gathering during the holidays. Your child needs to understand that they can not play with their food, slurp, burp, or create games with their eating utensils. If a burp does arise, teach them to say excuse me.
  7. Excuse Me when they need to pass in front of an adult or get around them.
  8. Be Positive – Say nice things about other people.
  9. Wash Their Hands with soap and water after using the bathroom and before meals. Also, teach them to wipe their hand on a towel and not on their clothes. Teaching them to use hand sanitizer is a good idea when soap and water is not available.
  10. Wipe their nose with a tissue and not their hands. Also, picking their nose is improper.
  11. Respect  – Showing respect toward adults and others.  Demonstrate respect and your children will mimic you.

Using patience with your child is a must while teaching them manners. They won’t learn overnight, so it’s important that you remind them of the importance of manners often. As they get older and they have mastered the basics, you can instill other values.

You may also like Teaching Your Child Responsibilities or Guide to Teaching Children Manners.

Filed Under: Character Building Tagged With: , ,

Is Your Child A Cyber Bully

May 4, 2014 by



Why aren’t more parents monitoring what their children are doing on-line?  The answer most parents give is because they are intimidated by the computer.  They lack computer skills, don’t have a smart phone and they really aren’t interested in learning how to use one.  As parents, we must be involved in what’s happening in our child’s life, especially in the age of modern technology.  From one mother to another, I think it’s imperative that we get involved in our children’s activities and stop thinking they’re doing the right thing and don’t need to be monitored.  

As parents we all want to think that we’ve raising angels and our children know right from wrong.  We’re shocked when we get a call to come into the school for inappropriate behavior from our child, when we receive a call from jail to bail them out or the cop knocks on the door to deliver bad news.  We all think that these things couldn’t possibly happen to us, these situations happen in other people’s homes.  So why should we concern ourselves.  How many times have you heard, my child would never do that!

I can give you a few reasons.  Did you hear about the Florida teens, 15 and 16, that were arrested for setting up a phony Facebook page that was X-rated several years ago.  They were charged with pasting the face of a school mate, whom they didn’t like, on a nude body and filled the page with foul language.  They thought it was a joke. They were charged with felony stalking.    


How about the young lady that committed suicide last year because she was bullied.  We must overcome our fears.  A blogger recently experienced cyber bullying with her daughter.  As a matter of fact her blog was down for most of a day because it was hacked. Bullying is real, and it wrecks havoc on families.  A teen in my neighborhood committed suicide a few years ago.  If we as a parents won’t face our fears, how do we encourage our children to face theirs?  


Here are a few suggestions on how to overcome the fear of the computer and how you can get involved to help stop cyber bullying:

  • If you don’t consider yourself to be technically savvy, take a class or better yet get your child to teach you.  They love showing off their computer skills.  
  • Ask questions about your child’s friends and what’s happening in their life.  Follow them on sites popular with teens and make sure you have access to their accounts.  
  • Ask other parents, aunts, uncles, sisters and brothers to stay involved with your children on-line.  We can’t monitor our children 24/7, but you can recruit family and friends to assist.  It takes a village to raise a child.    
  • Computer etiquette starts at home.  Have conversations with your child or children on what’s appropriate or inappropriate to put on-line.  If they’re minors, you’re in control and you need to let them know you’re ruling the roost.  They must follow rules that you have set for on-line activities.   
  • Discuss the consequences of cyber stalking and the legalities of posting inappropriate posts. It’s illegal and the consequences are certainly worth a conversation with your child. 

Do you see the importance of keeping up with your child?  Better yet stay in front of them so you can lead.  If you can’t stay in front of them stay beside them.  Taking a class is cheaper than paying a lawyer to get your child out of a felony for on-line harassment or other effects from bullying.  Would love to know your thoughts on this post and how you monitor your child’s on-line activities.    


You may also like:     15 Tips to Detect If Your Child Is Being Bullied

Photo compliments of www.stockvault.net

Filed Under: bullies, cyber bullies, harassment, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Only Children Syndromes: Fact or Fiction

March 2, 2014 by

This is my beautiful daughter who grow up an only child.  When I was raising her, I heard many women say that they would never have one child because they wouldn’t want them growing up alone or only children are spoiled and misbehaved.   My daughter turned out just fine.  She had playmates, she listened and she followed rules.  Now I must admit, I spoiled her rotten and I enjoyed every second of it.  Yes, she had more
than most children because she was an only child, but that’s not my problem.  I told parents who were bold enough to make comments that maybe they should have stopped at one too.  


She find herself a target by other kids at school at times.  When we got to the bottom of the harassment, we found that the child or children where envious of  her clothes, other possessions, and accomplishments.  She was called Little Princess by some of her classmates and if you can believe it by some adults.  Those with siblings seemed to be the ones who were green with envy.  I’m not saying that all children who had siblings were a problem, but I am saying that the children she had issues with had siblings.   Funny, she was suppose to be the one who ended up with problems.   

During that time, I often wondered why people believed that only children would be unhappy, selfish, spoiled, lonely and maladjusted.  The Only Children that I knew did not fall into any of these categories.  I’ve also wondered how America explained the behavior of children who misbehaved and who had siblings.  Most importantly, when our children end up with drug and alcohol problems or behind bars, does it really matter that they were Only Children, the Baby, the Middle Child or the Older Brother or Sister?

I did some research on Only Children and I’m happy to say that this article in  Psychology Today discusses some issues that parents encounter raising only children, however, the majority of only children turn out to be happy, well-adjusted adults.  It has also been proven that children with siblings often have self-esteem problems because they grow up thinking their siblings were favored or they were neglected because mom and dad had to divide their time, attention and money.  Oh lets not forget the middle child syndrome and the arguments and hatred spewed between siblings.  Psychologist have found that it can take a lifetime to work out problems created because children grew up believing they were treated unfairly by their parents or siblings.  In some situations they don’t speak for years if ever again over childhood issues that were never resolved.  

My daughter has stated that there were times she wished she had a sibling, but for the most part she was content with her upbringing.  She had my undivided attention, everything she needed, and the majority of the time she got everything she wanted.  By the age of 21, she had traveled to places that most people won’t see in a their lifetime.  I had no behavior problems with her growing up.  She did not hit, spit or bit other children nor did she disrespect any adults.  She excelled in school and had plenty of cousins and friends to play with.  To this day, she’s very sociable and respectful.    

For mothers who only have 1 child, don’t allow the myths of the “Only Child Syndrome” make you feel guilty about your decision. Personally, I believe people should have as many children as they want and can afford.  None of us know how our children are going to turn out.  Whether we have 1 child or 10, we just do the best that we can raising them.  I survived motherhood one day at a time, and it is still my motto.  


Do you have 1 child?  Did you grow up an only child?  I would love to hear your take on this issue.  Please leave us a comment. 

Filed Under: children's behavior, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,