Adventures In Motherhood

'Bothers' is what she calls them.  My daughter has not one, but three adorable brothers, through no fault of her own.  They were agreeable to her, until they stopped agreeing to listen.  As an older sister with one 'bother' of my own, I suffered the same fate, albeit technically less illicit! As a teenager, privacy is paramount. Personal belongings are not to be touched and brothers should never embarrass their sisters.  To my teen daughter, brothers are merely potential protectors or suitable for their cuteness factor, posted by mom on Instagram.  Beyond that, they exist as bothers! Shock and awe are my daughter's conflicting feelings living with her 'bothers' on a daily basis. (We as parents of a teenage girl are astutely aware of this seismic shift amplified in our home.)  My 7-year-old relishes in his sister's attention the most and unfortunately 'shock and awe' seem to be his middle names.  My daughter recently reacted to this social med

It's easy for our children to be involuntarily subjected to a world full of hate nowadays.  Impatient drivers flip 'the bird' and yell obscenities at me as they dangerously zoom past my carload of children.  A gridlocked lady sarcastically claps from the safety of her vehicle as my friend kindheartedly moves a garbage can blocking traffic, in plain view of her puzzled daughter.  Protests and counter-protests in anger block our streets as my family bikes downtown.  The 24-hour sensational news is not easily consumable by children.  Sometimes I cannot help but visualize pink slime boiling in our sewers fueled by hatred and anger akin to New York City in Ghostbusters II! As a mother with clandestine experience, I recently reached my internal boiling point and decided to make it our charge to spread love throughout the day, albeit in disguise.  Boys, I smiled, "I mustache you to spread some love today!"  My son and his buddy enthusiastically accepted their mission

Forced Family Fun (FFF) defined is a family adventure wherein all parties 'unplug' and experience conversation and bonding together in a setting atypical of everyday life.  FFF at times may be 'forced', especially if at the parents' suggestion, however, there is immediate buy-in from children who quickly realize the fun involved and take part in the planning of future adventures! As parents of four children, it became apparent early on that a close family unit was needed with competing technological and social forces vying for our kids' attention; television, cell phones, online gaming, social media, etc.  Much to our children's dismay, we coined the phrase 'Forced Family Fun' and enacted it with a passion. You may ask how parents can ever succeed in suggesting Force Family Fun while gaining kid's buy-in?  To this I would argue, why make it an option?  Rather, try your first outing and then brainstorm additional activities as a family, t

"We are the only kids that don't have smartphones at school!” insist my four children.  Even my 2nd grade son has children in his class with the latest and greatest smartphones.  I recall this conversation from my own childhood and it somehow revolved around getting a corded telephone for my bedroom.  New technology, even greater challenges... Having moved halfway across the country at the start of my daughter's 8th grade year in middle school, we were keenly aware of her need to build social relationships a.s.a.p.  When our daughter named every known child her age with a smart phone, we quickly realized that she was quite possibly the only 8th grade student in Oregon and Colorado without a smartphone.  Having experienced traumatic family moves during my formative teen years, my daughter knew I was an easy sell, and my three younger sons began their campaign as well.  Fortunately as parents, we have Bill Gates on our side.  How can children argue with a technology fou

Opinions are like assholes and everybody's got one!  You know the saying... and as another school year begins, I feel the pressure yet again, not to succumb to the ass-holery that exists among judging adults. Whether I'm at the playground or grocery store, I cringe when people ask, "whatever will you do with your free time now that your children are back in school".  I try not to imagine them thinking of me in a bubble bath eating bonbons. I'll be the first to admit, as a recovering workaholic and overachiever with four children, it's nearly impossible to achieve work-life balance and succeed as a mother. I want to wear a t-shirt that says, 'I've worked full-time, part-time, and been a stay at home mother, and I support your choice'. I was relieved to move to another part of the country last fall where no one knew what I was capable of work and volunteer wise, allowing myself time to breathe and adjust my children to the enormous transition.