Hey, Scary Mommy! Why So Scary?

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Over the years I have come across a few of the blogs from the “Scary Mommy” blogosphere. They are usually real, raw, and humorous. Sure, they often contain superfluous expletives that I could live without, but often I enjoy the interesting content. I sometimes even nod in agreement…but not today. Today I need to push back read more…

The Realities of Almost Two Decades of Raising Four Boys

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The following is a collection of almost two decades of the highlights and lowlights of raising four boys, born within five years. These memories have been hand picked to best represent the nuances of raising little boys, medium boys, and teen boys. (Plenty of opportunities below for Mommy Shaming, but refraining would allow those moms read more…

Got Bored Kids? Great!

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       Have you ever heard the repetitive mantra of, “I’m BORED!” (slight whine implied) at your house? Are you diligently preparing right now for a summer of possible boredom with camps, classes, and activities for your kids? Does their boredom become your problem? Do you fear their boredom?             Rather than fearing it or trying read more…

Stop Teaching Your Teenagers to “Just Say No to Drugs”

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  Stop Teaching Your Teenagers to “Just Say No to Drugs”      While I appreciate Nancy Reagan’s war on drugs slogan to teach kids to simply say, “No,” I would like to challenge the effectiveness of this slogan with teenagers. Yes, my ten-year-old might benefit from the simplicity of this statement (should he ever read more…

Countdown to Kindergarten…Are You Ready?

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So much anticipation surrounds a child’s first year of “real school” that I often wonder if our fears, expectations, and worries can get the best of us. Presently I sit at a very safe distance from that first day of kindergarten. With all four of my kids in either college, high school, or middle school, read more…

It’s Not About the Deodorant

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Wow! What a journey I’ve been on in better understanding the culture in which we all parent! I’m usually a minimal blog reader. I have a couple favorites, but I have never really spent much time leaving comments or getting into discussion groups. UNTIL NOW! (LIKE The Humbled Homemaker on Facebook to better see the name-calling read more…

Celebrating Our Ordinary, Regular Children

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I think that I have survived this year’s end of school deluge of social media posts about friends’ kids who have: received the Straight A’s Award, the Best All-Around Student Award, the Art Award, or those kids who lettered in track, placed 2nd in the state for wrestling, set the pole vault record, or accepted read more…

With Teenagers, You Just Have to Laugh!

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After my youngest son’s 13th birthday next week, I will have four teenage sons living in my house. Crazy? Sure. Horrible? Not at all. It’s actually so much easier to enjoy my sons now as teens than when they were all toddlers and preschoolers a decade ago. Don’t believe the cultural stereotype that teenagers are read more…

One Mom’s Letters to Some Middle School Girls

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I apologize for the repost. I had to take this down during the school year to protect my boys. Apparently I’m more popular than I thought among the middle school crowd. They didn’t really care, but I wanted them to stop being told, “Hey, did you know that your mom blogs?” Yes, they do.   read more…

Raising Kids Who DON’T Want Cell Phones

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Last week Christopher finished middle school and received his first cell phone on his last day of 8th grade. Needless to say, he was thrilled. Wide smile and eyes beaming. According to him, he only knew of a handful of kids who did not have a cell phone in his large middle school. Has he read more…