PARENTING Archives - Page 2 of 18

When Did Being An Average Student Become a Bad Thing?

I liked yesterday morning’s Global TV segment, because the topic makes you think.

When did being an average student become a bad thing?

I talked about a recent trending parenting article, and how apropos right before exams. Something to really think about. Are YOU okay if your child is an average student?

And, being an average student doesn’t guarantee your kid won’t be a star when they grow up, just as excellence in marks doesn’t mean they’ll be successful. One thing does have an impact on future success. You’ll have to watch the segment to find out.

Happy International #DayOfTheGirl: Raising Empowered and Confident Girls

There’s an expression, G-d gives you what you need, not what you want.

I guess it’s true… maybe?

When I gave birth to my son, exactly 16 years ago and one month today, someone bought me a book called Mother To Son, by Melissa and Harry Harrison. The book was life lessons on how to raise a boy- something I knew nothing of.

When I was pregnant with him, I had no idea what I was having. My husband and I didn’t want to know the sex (well really, he didn’t want to know). What I DID know, was that I was a beached whale. My father called me Orca instead of Erica. I had zits, out of control cellulite, and I barfed all nine months. In other words… all the signs of carrying a girl.

Bill Gates and Steve Jobs Raised Their Kids Tech-Free — And It Should Have Been a Red Flag

I guess we can call this one, #MediaMonday.

Happy Monday, ladies.

My girlfriend sent me this article this morning, and instead of re-writing the news in my own words, I thought Business Insider’s Allana Aktar did a fine job delivering it to us.

So, instead of writing about it myself, I opted simply to direct you to the article.

The news headline is the headline above.

It starts like this…

“Bill Gates, one of the most influential tech leaders in the world, limited how much technology his children could use at home. In 2007, Gates, the former CEO of Microsoft, implemented a cap on screen time when his daughter started developing an unhealthy attachment to a video game. He also didn’t let his kids get cell phones until they turned 14.”

It’s Later Than You Think

Eight years ago, during the same month, I had twin boys and co-founded Cloudability. About three months ago Cloudability was acquired. About three weeks ago we lost one of our boys.

When I got the call I was sitting in a conference room with 12 people at our Portland office talking about PTO policies. Minutes earlier, I had admitted to the group that in the last 8 years I’d not taken more than a contiguous week off.

My wife and I have an agreement that when one of us calls, the other answers. So when the phone rang I stood up and walked to the conference room door immediately.

I was still walking through the door when I answered with “Hey, what’s up?”

Her reply was icy and immediate: “J.R., Wiley is dead.”

How To Help Support Your Teen Before and During Exams

Girls, I really liked this morning’s Global TV segment and am excited to share it with you today.

At 8:20am, I spoke all about upcoming May and June exams and shared tips and tactics on how to help support your teens before and during exams, and how to help our kids de-stress and thrive during this overwhelming period.

We are dealing with this now in our home as my 10th grader starts exams in just a few weeks. I have been taking my own advice, and guiding him to avoid cramming, start backward planning, and learn proper stress management tools. We’re a work in progress.

Honoring Women On Mother’s Day

Sunday is the day we honor mothers everywhere. For some, Mother’s Day is a day to rejoice. For others, it’s a sad and difficult day, as many will celebrate this Mother’s Day without a mom. It’s my first Mother’s Day without my beautiful aunt in my life.

It’s not easy.

And finally, for others, it’s a dreaded day filled with tension and perhaps regret of what could have been.

I recall a few years ago, I was at Walmart buying cards for my mother and mother-in-law, and next to me, there was a beautiful woman in her thirties also shopping for cards. We looked at each other and said, “Not a great selection, huh?” But then I found something really nice, and I said to her, “Hey, look at this one. It’s a nice one,” to which she replied, “Oh no, I can’t stand my mother.”

Happy #NationalSiblingDay!

National Siblings Day is a day that celebrates the bond between siblings – an amazing gift that should be cherished.

This morning on Global TV, I shared some tips on how you can foster strong sibling relationships between your children.

My boys – Thing 1 and Thing 2.

One day they’re KILLING each other.

The next day, they’re loving each other.

Mindset and the Power of YET

Our mindset on learning and trying new things is one of the fundamental skills that guide us from a young age to adulthood and continues to develop throughout our lives. Beyond academic intelligence, research suggests that having a growth mindset has other advantages, including coping better with transition, higher abilities to regulate, learning grit and pro-social behaviours.

The use or misuse of praise can encourage both a fixed mindset or growth mindset depending on what or how we praise and give feedback. To develop the growth mindset, we must remember to praise the process and NOT the person. Praising the process helps remind children that we are constantly learning. The problem with praising the person, such as “you’re so clever” or “you must be so talented,” is that it doesn’t tell children what they need to do next time, and therefore it will become more challenging to develop past a fixed mindset.

6 Parenting Trend Predictions for 2019

I enjoyed this morning’s Global TV segment, as we chatted trends, and what recent surveys repdict will be hot parenting trends to look out for in 2019.

Helicopter parenting– in or out?

Gender reveal parties– still in or on their way out?

Tune in…

Everything Is For Sale Now. Even Us.

Good Morning Ladies.

Checking in from bed. I am day 7 out of 10 of antibiotics for pneumonia. I have no idea how I got pneumonia, but I can tell you, I am listening to my body. I literally don’t get out of bed unless I absolutely have to. The surrendering part has been healing. I don’t recommend getting sick, but I do recommend taking the lesson from it.

Since I’ve been in bed for about 9 days, I have come across some really interesting articles, videos and other. Since this is my blog, and I make the rules around here, I figured why not share my favorite content! So, this is my Tuesday roundup of what has caught my eye recently. I’m not on the fence about these… this is the good stuff.

Women On The Fence is Real Inspiration for the Modern Woman, and I hope you enjoy: