Why Parents Make The Best Employees

1. Parents can last six weeks with little to no sleep, and still do one hell of a job.

2. Parents not only have a stone cold poker face, standoffs and bluffs are a specialty.

3. Parents have the patience it takes to deal with even the most childish needs-their-ass-wiped boss.

4. Parents are pros at cleaning up messes they didn’t make. With minimal to no complaints.

5.  Spending the day surrounded by children making it near impossible to get anything productive done is par for the course for a parent. In fact, parents are so used to it, they've got crafty ways to work around that nonsense.

6. Parents can spend hours pretending to listen and be interested is foolish babble and stupid ideas.

7. While repetition of the same thing every damn day bores most, for Parents, it’s nothing new.  

8. Parents are used to working their ass off and getting very little recognition or appreciation.

9. Parents are professional hand-feeding, tear-drying, ass-wiping, problem-solving, arbitration dynamos. Needy bosses and lazy co-workers are no different than their child(ren). 

10.  Parents can smell a load of shit from a mile away.

Helicopter Parents Need A Shock Collar #EpicFail

Something I left out about my recap of Ollie's first soccer practice, ("Toddler Organized Sports Are Anything But Organized") was the crowd of Helicopter parents hovering the entire practice!

On what planet is it right to hover over your child in the middle of a soccer practice?

#FAIL

When the coach initially called the children to the center of the field to begin practice, I expected the crowd of parents to come join me and the lady I spent the morning following around on the bleachers.

Wrong.

What Happens When Parents Make Apps

There is no doubt, technology has changed the way parents, well, parent.  I always joke about how I have no idea how my mother raised three children without an iPad. Truth be told, I'm glad I don't have to know. Technology is awesome. When used responsibly.

The top grossing iOS Apps for Children aren't traditional games like Candy Crush, but rather educational. Parents have stopped freaking out about screen time and started embracing it. There's a good reason for it too, studies show Educational apps benefit children in multiple ways, including fine and gross motor skill development, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills, early education shapes, colors and sound recognition, and the list goes on. 

Something else some of the top apps have in common is they are built by actual parents. Super smart, annoyed or fed up parents, that have the capability to make their life and child's easier by creating an app. I'm not just talking about educational apps either. Parents are evil geniuses and the next apps are proof.

1.  LaLa Lunchbox and LaLa Breakfast: This mom got sick of the lunchbox conundrum and created LaLa Lunchbox. In her own words: "These days I have three school lunchboxes to pack. Meal planning has never been more important or more time and money saving! Thanks to my app, I never have to face uneaten, smelly, unwanted, wasted food. My kids choose their foods in advance using our apps and while they love having a voice in their meals, I retain control over what's available for them to choose at all times." 

2. ReplyASAP: Nick Herbert got so annoyed his son ignored his text messages, he created the app, ReplyASAP, that takes over his son's phone screen until he replies to dear ol' dad's text.

3. Ignore No More: Gotta love the Mom who got so annoyed at her teen daughter for ignoring her calls, she created the app, Ignore No More. The description for the app says, "If your children ignore your repeated calls and text messages to reach them, you simply lock their phones until they call you back. With Ignore No More your child has only two options - he or she can call you back, or call for an emergency responder. No calls to friends, no text, no games, notta' until they call you back. When they do, you can unlock their phone if you choose to do so." How's that for telling your child, If you're not dying, you better answer my damn call!  (NOTE: This App is no longer being maintained. I do not recommend this app for download.)

4. GameBooks: The acclaimed software developer and first-time dad, Nicholas Nadirashvili, was dumbfounded by the fact NONE of his child's educational apps used the QWERTY keyboard, but rather a straight line of buttons in alphabetical order. A, b, c, d... So, he decided to make an app that would teach his son to type before kindergarten. And holyshit did he ever. Except, Nick, didn't stop at a Qwerty typing app.  not. Even. Close. His brainchild app, in addition to utilizing a QWERTY keyboard for lessons, the GameBooks app, teaches his son to read, trace letters, understand word structure and syllables, spell and so much more. This brilliant dad basically made books come to life in the cutest, funniest way possible. It's insane, every single part of the story or "GameBook" is interactive in the coolest way. 

Parents know exactly what their child needs, not some childless software developer trying to jump on the coattails of the zillion dollar family industry. I remember the cutest app I reviewed a few years ago, Dudley Comes Home, like GameBooks, it too was an interactive book app. My son loved it. 

Sadly, even though parents create the best apps, parents don't have the deep pockets the huge app creators have, so they can't advertise and eventually get edged out by the big dogs. Which sucks. 

Next time you are looking for an app, in any child/teen genre, consider giving a small mom and pop app a try. They will appreciate the download, and you might find a killer app for your child!


If you could make an App, what would you make?

NOTE: During the Month of September, GameBooks is offering a Back-to-school free 30-day premium membership, which gives full access to all books and interactive features. Download the Gamebooks App, Here. (Currently only available for iPad download). 

The Back-to-School Guide For First-Timers

It's hard to start this post because of all the emotions I feel thinking back to the first day of school last year. Granted, it was Pre-K, but it was still the first day of school. It was hard. Emotional. Eye-opening. Most of all, it was a huge milestone in my child's life.

Below are some of my very best tips for back to school. Or in my usual style, lessons learned the hard way when I dropped my kid off at school for the first time.

Picture it: Parents everywhere, children everywhere, kids crying, parents crying, photo after photo being taken in front of the school. Teachers shoving stacks of papers in your hand with lists, rules, expectations and snack rotation schedules, all while your child is clinging to you for dear life, begging you not to leave him in this madhouse.

1. It's a whole new world- If you did the daycare thing or Mother's-day-out at the church, don't expect anything to be the same when it comes to actual school. I definitely didn't expect Pre-K to be so formal. Well, it is. You show up on time, you follow the rules, you read the lists, and every single scrap of paper sent home. Or, risk sending your child to school in a red outfit on green outfit day, or worse, on a dress-up day! TIP: Dedicate a calendar in your house to strictly school stuff.

2.  Your child isn't the only one crying on the first day of school. The first day of school was rough for both Ollie and I. Thankfully, we were not the only ones having a rough go of it. At times I couldn't tell who was being more brave, the parents or the child. School is a huge step, yes, but it's also a huge reminder that our babies are growing up.

3. It's OK to go nuts with the photos, everyone else is. It was beyond cute watching the moms and dads taking photos in front of the school. Whole families showed up for this momentous day.  Grandparents, siblings, the dog... all are welcome. The only rule is, get your photo and move along, four hundred parents are waiting.

4. Drop-off is chaotic. To say the least. I get it. It's 8:30am, parents are trying to get their child in school and be at work by 9. But, the fact that drop-off is a knockdown free for all to get signed into class and be back in the car in 4.3 seconds flat, is a little crazy. However, I've learned, that's just how it is. Your best bet is to stay clear of these parents and not take it personally. Give yourself plenty of time the first week for navigating parking and drop-off.

5.  Make hand washing a household rule. Let's just say, it's ALWAYS cold and flu season when school is in session. Schools are a germ paradise full of dirty hands, sneezes, coughs and miserable sick children whose parents had to get to a meeting. Combat germs by teaching your child the importance of handwashing throughout the day, and insist on handwashing the second your child(ren) get home from school.

Bonus Tip: BE BRAVE! It's hard to watch our babies grow up. School is a huge step. For both of you. Once you make it to the classroom, give your hugs and kisses of encouragement, then use your best brave face to let your child know it's going to be OK, then get out of there! The longer you linger, the harder it will be for your child to let you go. There's something about you lingering that gives your child the impression you can really stay the whole time if you want. Kiss and go... to your car to join the rest of the parents balling their eyes out in the parking lot.

IF YOU HAVE ANY TIPS, PLEASE SHARE!

Top five tips on Co-Parenting for New Parents

It is no secret my husband and I have struggled the last four months with being new parents.  A friend told me "not even infidelity tests a marriage like being new parents." I believe that is so true, because I went from having a beautiful marriage, to one that was riddled with bickering, tears, and at times full on yelling.  Luckily, four months into being new parents I can honestly say we are back on the mend.

The following are my top five tips for new parents trying to find a happy balance of co-parenting.

1. Communicate-

When I say communicate, screaming and yelling are not going to cut it, trust me!  No matter how mad or upset you are, you have got to keep your cool to talk through the issue, otherwise the issue will never get resolved.

I told my super wonderful sister in-law, who is a nurse in Australia, that I felt like an awful mother for screaming over Oliver.  She told me not only had she done a bit of screaming herself, every mother does at one point or another in the early days.  She promised her kids were fine, and Ollie would be too.  The hubs and I just needed to learn to use our library voices to discuss our issues and differences.

Communication is key in the early days to understanding each other’s ideas and methods for parenting, and calmly talking through the differences.

2. Be Respectful-

I’m not sure why this one was so difficult for me since before baby I had so much respect and admiration for my very strong and talented husband. For some reason my inner know-it-all princess bitch took over my ability to listen and respectful of my husbands way of handling, changing, feeding, swaddling, bathing, oh hell name it, I stood over him and threw up my two cents every time I thought necessary.  I was a maniac.

My husband is a full hands on dad.  He wants to do everything he possibly can and lives to show me how well he can do it.  I just never gave him the time and respect in the early days to show me.  Had I given him space to do his thing, it would have saved tons of arguments and I would have realized he’s a great father straight away.  To this day only he can get Ollie to nap in his crib during the day, I have created the co-napping monster.

Being respectful of each other from the beginning will be so beneficial to your relationship, co-parenting rhythm and baby.  

3. Trust-

Oh my was this one another major hurdle for my control freak ass!  My husband, again very wise, strong and capable, but for some reason when it came to our son I was afraid to leave him alone for too long or trust him to follow the routine at night.  This was so damning to our relationship I cannot begin to tell you.  I hurt my husband’s feelings so many times by not showing him that I trusted him to do what was best.  Every time I would leave the house or let him do the something, I would give him a huge speech about how and when it should be done.  Ugh, writing that just made me throw up in my mouth a little with disgust.  My goodness, this baby is his too, how dare I dictate every single thing? 

Trusting your partner will not only create a great parenting foundation, It will also decrease your new parent anxiety by 98%, because now you have a partner you can trust to help and support you.

4. Take turns-

This is by far my favorite tip. However, if you do not have tips 1-3 down, this is not going to work so well.  Taking turns is such a wonderful way for both parents to test out their own parenting methods, ideally without the other parent standing over them the whole time. 

My husband and I now take turns with diapers, play time, bath time and my all time favorite, getting up in the morning.  A friend of mine taught me to take turns getting up with the baby, especially on the weekends. This way both parents get to sleep in one day. 

Taking turns really helps to engage both parents and keep one parent from harboring animosity for being the constant caregiver.  My girlfriend told me that she snapped at her husband when she was tired and needed help.  He told her that she needed to ask him for help well before she got that annoyed.  I think we all get to this point eventually.  Taking turns will really help to alleviate that “main caregiver” animosity.

5. Be patient

You both are new parents.  Raising a child is so far from easy, it’s scary! Neither one of you knows everything, nor the best way to do everything.  It is essential that a great team be patient with each other, and of course the ever changing needs of the baby.

10 Fun Facts About Daylight Savings, All Parents Should Know...

 “This review was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Pampers. I was provided the featured product free of charge to facilitate my review, but all opinions are 100% mine." 

That's right, Daylight Saving Time (DST) ENDS this Sunday, November 2, 2014 at 2am, whether you like it or not! In honor of the future parental sleep depravation event, I thought I would share a few fun facts and tips to help parents deal...

Without further ado, 10 Fun Facts About Daylight Saving Time...

1.  Daylight Saving Time (DST) actually ENDS this Sunday, November 2nd at 2:00am. Most say it  Daylight Savings Time begins both in spring and fall, but really, it begins in spring to and ends in fall.  Still, for parents, both cause the same confusion for our children.

2. FYI: It's Daylight "Saving" Time, not daylight Savings time. That's right, no 'S' I still think saving is a horrible word, since in the fall no parent is saving anything, since no child cares!  If your child wakes up at 6am on Saturday, chances are, your child will wake up at 5am on Sunday... never fails. 

3. Daylight saving time, in the modern sense, was first proposed by an English entomologist, George Vernon Hudson, in 1895. Clearly, this man did not have children to remind him that the clock means nothing to a child. 

Fun Fact:  Sleep contributes to well-being in many ways, from physical and cognitive development to sociability and day-to-day mood. A sleep deprived child is no different than a gremlin! 

4. Daylight Saving Time was first observed on April 30, 1916, by Germany and Austria-Hungry to conserve coal during wartime. So basically, DST has been making parents cry for nearly 100 years! 

FUN FACT: Researsh shows trying to adjust your child's sleep by 15 minute increments the week leading up to the time change, will help your family adjust to the new time.

5. The entire state of Indiana did not observe Daylight Saving Time until 2006. Arizona and Hawaii still will have nothing to do with DST. I wonder if this is because all of the lobbyist are parents?

FUN FACT: After the fall back, it’s not uncommon to feel out of sorts the first few days of November. Exercise can help to improve mood, energy, and yes, help sleep! Take this opportunity to start family walks before or after dinner!

6. Always wishing for an extra hour in your day? 25 hours are observed on the day when Daylight Saving Time ends. So take advantage of this, and nap when your kids do!

7. Going to sleep at your normal bedtime on Saturday, should help you to get the extra hour of sleep most need.

FUN FACT: A 2013 survey conducted by Pampers found that nearly one-quarter of mothers (24%) felt that a dry diaper was the number one thing that enabled their baby to sleep through the night. So encourage your child to take advantage of that extra hour by putting on a Pampers diaper with THREE absorbent layers that provide up to 12 hours of overnight dryness protection!

8. Observing DST year round would annually prevent 195 motor vehicle deaths of occupants, and 171 pedestrian deaths, according to a study reported by USNEWS. It turns out we are much safer drivers during daylight hours.  

9. Children can be the most negatively effected by the time change. What about parents? Experts say to begin the nighttime routine up to an hour early on Sunday to help prepare your child's mind and body for the early bedtime.

10. In 2005, Kazakhstan did away with daylight saving time. The country's government reportedly calculated that 51.6 percent of Kazakhs responded badly to the time change. Really? 51.6 percent of Kazakhstan are toddlers? 

May the force be with you this weekend my fellow parents. May the force be with you...

For more tips for helping your child adjust to the new time, join the Pampers Twitter Party on Wednesday October 29th at 9pm EST.

Twitter Party Prizes Include:

·         Prize 1 - Twinkles Nightlight in Blue, 148 ct of Pampers diapers and a pack of wipes.

·         Prize 2 - Pottery Barn plush security blanket, $50 Barnes & Noble gift card, a pack of Pampers diapers and wipes.

·         Prize 3 - A gift card to The $125 Children's Place for pajamas, a pack of Pampers diapers/wipes

·         Prize 4 - A Kindle Fire so parents can purchase baby bedtime books, an $100 Amazon gift card to purchase the e-books, a pack of Pampers diapers and wipes.

To RSVP for the twitter party, Click Here

To learn more about Pampers, connect with them on Facebook and Twitter! 

Want more chances to win? Win a free pack of diapers Pamper 12 hour protection diapers ($13.99) and Pampers Wipes ($3.99) sign up below! 

Entry-Form

What All Great Parents Have In Common

Three years into being a parent, I've learned new challenges come with every milestone and birthday.
Great parents face those challenges head on and find solutions to overcome them.  Below are a few of the ways great parents rock parenting like a BOSS...

 Great parents:

•  Figure it out.

• Sneak veggies into meals.

• Stay up all night watching over, and worrying about, their sick child.Devise evil plans to get their child to help clean up their toys and room.

• Shower their child(ren) with love, encouragement and guidance.

• Great parents fail. Then learn from it.

• Live for their children.
  
  
  
  
  

• Love unconditionally

• Accept their role as parent...  like a BOSS.

Something else all great parents have in common, is self doubt. It doesn't help that haters, nosey know-it-all in-laws, society and "experts", are constantly telling them how to be a parent to their child. When this happens, feeling like a great parent can be difficult. And for a great parent, feeling like a crap-parent can be devastating.

                                              

Parenting is extremely hard, and thankfully, extremely rewarding. While it's scary and confusing at times, I've learned to relax and deal with each challenge as it comes, and do my best to find the humor in it.

I have no doubt, the 'terrible threes' will be nothing compared to four, and four and five nothing compared to the teenage years, but I can't worry about that now. I have to stay focused on today's challenges and how I am going to figure out a solution, because that's what great parents do. And I'm a great parent.

No, I don't always get it, "right". But I learn from mistakes and appreciate the lesson. Above all, being a parent is the greatest blessing I have ever known. My son is the brightest, most beautiful, wonderful and amazing little person. Which, is due in part to my parenting triumphs and failures, and I'm so very proud of each one, because the sum of both make me a great parent.

If you relate to this, then pat yourself on the back and tell the haters to piss off, because you too, are a great parent.

Respectful Co-Parenting: 5 Things To Know

A friend once told me, "Not even infidelity tests a marriage like being new parents." Not knowing both sides, thankfully, I can only imagine it's true because after becomging parents, I went from having a beautiful, loving, respectful marriage, to one that was riddled with resentment, bickering, tears, and at times, full on yelling. The stress of being new parents, responsible for the most precious little miracle was a lot to handle, for both of us. Then, we did the worst thing possible; stopped communicating. 

Oh, if I could turn back time...

Since I can't turn back time to help my marriage navigate respectful co-parenting, I can, hopefully, help you and your parenting partner through the struggle. The following are my top five tips for respectful co-parenting. 

1. Communicate 

When I say communicate, screaming and yelling are not going to cut it, ever. Trust me.  No matter how mad or upset you may be, you've got to keep your cool and talk through the issue, otherwise, the issue will never get resolved. 

Communication is key in the early days to understand each other’s ideas and methods for parenting, and learning to calmly and respectfully talk through the differences.

2. Be Respectful

I’m not sure why this one was so difficult for me since before baby, I had so much respect and admiration for my very strong and talented husband. Then, I had our son.

For some reason, my inner know-it-all Princess bitch took over my ability to listen and be respectful of my husband's parenting methods. I was constantly critiquing everything he did. Even basic stuff like, holding, handling, changing, feeding, swaddling, bathing... I was constantly standing over him.  I was a maniac. I see that now. (Sorry, Baby, I love you!)

Being respectful of each other from the beginning is beyond beneficial to your marital- relationship, co-parenting rhythm and baby's well-being.   

3. Trust Each Other 

This one was so hard for me to grasp. I was so sure NO ONE could care for my baby as well as me, not even his father. I was afraid to leave him alone for too long or trust him to follow my long list of dos and dont's and stick to baby's routine. Oh what an asshole I was. 

I hurt my husband’s feelings so many times by not showing him that I trusted him to do what was best for his son.  Every time I would leave the house or let him do the something, I would give him a huge speech about how and when it should be done. This was so damning to our relationship.  

Have a little faith in each other. It'll make life so much easier.

4. Take Turns

Taking turns is such a wonderful way for both parents to test out their own parenting methods, and bond with their baby. Ideally, without the other parent standing over them the whole time. Or, really, any of the time.   

My husband and I now take turns with diapers, playtime, bath time and my all time favorite, getting up in the morning.  A friend of mine taught me to take turns getting up with the baby, especially on the weekends. This way both parents get to sleep in one day.  

Taking turns helps engage both parents in daily life, including meals, chores, bedtime, before school care. Plus, sharing responsibilities gives one parent a break and it lets your child(ren) have an equal amout of time with each parent. What's more, NO lopsided resentment can fester! Which, is a HUGE cause of co-parenting fights

5. Be Patient

You both are new parents. Which, is scary AF. Neither one of you have done this before, so be patient with one another.  Raising a child is so far from easy, it’s scary! Neither one of you knows everything, nor the best way to do everything.  It is essential that a great team be patient with each other, and of course the ever changing needs of the baby.

Parents Bullying Parents. NOT OK!

This past weekend I had the extreme pleasure of watching my Toddler Code Of Conduct article go 'viral' on the Huffington Post, and in doing so, made the FRONT PAGE! In fact, the post is still going viral as I type. Currently, it has over twenty-one thousand likes (growing by 5-10 a minute) and nearly ten thousand social media and email shares! You all, on the heels of my What You Do Today, Can Improve All of Your Tomorrows post, this was A. MAZ. ING. See... Dreams DO come true!

I'll admit, while watching the article hit milestones of 15k and 20k likes, I cried tears of joy and awe. Unfortunately, with the excitement also came a few low blows in the form of nasty judgmental comments. I know. I know... when I write something and publish it to the world, I am opening myself up for judgment. Still, when it comes to parents judging and bullying parents, that is never ever OK! 

NEVER. EVER.

In A Sick Twist Of Events, I Owe A Few Parents An Apology...

My long time followers, and parents of Twos', may remember the posts I wrote about how I was sure my two year old toddler was going to send me to the looney bin's most padded room, then without fail, Parents of children three years old and older just kept saying, "Oh you just wait until he turns three and four."

My being the naive wishful thinking First Time Mom, I said, OH NO! NOT MY KID! He can't get anymore defiant and crazy. So sure of my parenting skills and kid, I told those parents to shut up and piss off with their lies...

Well.

It turns out...

They were right. (As-freaking-usual!)

My three year old is a terror.

But here's the thing...

Listen Up Parents, Don't Let This Take You Out of The Game…#IMPORTANT!

Mom. Dad. Is your partner in parenting crime sick?  Yes. SUCKS TO BE THEM!  Go put their ass in bed before reading another sentence.

Are you a single parent and are sick? Yes.  SUCKS TO BE YOU! Call for help. MAYDAY someone, then go put your own ass in bed.

OK. Everyone who should be in bed, in bed? Yes. Then, let's get started.

Being sick sucks. We all know that.  Well, since I have been freakishly healthy for the past two years, I forgot how debilitating it can be to be sick, but now I know. Oh, yes. Now, I know.  I have been sick for nearly two weeks. TWO BLOODY WEEKS! First it was the man-child who was sick, then FTD. Then, once the two of them were better, it hit me like a ton of shitty-sick-bricks.  Some of you know this progression because I have already blogged about it. (HERE) So then, why am I still pissing on about being sick?  I'll tell you why... (and you better listen, because it will save you and your partner in parenting crime a lot of trouble!)

6 Things ALL Parents Have In Common

I love being a mother. It's the greatest blessing of my life. My son teaches me about life, love and forgiveness, daily.

HOWEVER!

There are certainly some parenting moments that suck. I always talk about how the parenting books leave out so much of the ugly side of parenting. After four years of being a month, I've decided the parenting books leave out the ugly because then the book goes from tips for parents to tips for birth 
control.

The fact remains, there are solid things all parents go through, that are constantly left out of parenting books. Below I outline a few of the big ones. Things that all parents have in common, regardless of how "perfect" your child may be. 

1. Sleeplessness- By far the worst part about being a parent is the constant lack of sleep.  Once you become a parent, eight solid hours of uninterrupted sleep carries the same odds as winning the Lottery.   Newborns need round the clock care. Toddlers think they are roosters that need to wake up at the ass-crack of dawn. Or worse, sleep in bed with you, kicking and punching all night long. Kids five and older think early bedtime is for losers, then still wake up at 7am ready to rock. Teenagers are sure bedtime is for losers and stay up all night banging and clanging and then try to sleep all day. Then once your kid gets their driver's license, forget ever sleeping again! Sucks. Bottom line, if it' not your child keeping you up, it's your parent-anxiety.

2. The mess. Kids are tiny tornadoes that rip through the house on a daily basis throwing everything out of order. All while dropping a trail of crumbs and juice along the way. Each night, I go around picking up and replacing the things that traveled to strange destinations around the house. I once gathered an entire load of laundry walking around the house picking up stray garments. Then, there's the car. More crumbs, stickers on the windows, sticky fingerprints on everything. The mess is a constant battle. you eventually learn to live with the mess. Even the type-A OCD crazies like me! 

One day I will learn...

3. Constant fear- I live in a constant state of Mom-anxiety. Every time my child coughs, gets a fever, tries something new, climbs on something, leaves for school, breathes... I'm terrified. It's total stupidity to worry so much, but such is the life of a parent. According to my mom, this anxiety never subsides. Sucks.

4. Having to be the bigger Asshole- Sometimes, when my kid is a super A-hole, I have to out Asshole him to get his attention and make him stop. Some days I feel like all I do is say, No!, make threats then follow through with the threats. I once spent an hour trying to keep my son in timeout. Once the situation diffuses, it's only a matter of time until the cycle repeats, and I'm back to being the bigger asshole.  

5. Buying All the crap they want/need! Kids need a lot of crap! It seems like the older they get the more they need! Between my son's constantly growing body and short attention span, if I am not buying new clothes and shoes, I am buying new toys or education development tools. Then the outgrown or unwanted stuff piles up because I cannot bring myself to give it away--I spent a ridiculous amount of money acquiring the stuff. I want to somehow figure out how to get my money's worth. If only I could send my kid to college on his 10k in hot wheels, Thomas The Tank crap or all the assorted electronic devices that promised to make him a genius.  

6. Sugar is the enemy. I love giving my son candy, it makes him so happy. Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, he loves those too. Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way that even though I love to see him happy and he loves to barrel through sugar, in the end, we both end up crazed lunatics that need a nap. Some kids eat too much sugar and throw up, but not my kid. Oh, No. He goes ape-shit crazy. It took me a while, but I finally realized that when my son eats chocolate, he's near unmanageable. When he eats refined sugar, he's wild and can't sit still. Natural occurring sugars can even cause trouble. After eating a bowl of grapes he runs wild, then, like with all other sugars, he crashes. Hard. Then either gets miserable or really miserable. 

Sugar causes havoc like nothing else. I know my son is not the only one. I wager to say every kid is a Gremlin after sugar, but I really don't want to field the comments from the self-righteous parent who's perfect kid could eat a bag of sugar and sit through church. 

Bottom line, if your kid sounds familiar, back off the ho-hos and see if that helps. 

Parents, above all, the one thing we have in common is how hard and scary parenting can be. We have good days, bad days, miserable days and absolutely mind-blowing heart pounding proud-parent days. Meltdowns happen on both sides. Don't be hard on yourself, or listen to the nasty judgmental people. I can guarantee you, even the most seemingly perfect parents with well-behaved children are still stressed, exhausted, and quite possibly, their child is being so perfect because she just got out of a four-hour stint in Time Out!