The Connecticut shooting has awakened many parents, especially me. Most teachers and school administrators focus on ways to make sure students are present in class, safely getting to the right bus and safely making it home, but the thought of some random person walking into your school and shooting students is not something that we prepare for. Every school goes through the traditional fire drill and hurricane drill, but what about the “Stranger-Danger” drill? The president said it best that this is becoming all too familiar to our nation. So is your child’s school safe? Over the last two …

So the kids are out of school all this week. A home that was once quiet right around 10:00am is now filled with laughter, crying, fighting and repetitive questions like, “What are we going to do today?” and  “Can I go over to Mark’s house?” In order to maintain some form of sanity this week here are a few things that you should do to survive Thanksgiving break. Have A Plan Let’s be real, no one wants to stay home for an entire week. Take yourself for example, more than likely you do something enjoyable every other day and those things are probably outside of your home. So, realistically your …

Halloween not only comes with tons of candy, but for some an overly expensive costume. It is like buying that one dress that will never be worn again. This year both my children will be participating in Halloween. After I saw the prices of their costumes, I realized that it would be an absolute crime to have them wear these outfits only once. So after many conversations with some friends I realized that I can at least get three wears out of these costumes. Listed below are a variety of Halloween fun activities: Lawrenceville Ghost Tours: Bring your family along for a late night tour …

So your son, Gregory, comes home and tells you about this new friend he made at school named Timmy. He tells you about all the fun they had at school and how Timmy likes the same games that Gregory likes, etc. Your son is so overjoyed that he wants Timmy and his parents to come over for family fun night on Friday. Friday night arrives and a delightful Timmy shows up along with his nightmare parents. What do you do? Timmy is a great boy and a good friend to your son, but his parents are the complete opposite. Let’s face it, just because we can make babies doesn’t necessarily mean that we will …

I’m a fairly new parent. My son won’t attend kindergarten until 2013 so at the moment my only goal is to find a great school and make sure we are within the cluster for that school. Private schools, public schools and even charter schools are an option for us. But last week when I attended the first Gwinnett County School Board meeting, I got a fresh revelation that charter schools may not be the best choice for the community. Anyhow, I went to the meeting and heard a lot of great things going on within Gwinnett County Schools. The agenda entailed student recognitions for awards, SPLOST …

  A number of Lawrenceville teens will be their first year of college this fall. One of the many dreams that teens have is starting college and embarking upon a new chapter in their life. For most parents, this transition bring mixed emotions, but overall going away to college can be a good thing for both parties. In order to help your teen make the right decisions during their first year of college make sure you discuss the following: Academic Probation is Real: One of the many mistakes many freshmen make during that first semester of school is failing their fall semester courses. If you …

When parents are away or at work during these summer months, teens can get into a lot of trouble. I remember those teen summers a little over a decade ago. My sister and I would have many unauthorized friends (mostly boys) visit our home during the 9am-5pm hours. This wasn’t because of some heinous agenda to utterly upset our parents, but it was clearly on the fact that we were bored. Sure we knew we weren’t supposed to have anyone over, but we didn’t care. Like my sister and I were, there are many other teens who are bored and lack supervision this summer. Meet Timmy. Timmy is a 14-year-old …

  Looking for various things to do with the kids this summer? Well, let this line up of fun activities encourage your enthusiasm for fun. MOVIES There are an abundance of movies coming out this summer for the whole family to enjoy. Add these to your summer calender of things to see.  June 8: Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted – these zoo animals again are on their way to an amusing adventure, but this time it’s in Europe. June 22: Brave – a princess who goes against the norm and fights for the fate of her future. July 3: The Amazing Spider Man – as in the comics, the amazing spider man has …

  How often do you and your spouse show affection to one another in front of the kids? As a stay-at-home-mom, affection towards my husband is a must when he comes home from work. Not because he expects it but because our one-year-old daughter demands it. Like many fathers, my husband gets treated like a celebrity when he comes home from work. Immediately when the front door unlocks my children make a mad dash to the front door knocking each other down and moving me out of the way. You would think the ice cream man or Dora the Explorer was on the other side of the door. But no, it's just their…

It's that time of year again! is right around the corner. Dress stores and shopping malls are filling with teen girls aspiring to find that perfect prom dress. A prom dress can range from $50-$300 and that is just the dress. That doesn't include the shoes, the flowers, the accessories, the manicure, the hair and the tickets! So what is a parent to do when they want their daughter to enjoy this momentous occasion, but the family budget is a little tight? Get a free dress! I received a phone call from my teenage niece telling me all the different things she had going on at school. She was …

I remember the first time I realized that my skin was darker than my peers. Different in height, different in size above all different in race. Back then I really could say some of my best friends are white because all of my friends were white. From kindergarten through graduate school, I went to a predominately white school. In elementary school, there were about 10 children of color in the entire school. This was back in the 80's and although there were some racist remarks, I never experienced racism from a teacher or any other adult.   But today is a new time and even those who should be …

Many parents start off having high hopes for the new year. Some say they will exercise, some say they'll go back to school, others promise to quit smoking. Whatever your New Year's resolution is take some time and do one more thing... help your child with their own resolution. Children, like adults, have many things to accomplish for the year. And with the help of an adult they can easily accomplish those goals. Here are a few things that children can add to their personal resolution for 2012: Be On Time: Like adults, children enjoy arriving to school, practice, birthday parties and sporting …

As 2011 comes to a close, it's a good time to reflect on the things parents have learned this year...  Aresenic: Thanks to Dr. Oz's attention grabbing show, parents can now be even more concerned about the levels of arsenic in their children's juice. Watch out mom! Is your child really drinking 8 oz. of apple juice or a tall glass of death on the rocks? Car Seats: The American Academy of Pediatrics has advised us to keep our children in a rear-facing seat until the age of 2. Now if we can only find a rear-facing seat that can accommodate those growing legs. Brush Those Teeth: Dentists have …

Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year. People are nicer. There is a greater level of giving to those less fortunate. And the Georgia weather is a lot more tolerable. Christmas time is not only a time to give great gifts or eat great food, but it's also a great time to start family traditions. As a child, my family had the same tradition each year. On Christmas night we would drive around and look at all the Christmas lights throughout the neighborhood. At that time almost everyone in the neighborhood had some sort of Christmas decoration on their house. To this day my family …

It would be wonderful if we could blame Santa for putting our children on the naughty list. It would be even better if we could blame him for that lump of coal in their stockings. But since parents play Santa every year, we are the ones who have to address misbehavior. And a lump of coal just won't do.  When I was about six-years-old, I had officially become a brat. I was spoiled beyond measure and very ungrateful. It wasn't until one Christmas that my whole attitude changed. My parents had recently separated when Christmas came around that year. We had less money than normal to spend on …

Christmas is one of the most joyful times of the year. People seem a little nicer, a little more generous than any other holiday. Even if your feet were stepped on during Black Friday's sales, it is worth seeing a smile on a child's face Christmas day. Last week, I took my children to the mall for a playdate. I normally don't bring both of my children to the mall with me, but since my son was out of school, he came along. After we had our playdate, my son saw Toy Story 3 figurines in a display window and immediately got excited. He stood at the display window pointing and smiling. As I …

The weekend after Thanksgiving is a no holds bar moment to decorate for Christmas. In my family, it is a travesty to wait until Christmas Eve to put your tree up, so of course my tree promptly went up on Sunday. This Christmas is especially special because my children are a little older and becoming more aware of when the Christmas holiday is in full swing. My son is three and my daughter is one. So of course this is exciting and new for them even though this is not their first Christmas.  So I pull the Christmas tree out and my son's face just lights up because he remembers what's in that …

Thanksgiving is supposed to be one of the best times for families to get together. However, there are some who dread Thanksgiving. Not because their favorite dish won't be served, but because of family drama that comes every holiday season. There's the jealous cousin, the intrusive auntie, the annoying in-laws and those competitive sisters. These family members can bring a positive family gathering to its lowest point. Family members see them coming and immediately have the urge to go help in the kitchen. It's not that these dramatic family members aim to be the grinch of Thanksgiving. They …

Thanksgiving is literally three weeks away! Do you know where you will be eating? Fpr some families, Thanksgiving is a last minute planning notice whereas for others it takes months of planning. Two years ago my family was so disconnected that our last minute Thanksgiving dinner became a Thanksgiving brunch with bagels, grits, eggs, and some pastries. To say the least it was good to see everyone, but it would have been even better to see some turkey drumsticks, dressing, broccoli rice and cheese and cornbread. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. On top of the last minute Thanksgiving, …

The choking game is a game used to cut off the air supply to the brain in order to get a subtle high. Many children see this as a fun game but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has concluded that over 70 kids have died while playing this game over the last 10 years. That's more than seven children per year. When I was a child, the most we would do is hold our breath, but today children are literally choking themselves with their own hands or hanging themselves with belts or ties. About a week ago in Johns Creek, a 12-year-old boy by the name of Brent Swygert tied a belt around …