What do you do when one of your children is not as successful or smart or wise as the rest of your children? Almost every family has at least one joker in the family who completely goes against the grain when it comes to success. For example, Rob Kardashian Rob is the prime example of children who have yet to catch up with the success and aspirations of his siblings. He is currently on Dancing With The Stars and making great leaps and bounds of being a star, but he has yet to make his own money or start a business as his older sisters, Kourtney, Kim and Khloe. Although many families are not …

The baby boomer generation is a unique group of people who range between the ages of 47-65, which means they were born between 1946-1964. This generation was born right after World War II and although they didn't experience the actual war, they were raised by parents who had experienced a great deal of lack. I believe this experience with lack turned the baby boomer generation into prospective hoarders. Not necessarily to the extreme hoarders like we see on television, but hoarding in the sense that they keep everything just in case of a rainy day. Over the weekend, I visited my mom at her …

Although my daughter is almost one and a half, I still look to see if she is breathing at night. I don't put a mirror under her nose, rather I peek into her room and wait to see her chest rise and fall. Watching her breathe gives me confirmation that all is well. When she was born she was not breathing at the rate in which is standard among newborns. So, she had to go directly to the NICU. She never came to my room, which for me was devastating. She stayed in the NICU the entire time of our stay and there was the possibility that she would have to stay after I left. As I went down to the NICU…

What would you do if your 17-year-old daughter's boyfriend was abusing her? The very boy that has visited your home, sat down at your table and eaten your food is abusing your darling. He has pushed her, pulled her, threatened her, called her names and stalks her regularly. He texts her at least 50 times in the morning and contstantly questions who she is with. You haven't noticed any signs of abuse, but this behavior has been going on since prom of last year. Teen dating violence is very prevelant among high school students. Students have either been in an abusive relationship or have known …

The Human Papillomavirus, also known as HPV, comes from sexual activity. Any kind of contact with the genital area of another person can cause the risk of bothparties becoming infected with this virus. We can simply call it an STD because that is what it is. It is a sexually transmitted disease. So why in the world are parents vaccinating their children from an STD in sixth grade? For safety, I suppose. There has been an ongoing debate about making HPV vaccines mandatory among middle school students. But should these be mandatory? Although HPV can lead to cervical cancer and genital warts, …

The show Toddlers and Tiaras has caused a recent uproar among viewers and children's advocates across the nation. What has caused this uproar of one of the most popular shows on TLC? It's simple... a local parent made what many feel is a bad decision. On the show Toddlers and Tiaras, toddlers are placed into pageants where they compete for a trophy, crown and up to $1,000-$10,000. Within this competition, there is a dress-up division where the toddlers can dress up as a particular character of their choosing. Parents bring the costumes and their child wears it. Now, the uproar arose when a …

Parents already have a lot to worry about when their child goes off to college. For example, which major their child will pick, will they pass all their courses and will tuition stay affordable. In addition to all those stressors, parents now have to worry about their child's safety.  Although college is primarily a safe place, many students can easily get lost in the massive number of students who attend the school. Without any curfew and a grand level of freedom many students can find themselves in danger.  Lauren Spierer, a sophomore at Indiana University, went missing June 3rd after going…

As children, everyone experiences being talked about or gossiped about in some way. For a child in high school, you may think this will end in adulthood. No more jokes, no more rumors being spread about you, no one trying to bully you around, but that's not true. Adulthood looks appealing at that time, but ultimately it's the same thing, only now people have jobs, kids and money to cover up their own issues. Adults gossip just like high school students do.  Even as adults people spread rumors about you or talk about you behind your back or steal your man. Adulthood is just another level of …

Regardless as to whether you are for or against immigration law, Spanish as a second language in the U.S. is a must. I recently returned from a family trip and visited with a few cousins who were trying to decide whether or not to have their toddler learn Spanish or Mandarin. And I thought to myself isn't potty-training hard enough without the added pressure to learn another language? Their intentions are simply to make sure that their child can compete with his peers for jobs, promotions, etc. I have considered paying for my son to learn Spanish beyond the basic Dora the Explorer episodes. …

Are you a submissive wife? The recent question posed to Michelle Bachman at the latest GOP debate is a question that many wives are asked. The word submission has negative connotation for many women, especially in America. In the early years of my marriage, if someone ever asked me about submission I would always feel the need to present myself as not being a weak woman. Because in my mind to submit was a sign of weakness.I mean, what kind of impression was I giving my clients and other women by submitting to my husband. That's what I thought about when it came to submitting, but as I became …

I'm all for parents being reliable employees, but sometimes it's good to simply take a break! How great it would be if there was an official Parents Day Off. A day completely dedicated to parents doing absolutely nothing. A day where whining is banned and nothing but gratitude and appreciation came from the lips of our children. Parents Day off... I really like the sound of that. Since we don't have a national Parents Day Off holiday, maybe you should make it a domestic policy within your own home, especially now that school has started.  Today is the first day of school. For many parents, …

If you want to help your child keep their grades up this year, it is essential for parents to make sure their children understand the lesson being taught. Children can easily slip through the cracks in school without the proper guidance of their parents. Teachers can only do so much with 20 students in each class. If you want your child to make honor roll or even star roll this year, parents have to maintain a strong stride throughout the entire school year. Let's face it when your children are in school so are you. So if you want to keep their grades above average this year, you have to be …

With two weeks left before school starts, parents across Lawrenceville are pouring into Walmart, Target and Discover Mills to shop. Shopping for school age children can be very exciting. It can also be frustrating for parents who have an overly opinionated child. Returning to school is very exciting for those who enjoy school. So shopping for this new school year should be fun... Right? The brand new bookbag, brand new shoes and clothes. Just a brand new look. That's all the students want. Something so simple, yet so costly that some of the most loving parents will literally go into debt to …

Casey Anthony has been let out of jail, there's a heat wave in the midwest and in three weeks your children will be back in school. Yes! It's true! In three weeks, Lawrenceville students will be returning to school and summer will officially be over. So for the next three weeks there are plenty of things to do besides watching Casey Anthony's next move or heading to the movies to see Harry Potter's final movie (if you haven't already).   A few days ago, I was talking to a friend and she told me that throughout the summer she had been giving her children homework. Homework? I said. She said …

How do you deal with a loud, boisterous, crying child in a public place? Most parents have been through this in one way or another. Statistics say the most annoying sound for adults is a whining child, and I completely agree. We've all seen this scenario. There you are standing in a shopping aisle, and then all of a sudden, a loud whining sound just continues to wail and echo throughout the store. And you think to yourself, “I hope someone shuts that child up.” But what do you do when it's your child?  It can get downright embarassing when your child is the only one disturbing a peaceful …

For many students starting college this year, it can be a financial nightmare to fit the bill. But in order to make your child competitive with other students, parents have to start early training their child to be not only a star student, but also a star athlete. Many of the sports stars of today started at a very young age. Serena Williams started playing tennis at the age of 5. Tiger Woods was introduced to golf before the age of 2 and Kobe Bryant started playing basketball at the age of 3. The overall athletic success of each player shows the importance of starting children off early in …

Summer is in full swing and my family is ready to hit the road. My husband recently informed me that we would be taking a road trip to Chicago. I graciously looked at him and smiled thinking there is no way in this world I am riding in a car with two toddlers (3 and 1) for a 10-12 hour trip. Nope, not going to happen. So I've tried to persuade him to change his mind, but he is not budging. We are going on a road trip! If you are planning a road trip this summer, then by all means make it a fun trip. This adventure should be just as enjoyable for the parents, as it is for the children. There …

In 2009, my husband was laid off his job. Things were good for the moment. I went and found a job and he stayed home with our son. He later found another job and was laid off again, but this time things were really rough. We called our home loan lender to inform them that some adjustments needed to be made. After many phone calls, emails and letters, nothing was done to reduce that mortgage. Even though we had never missed a mortgage payment for the last four years, there was no “help” as was assumed to be available. Eventually, we had no choice, but to seek employment out of state and leave …

This coming Sunday represents one of the most pathetic holidays of the year... Father's Day. Not to say that this holiday is not important, it's just one of the most indecisive, unappreciative holidays of the year. It's not that there aren't enough sales ads or discounts at the local restaurants, it's just that many fathers are overlooked or receive the most boring gifts. This year change it up and make Father's Day just as exciting as Mother's Day. Gifts play a key role in celebrating this great man. Not just any man, but a man who has seen his children born and lived to tell the story. A …

On June 3, Jennifer Peacock turned herself in to Cobb County police and was charged in the death of her 5-month-old baby cousin. Peacock accidentally left her cousin in the car after arriving to work at Ivy Hall Day School. It was said that Peacock normally does not bring the 5-month-old. However, once Peacock arrived at work, she forgot the baby was in the car. The 5-month-old was summer-like heat for five hours and died. My condolences go out to Jennifer Peacock's family. This tragic incident is not the first time a child has been left in a hot car and died due to the heat. During the …