About The Parenting Blog
Probably more than any generation before us, we're the most obsessed with parenting. We read guidebooks and magazines, tune in to morning show experts, pause to consider what other moms and dads at the playground are doing, and forever second-guess our own maternal and paternal instincts. People warn you that parenting is the hardest job you can possibly have. "Say goodbye to a full night's sleep for the next 18 years," they say. Then you think about people like your great grandparents who raised eight kids in a three-room apartment without the benefits of things parents of today take for granted, like dishwashers, disposable diapers, and portable DVD players. How did they do it?

Back then they didn't have electronic learning toys, or put their infants on waitlists for competitive pre-school programs, that's for sure. Bedtime counselors and those dubbing themselves "Super Nanny" would have been unemployed during their era. And forget about shopping cart protective coverings and keeping antibacterial hand cleanser in every room of the house–germs make kids stronger, they'd declare!

What was true then as it is today, though, is that once you think you get the hang of being a parent, some new curve ball comes your way (a winter full of stomach flu and the croupe, potty training, sibling rivalry, puberty!). The only thing you can do is learn how to deal as you go, have a few laughs along the way, and realize that kids are more resilient than you give them credit for. Once you take the pressure off of yourself, parenting can be the greatest job you'll ever have. That's what this Parenting Blog is all about! Just forget about sleeping in.

DVD Reviews
Reading and Singing
Get Dad’s Attention
This holiday season, I have been asked to help sell more products/music/services than any other. Perhaps it’s the state of the economy. Pe...

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Reading and Singing
Get Dad’s Attention


The Flu Makes You Blue
Wow, this flu has gotten worse since I mentioned it last week. And now my wife is down for the count. I managed to get the kids to school, who ...

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Belated Happy Thanksgiving
Unbelievably, half of our family was knocked out with a stomach bug even as the Turkey roasted in the oven. I recovered in time to partake in...

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The Fight Begins Against
Clamshell Packaging
I don’t remember what toy it was, but it had a lot of pieces. Seth was beyond excited as he pulled the wrapping paper off. He begged me...

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Clamshell Packaging


The River Nile
Seth’s first grade class recently finished a project on ancient Egypt, in which they studied how the Nile River served as the lynchpin to feeding those living in the harsh desert environment. Part of the project was to grow “crops” around and ...

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Food Recalls
FDA to Detain Milk
Products From China
Chinese products that contain milk will be detained at the U.S. border unless tests show they are not contaminated, reports The New York Times. The new Food and Drug Administration Watch List is a belated effort to get a...

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FDA to Detain Milk
Products From China


Hard-Luck Gardening
 When the kids and I set up our garden, we had a distinct problem: the soil underneath was hard as a rock. For those who never heard ...

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Halloween Catch Up
This is just an excuse to run pictures of my cute kids. Lael went as Leia. Okay, not specifically, but our little girl definitely wanted to wear her princess outfit for Halloween. Seth went as a race-car driver. I was surprised he didn’t push for train e...

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Saying Goodbye to the Beach
As parents have discovered, many children don’t remember much of their childhoods. You might take your kids out to one amazing event after the other, and all would be forgotten by the sixth. Ironically, specific bad events are much more readily remembere...

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Side Trip to Legoland
A month later, I’m still trying to catch up on my vacation posts. It’s been a hectic month here in Arizona. On our fifth day camping at San Clemente State Beach, my kids were finally getting a bit tired of roughing it. Sooooo, I did what any cool ...

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