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.

The Unofficial Indicators
of the Housing Market
By the time official housing numbers come out, they’re horribly dated. I like to look at numbers that are more current, even if less pristine, statistically. One of my favorite places is the Countrywide REOs page. These are the properties t...

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of the Housing Market


Energy Is Not Elegant
While I’m a strong believer in green living, we all have to grapple with the ugly truth: it is near impossible for us to do no harm. Take cars: We all know how much damage fossil fuels are causing our environment. Extraction, refining and burning fossil ...

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Ailing Children on the Rise?
Our children are using more drugs. No, not the ones that send narcotics officers crashing into your house. It’s those other kinds, th...

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Deflation Helps Consumer,
But Will Hurt Americans
Home prices crashed first. Now gas prices are dropping about 10 cents a week in Arizona. Will price slashing soon begin in other areas of the ec...

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But Will Hurt Americans


Yum, Sugar in a Bowl
This story came out before I left on vacation, but it’s worth repeating for those who may have missed it: Consumer Reports found that ma...

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Giving Up on Children
Have you ever contemplated handing your kids over to the state? To be honest, the thought never crossed my mind. But around the time Seth wa...

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‘Unfortunately, the Plan Sucks’
Even before the collapse of Lehman Brothers, supporters of the massive bailout have consistently warned that the world’s credit pipelines ar...

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Food Recalls
Melamine Found in Famous
Brands Sold Outside U.S.
The contaminated milk crisis continues to spread outward from China into Europe and other nations. Although food company’s generally do...

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Melamine Found in Famous
Brands Sold Outside U.S.


Quotes on Failed Bailout Vote
I thought it would be interesting to see what Americans are saying now that the vote to bail out America’s financial system has failed. Interestingly, there see...

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Vote to Help Hungry Children
Sometimes I get so caught up with what is negative in the world, I fail to embrace the positive. I recognize that as a personal failing that I’m constantly working...

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