Archive for February, 2012

Is This a Playdate or Unpaid Caregiving? – by Cara Potapshyn Meyers


My son, as many of the regular readers know, is the epitome of eight-year-old social chairman. He regularly has playdates all weekend long. Sometimes with a couple different children on the same day. I enjoy having his friends over or him being invited to other’s homes. It takes a "do ...

March 2012 Profile: Shannon Guggenheim


Shannon Guggenheim Relationship Status: Married Age: 40 Residence: Campbell, CA Children's Names/Ages: Lily (9) and Ally (4) Profession: I never know what to write in the "occupation" blank on the dentist or eye doctor forms because, like most people doing their best to make a living in the performing arts, ...

Here He Grows Again by Margaret Hart


It's that time of year again. The time when the perennial flowers start to peak through the ground in New England. When the birds start to chirp loudly outside my bedroom window at dawn. And when my son goes through his annual growth spurt. But this time, the spurt is ...

Looks Like We Made It—by Jamie Levine


There was no “break” in winter break for me this year. But it’s over now, and looking back on it, I have to admit it was worth every bit of exhaustion I withstood—because Jayda had one helluva good time. Together, we spent a day at the Long Island Children’s Museum ...

We Make Human Capital – A Book Review by Maureen Eich VanWalleghan


Become a mommy and become a part of a phenomenon as defined by dictionary.com: a fact, occurrence, or circumstance observed or observable... After reading The Price of Motherhood, Why the most important job in the world is still the least valued by Ann Crittenden, I realized that the place ...

GUEST BLOG POST: Authentic Parenting and Living by Kathleen McIntire


52 Weeks of Authenticity: Practical Ways to Make 2012 the Year You Finally Get Real and Start Living the Best Life for YOU  Authenticity. It’s a word that gets tossed around quite a bit these days. (In fact, it’s in danger of becoming ...

My Teen Idol by Sharon O’Donnell


Sometimes things we’ve dreamed about since we were kids can come true, even if you have to wait until middle age -- or later -- for it to happen. Back in the late ‘90s, I had a life-time dream come true when I finally met the teen idol I’d grown ...

Cyma Shapiro Chats with Jennifer Powell-Lunder, author, Teenage as a Second Language


Jennifer, I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to read your wonderful book. Although my children flank the teenage years, your book had so many wonderful suggestions for how to cut through the daily tensions that I aim to employ many of these techniques right now.Q: Please tell me ...

Information Gathering…by Liimu


To some, it may look like I'm not doing anything. And in a certain sense, they'd be right. I'm not enduring punishing workouts in the gym. I'm not counting every calorie that goes in my mouth. I'm not weighing and measuring my food. I'm not eliminating sugar, carbs or fat ...

Doing the Right Thing – by Cara Potapshyn Meyers


I always try to be a good role model for my son. As an example, around the Holidays, I received a package in the mail with a return address of a company I recently made a purchase from. I ripped open the package to find four X-box games inside. Because ...