I think that as parents, especially single parents, we spend so much time wanting to be supportive of our kids. Maybe it’s because we only see them so often, or maybe because we worry about how being raised by a single parent might affect them later on in life.
Webster defines support as:
As women, and especially as mothers, we feel the need to be able to do it all. I’m not sure if women have felt this way since our cave-woman days, or if this is something that modern moms are pressuring ourselves into. While we are capable of dealing with an amazing quantity of things at once, somedays it does just become too much.
I have had some weird, thankfully not life threatening, health issues since turning 30 in January (which makes me love 30 even less!) After days of waiting for my doctor to call with my latest results, her nurse finally calls me on Monday telling me I need to see a new specialist. As I am talking to her on my mobile, my office phone rings and it is my son’s teacher. Apparently my cherub angel of a son and another kid had been caught flipping eachother off in class! Aye aye aye! Continue reading »
Since it is Friday and the weekend is upon us, I thought that I would share with you a job description that a friend of mine recently shared with me. I have posted this blog once before but believe that it it is worth repeating. I hope that it brings a smile to your face and starts your weekend off on the right foot. It is hilarious and something we can all relate to.
POSITION:
Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma Continue reading »
Over the years I have impressed others with my ability to braid Michaela’s hair. I have been doing this since she was seven so I am actually quite good at it. It is funny how people react to me when they first find out that I can do a French Braid. Guys in particular will react to me as if I am some sort of famous magician making the elephant disappear on stage. I always get the “You can do what? Wow! How do you do that”. I have to laugh because braiding hair is like riding a bike. Once you get it down you don’t forget it.
Well my days of braiding hair are coming to an end. At the urging of her good friend Sienna, Michaela made the decision to get her first perm. She has researched it extensively. Looked at her options and even printed pictures of perms she liked and those that she disliked. Finally the decision was made and off we went to her scheduled appointment. I As much as I loved to braid her hair I was not about to sit with her for two hours and read the latest gossip magazines. That duty fell upon Sienna who planted the seed.
I have to say that I was really not sure what to expect. All that I kept seeing in my mind were visions of Shirley Temple 
Being the supportive father that I am I assured her that no matter what, I was sure it would look great. Well two hours later I headed back to see how it all turned out. I prayed that she was going to be happy with the new look. When I first saw her I was amazed. The perm turned out perfectly. She looked so beautiful and was so, so excited. Sienna was taking pictures on the cell phone, and within an hour every friend in the world was receiving pictures of the new look. Before we left Michaela got her final instructions from the stylist and we set off for home with my new daughter. That night as Michaela left for her bedroom I could see that a smile on her face that stretched from ear to ear. She could not wait for everyone to her at school the next day. I pictured her arriving at the car line, getting out to the red carpet and flash bulbs clicking as she flipped her hair around with confidence. That was until the world came crashing down the next morning. Continue reading »
No, this isn’t about Og Mandino’s classic book.
It’s about my 5 yr old son, Brennan, and his talent for persuasiveness.
Many people talk about how they “aren’t a salesman” or a “salesy type person,” with great pride as if being in sales is a disease to get rid of.
The reality is, we are all in sales. Some are just in denial. Continue reading »
This morning I was scheduled to do my monthly guest interview on The Doug Stephan Good Day Show at 5:06 am. I always love being on Doug’s show for two reasons. One because his show is heard on 400 radio stations nationwide and two, because I never know what Doug is going to ask me. That can be an interesting situation when you are up at 5:06 a.m. At 5:00 a.m. this morning Doug’s people called my people (that would be me since Michaela was still sleeping) and asked if we could move the interview to 7:06 a.m.? Who am I to argue with the host of a show heard by over 3 million people each month. Sure I said, but I will be driving the kids to school so we will need to do it on my cell phone. By the way my cell phone is tied into the speakers on my car. Fine by us they said..
Well right as Jack was getting out of the car for the bus the call came in and the interview began. Michaela is an inspiring journalist so she always loves to hear what questions hosts like to ask of thier guest. Today Doug decided to get my opinion on recent stories in the news dealing with both abortion and marijuana. Buckle up your seat belt Michaela this could get interesting. For times sake I will leave the abortion story for another blog, but having your 13 year old hear co-hosts going off on their beliefs about abortion is interesting, especially as I am sitting outside her Catholic school.
The other story that I was asked to comment on was about a father in California who stated he would much rather have his son smoke pot at home, than do it outside with others. “How would you as a single parent deal with that Bill” Doug inquired. Hmmm I thought for a minute and then I answered with… Does the dad think that if he allows his kid to smoke pot at home they will never do it outside of the home? Does he think that if he allows his kids to drink at home they will never do it outside of the home? Does he believe that if he allows his kids to steal money from his wallet, they will never steal from the local convenience store? What about if the kid steals his car at 2:00 a.m., takes it for a joy ride and wrecks it, will they never take someone elses car? Why does by doing it at home makes it all OK? Continue reading »
There has been a lot of talk this week about spending quality time with your kids. Everyone must be feeling the same emotional yearning I am to slow down time and stop their kids from rapidly growing up. As children get older and have priorities of their own, your quality time with your child may seem less and less.
When I first started this single parent journey over 7 years ago, I was determined to not be that stereotypical single mom that Hollywood so often portrayed. You know the one…she is always frazzled and on the go, dinners consist of leftovers being heated up and thrown on the table, and the only face to face time she gets with her kids is the kiss good-bye as she is running out the door to her night job. I knew the life I had just left was not the life I wanted, but the stereotypical single mom life certainly wasn’t what I wanted either. I didn’t just want quality time with my son, I needed it. There had to be another way, and I was determined to figure it out.
My son was two when I left his father. I moved only a few blocks away so that sharing custody would be as easy as possible. In those first few years we switched parenting nights every-other day. And every-other day when I picked my son up from daycare, everything else in the world was pushed aside. This was my time with my son; he was my only care in the world for those hours few precious hours between daycare and bedtime. Nothing else took precedence. I was determined to be the opposite of those Hollywood stereotypes. We would have quality mom and son time. I was going to be a fun mom, no matter how exhausted I was. I would pick up my son, and the adventure began. Continue reading »