And You Will Have Kids

Dear “And You Will Have Kids”,

A distant relative of my husband’s recently passed away.  Our children did not really know this relative, but I know that other relatives will be there. They have asked us to attend, along with the children.

 I am not sure whether or not to take my children.  When is it appropriate to take children to a funeral?

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Celebrating on New Year’s Eve becomes more complex when you are a parent.  Firstly, it’s difficult to find a babysitter on that night.  Secondly, it’s difficult to be out until the wee hours of the morning and get up early in the morning with the kids the next day.

No need to worry, there are some great family friendly ways to ring in the New Year. More →

Because I have children with various learning challenges, I’ve sought out and considered various educational options. My children have attended public school, been homeschooled, and they have attended a virtual (or online) charter school.

There has been much discussion and debate amongst parents who homeschool about the trend towards online charter schools.  Some homeschooling parents have enrolled their children in online charter schools mostly due to financial and time constraints.  Statistically, most homeschooling families who try to use online charter schools end up opting out of these programs and returning to homeschooling. More →

Dear “And You Will Have Kids”,

My children are starting their winter break.  They’ll be off of school for 2 weeks! I’ve no idea how to keep them busy and out of trouble.  HELP!

Frazzled Mom

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It’s always frightening anytime your child is diagnosed with a health condition.    When that condition will require your child to be on medication for the rest of her life, it’s even more worrisome.

When you find out that your child has a mental illness, you may be shocked, relieved, or you may feel nothing.  Different people react differently to the news.

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Dear “And You Will Have Kids,”

My son is 11.  He refuses to do his homework and just wants to play video games when he’s at home. I’m tired of arguing with him and getting calls from his teachers. He just doesn’t care at all about school or his grades.  What do I do?

Frustrated Mom

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Dear “And You Will Have Kids”,

I know that you have a large family like we do.  Every year, we try to take a Christmas photo to send out with our cards.  This year it’s difficult as we are having to cut costs and I will have to take the photo myself.  Do you have any Christmas photo tips to share?

Photo Challenged

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Long car trips with children can be horrible.  They can also be fun if you spend some time planning activities to keep the kids amused.   I find that if my kids are bored, they are more likely to start fights amongst themselves or complain during the car ride.

There are many games and activities that you can play in the car in order to keep your children amused. Because my children range in age from almost 2 up to 15 years and have learning disabilities, we need to keep our games simple.  I’ve found that the following games work the best for our family because of those restrictions.  More →

The best way to deal with dental phobia in children is to stop it before it starts.  Yes, you can do it!

When my children were little, I made sure to take them to the dentist as early as possible.  Usually dentists want to see a child starting around 3 years of age, although today our dentist agreed to “check” my 20 month old after she was done with my older 4 children.  My son was so thrilled to have her look into his mouth!  I was thrilled that his “first” visit was a positive one.

It’s important for a variety of reasons to take your children to the dentist frequently; usually dentists recommend every 6 months.  If a problem is starting, it can be taken care of promptly.  This minimizes expense, time and most importantly, discomfort! 

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MS,

The neighbor just asked my 13 year old to babysit her daughter this weekend for a few hours.  I’m not so sure how I feel about this, but my daughter is very excited to have the chance to earn some extra money.  Is she too young to be babysitting at 13?

JO

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