*This post is part of the project, "Sorrow, Anger, ACTION! - A Gathering of Voices Against Gun Violence," organized by MomsRising, PICO Network, UltraViolet, Children's Defense Fund and the National Network to End Domestic Violence. I have been a New York City public school teacher for the past thirteen years and, during that time, I have attended my share of funerals for past students. Way too many of our children have become casualties of war in this feud between gun companies and our federal government. The sad part is that it seems that the gun companies are winning the battle because more and more guns are becoming available on our streets and Congress seems to think that if we don’t talk about it, it will all go away. "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." I’m here to speak for all of the mothers, fathers, family members, friends, and educators who have buried their children due to the terrible gun violence that plagues our communities like a thief that … [Read more...]
Calm Parenting: 3 Ways to Stay Calm When Your Child is Angry
The following is a guest post by Debbie Pincus, MS LMHC. Are you a parent who feels at a loss when your angry child screams or throws a tantrum? Do you try to “fix” your child’s behavior only to feel frustrated yourself? As a mom of three, I’ve gone through it myself—it’s not easy! The entire family seems to get turned upside-down during the chaos. While we can’t control how our children feel, we can control how we feel. In turn, our children will learn how to better manage their own emotions. Getting calm is hard when children are reactive, and staying calm is a whole other story. But it is possible to be a “calm parent.” How? Here are three tips: 1. Don’t take it personally. Your child is not you, and you can’t control their reaction. So many parents think their children are extensions of themselves, and that’s not true. Don’t fall into the trap of taking on their emotions or blaming yourself. By not taking their screaming or anger personally, you will stay … [Read more...]
10 Tips To Help You Live Peacefully With A Man Who Loves Sports…A LOT!
Today's Guest Blogger is Janis B. Meredith, author of the blog JBM Thinks. Janis was brought up in a sports family, married a man who has coached for 27 years, and has had three kids play sports from age 5 to college. She sees issues a bit differently, with a perspective of life from both sides of the bench--as a coach's wife and as an athlete's parent. Once upon a time, a handsome young man named Rich met a beautiful young lady named Kathy in college. Their first date was to a baseball game. Kathy soon learned that her date was an enthusiastic sports nut. She, however, was not. After being raised in a home where her dad watched a lot of sports, she went the opposite direction and grew apathetic, almost cold to sports. But, she followed her heart and married Rich just over 2 years later. "He will change", she assured herself... More than 40 years later, Rich and Kathy are still happily married. And no, his love for sports has not changed; he still … [Read more...]
Competition’s Influence on the Executive Image
This post is part of the Executive Image series started by Daria (aka @MominManagement). I am honored to participate with her and five other amazing women on this topic. For more about the series, visit Daria’s website, MominManagement. You are a complete package, professionally. Every aspect of your persona within your career is crucial to your long-term success and how you are perceived by your colleagues. Unfortunately, there is a lot of competition involved in being a member of the workplace. Everyone wants to be the best in their field or at the top of their game so it is imperative that you focus on always improving yourself internally, externally, and professionally. Also, always take inventory of the agendas of those working around you. Unfortunately, there are many factors that influence the competitive agendas around you. These factors can have a broad range but, for women in the workplace, it seems that their own worst enemy in terms of competition is other … [Read more...]
Lessons of Going in Circles
Today's Guest Blogger is Kelly, author of the blog Mom Got Blog. Kelly writes slice of life stories of every day life on kids, marriage and everything else adding to the journey. She also shares her love of sports and food and invites you to visit her blog any time! As a parent of two teens, I am always going in circles it seems. Teens tend to keep the argument going and going and going for whatever they are asking to do, ignoring the "no" that has escaped my lips over and over again. I am "uncool" because I am not doing what all the other parents are doing-which according to my kids is saying "yes". And it is true....I am not like all the other parents. I am also a Speedskater. I followed my desire to learn how to speedskate nine years ago after waiting about eight years to find a place to do so. I shared that first practice experience in a post Influence, Olympic Style and I have not looked back since! I mostly skate the … [Read more...]
Honeymoon Tales: Three’s A Crowd
Guest Post Honeymoon Tales: Three’s A Crowd By Pamela Fagan Hutchins of Road to Joy. Most of you probably remember the hilarious scene in Caddyshack where a floater causes mass exodus of the swimming pool, then the pool boy fishes it out with his net and eats it, because it’s only a Baby Ruth? Well, this story is a lot like Caddyshack. For real. Except in a lake, on our honeymoon. And it sure as hell wasn’t a Baby Ruth. Caption: I'm not so sure the rental car company would have approved our rougher-service-than-intended usage of their car, but no harm/no foul. My husband Eric and I honeymooned in Montana, in June. At the time, we were training for a half Ironman triathlon, so we needed to find an upper body strength and aerobic substitute for swimming during our two weeks of bliss. We decided that canoeing or kayaking would suffice. We stayed in an adorable B&B near Yellowstone, because the owner advertised healthy, organic food. Cauliflower … [Read more...]
