Posted by: nikkik in Foster Parents on
Sep 24, 2009
I have few yet vivid memories of some of the foster teens my parents took in when I was a preschooler. One of them was a fun-loving African American girl who made us laugh by impersonating the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz. Another stole our car. Nevertheless, overall, even my parents agree that it was a good experience for our family. Later, I would marry a man raised in part by foster parents, so, needless to say, I have great respect and admiration for foster parents.
I have a friend who recently, along with her husband, completed the application process to become a licensed foster parent, and got her first "assignment": a baby boy. It was a big adjustment, as my friend's only biological child is now in high school. But she relished the experience, sleep deprivation and all, only to have it end one short week later. You see, foster parents, by definition, provide a temporary home for those in their care (unless they move forward with adoption). Depending on the individual
Posted by: nikkik in Untagged on
Sep 20, 2009
. . . wet wipes? Before our babies were born, I never bought wet wipes. I rarely even used paper towels. Rags and towels, it seemed, were all we really needed to clean up the occassional mess. Then our first daughter was born, and along with the obvious necessity of changing diapers, wet wipes came in very handy for all the new messes that turned up. I'll save readers the gory descriptions of bodily fluids, but you mommies and daddies know exactly what types of messes I'm referring to. Now that my kids are no longer babies, I wonder how I ever lived without wet wipes, even before they came along. I've got a pack in each car and in almost every room in the house now. You never know when you'll need to wipe off obnoxious face paint from your 3-year-old's face before heading to the store, etc. Don't leave home without
Posted by: emmareaghansmommy in Untagged on
Sep 08, 2009
Going along with the stay at home or go to work topic, I thought I would share my thoughts on choosing a daycare:) I have worked in three daycare centers in about eight years. It was a couple of years ago that I worked in childcare, but I do have a couple of "insider" suggestions for parents who are picking out a daycare center. One really good idea is to just drop in...don't call and make an appointment! Walk in and really listen to what is going on. I wont name the center I worked for that was not so great, but I will tell you the director would freak out when people did that because things were not what they should be! A good time to get an idea of what really goes on, is lunch time. This is when staff is starting to take their breaks, and a good time to see if a center keeps their adult to child ratio. Another important thing to do is ask lots of questions! Important things to know are...what their ratios are...there are laws but some centers choose to have less kids per
Posted by: nikkik in Parenting on
Sep 05, 2009
I'm the oldest of seven children - all from the same set of parents who are still married! Over the years, it's been interesting to observe how each of my siblings' personalities have developed, and I've always wondered how much of their tendencies (and my won) are shaped by birth order. I certainly believe that my own position as first born has affected my outlook and habits. For example, without older siblings to look up to, I mostly look to my parents for "approval" and validation. I also take my role as older sibling pretty seriously - wanting to be a good example to the younger ones (now adults and peers, but it continues!). I also tend to be "Type A" - organized and borderline controlling. Growing up, I always felt that I got the raw deal - more responsibilities, less pampering.
As parents, it's important to understand the perspective of each child, relative to their birth order. Here's a great websitedescribing common characteristics of children in birth order:
