Considering Your Spouse’s Point of View

The difference between knowing and really knowing, or feeling, something is amazing. I’m the first person to tell others that a key to any relationship, but especially a marriage, is trying to think from the other person’s point of view. It’s absolutely essential in a marriage, because we are spending the rest of our lives living with this person. The more we try to understand how our spouse thinks, the better off we’ll be. I know this, and yet it’s so hard for me to act on it. For example: once in a while my husband has to work the … Continue reading

Teen Battles “Sleeping Beauty Syndrome”

Sleep is something that everyone needs a healthy amount of. Parents of young children probably treasure sleep more than anyone else does. Teens tend to sleep a lot, but not as much as a seventeen year old in Pennsylvania. She has been diagnosed with “Sleeping Beauty Syndrome”. Disney made the story of “Sleeping Beauty” well known to many of us when we were children. An angry fairy places a curse on Princess Aurora while she is still a baby. Nothing bad happens until the Princess becomes a teenager. She pricks her finger on a spindle, and this triggers the curse … Continue reading

Detoxing your Life

The other day, I was on the phone with my best friend. We were complaining about aches and pains and how we didn’t think it could be stress because we just didn’t feel stressed. Then, we proceeded to complain about different things in our lives for the next 30 minutes. She laughed and said, “But, we aren’t stressed about anything!” Stress can affect our health – both mental and physical. But how can we detox ourselves of poisonous stress? First, ask yourself some honest questions. Do you get irritated easily? Do you always feel like you are rushing from place … Continue reading

Is There A Black Sheep In Your Family History?

Is there a black sheep ancestor somewhere in your family tree? If so, you are probably curious about some of the stories that have been handed down over the years. How much truth is there in what you have heard, and how much has been embellished or covered over? Perhaps your family prefers to let sleeping ghosts lie – until you discover interesting details while conducting what you thought was a routine check of the census records. Researching or discovering a black sheep ancestor can be fascinating, yet it can be very difficult for you and for your family. When … Continue reading

The Reason Your Kid is Cranky

Forget about sex or sleep; for many parents it’s more like sleep or sanity. If your kid is not getting enough sleep, your sanity suffers. According to new research, a good night’s sleep is essential to keeping children on track. That may be the understatement of the year. For decades researchers having been touting studies that show well-rested children do better on standardized tests, get better grades and are better equipped to rationalize and control impulses. However, a new study, set to be published in next month’s issue of Pediatrics, takes the theory a step further by detailing what happened … Continue reading

What is YOUR 4 Month Old Up To?

I love every stage in my baby’s life. There are precious moments in each one, but I am particularly loving my sweet little four month old right now. No, he is not sleeping through the night yet, and no, his tummy troubles have not been fixed, but he sure is sweet, and I am loving watching him grow and develop. It seems that for me, when my kids hit 4 months old, I start to really enjoy all the sweetness that comes with being a Mom. My little guy is smiling at me all the time. One lady said, “Oh, … Continue reading

My Co-Sleeping Story

I was reminded of my co-sleeping experience after reading this lovely post. I remember having the same fears of rolling over on my baby or the fear of suffocation if she got caught in between the mattress and headboard. I also feared my husband would rollover on the baby. So to alleviate these fears I decided not to co-sleep. But I did anyway. During some late nights or lazy afternoons, I would nurse while lying down and end up falling asleep with my baby. The more I did this the more I enjoyed sleeping with my baby. I did not … Continue reading

Are You A Morning Person? You Might Want to Skip the Caffeine!

Uh oh. As a morning person who newly discovered coffee after the last of my babies was weaned, this is disturbing news. A new study published a couple of weeks ago in an online medical journal called Sleep Medicine found that the sleep of morning people is more affected by caffeine than the sleep of night owls. The study took college students and monitored their restlessness while they were sleeping, through the use of wrist devices. The students also had to record their caffeine use and their sleeping and waking times. The results found that those who were morning people, … Continue reading

You Don’t Know How I Feel

Maybe I’m just being sensitive but I have been struggling lately with the reaction I have been getting from others concerning my son joining the Air Force. It has been very surprising to me that mothers in particular don’t seem to understand the deeper feelings that are involved. Out of all the women I know who have learned about my son’s decision to join; only one has acknowledged the difficulty of this as his mother. Every single other person has said things like, “Oh that’s great,” “You should be proud,” or something along those lines. Although I totally agree it’s … Continue reading

Setting An Example For Your Children

One thing that work at home parents may not think about very often is the example that they set for their children. Whether you have started your own home – based business or you have a job where you work from home, your children are learning from your example. This is a very good thing. I grew up in a home where my dad worked outside of the home and my mom stayed home to raise my sister and I. As a child, I certainly enjoyed having a parent taking care of me at home. As I grew older, I … Continue reading