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Dec
02
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 For every mom, a huge dilemma tends to be whether to work or stay at home. I’ve tried both options and realized that working was the way to go for me. This was after I found a meaningful job that also went along with being able to contribute to my family’s funds.
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Archive for the ‘Motherhood / Fatherhood’ Category
Blog Posts by Melissa A
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Oct
06
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As a parent, have you ever had moments where you realized that there was so much more to this than anyone — including your mom — ever told you? Yes, our mothers certainly taught us a lot. We have all heard “wait until you have kids.” And yes, now we do understand what they meant. Karma is not always fun when it’s payback time. Nonetheless, our moms left out some quite surprising details about raising these delightful monsters known as kids and teens.
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Jun
30
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Last year, both of my sons E and M had to go in for different surgeries. Both were ear-related. E received a cochlear implant while M just had ear tubes and an adenoidectomy. The former surgery was more intense and serious than the latter, but both made me equally nervous. Since I know firsthand how nerve-wracking it is to see your child go “under the knife,” I wanted to write a post to help other parents who are worried about putting their kids through surgery.
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Jun
18
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There’s an analogy about traveling to Italy vs. Holland for parents of children with special needs. You plan for this trip to Italy and then get re-routed and end up in Holland. Nothing is wrong with Holland, it’s just that you have to adapt to something completely different than what you expected. When you go there you gain new experiences that you never thought you would have.
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Mar
31
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365, 182 or less…These are frightening numbers to look at as a father. Somewhere in the U.S. today, there is a newly divorced father facing his final hearing in a family court room. A judge is making a decision that will change the number of days that the father will spend with his children forever. Back in 1999, all I got was 30% custody. My life had changed in an instant. I was so desperate and angry. It just seemed so unfair. I can remember the advice my attorney told me over and over again, “This is just the beginning custody schedule; through your time and effort, things will change. Just bite your tongue, make every effort to be available for your kids and we can always re-petition for more time.” Times have changed in some courts, but it’s still a shock to see how little time newly divorced fathers get in their custody agreements. | |||
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Feb
10
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I have officially entered the sandwich generation, a member of the boomer generation blessed with the dubious distinction of simultaneously caring for an aging parent while still having children at home in need of parental assistance with homework. My sandwich is also a club sandwich with a layer of adult children as well. Does that mean I can request that it be gourmet instead of bologna slapped on white with a piece of American added for good measure? Please? Please can I make it gourmet, otherwise I might not make it…fifth grade homework and new math are killing me, teenage girl drama is still painful second hand, online gambling and overdrawn bank accounts, a son finally negotiating his way but it took a DUI to get him to that point, and now my mom providing the top layer.
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Sep
07
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Every mom I talk with is worried about the food-related aspects of Kindergarten. Everything from the brain-filling breakfast fuel, the lunch line, afternoon snack and of course, whether to have fresh cookies and milk waiting on the counter at three o’clock so as to entice a full report of the day. Food is the bribe to get the goods on how many friends were made and whether the teacher is nice. I’m not worried about the food. I’m worried about the rest of it. All of it. All of me, mine, gone.
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Aug
27
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“Catch your child being good,” the experts all say. “Tell them when they did something well.” Great advice. But how often do we as parents catch ourselves being good? And how often do we actually take time to savor a good moment between us and our not-always adorable children? It’s hard to remember, to be honest, especially when your child acts out, is defiant, won’t do chores, or yells at you in front of your summer guests as your ferry boat docks on the most populated island in Maine. (Check, check, check, and check.)
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