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Feb
03
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 When my son Mason was four he would ask me to do things. “Can I watch a movie? Can we go to the park? Can I ride my bike?” After his inquiries, I typically would consult my watch, the keeper of all activity. He has a couple of watches that he likes to wear. They might as well be in Egyptian, though, because he of course can’t tell time. Anyway, today he asked me if he could do something, I consulted my timepiece as usual and gave him my answer of “no” which he didn’t like. He then said, “Daddy, can you put on my watch?” I said, “sure.” He enjoys wearing a watch from time to time. As I was strapping on his Thomas the Train watch, he said, “Daddy, when you ask me something, I’ll look at my watch and tell you what to do.” Oh really? I’m sure one day he’ll also tell me that I look at my watch too much. He’ll be right.
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Archive for the ‘Routine & Structure’ Category
Blog Posts by Dale Sadler
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Nov
06
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A Nielsen Co. reports kids are watching more television than ever and television viewing for children ages 2-11 is the highest since 1995. Kids ages 6-11 watch 28 hours a week with about 4.5 hours on DVD. And worse, kids age 2-5 are watching 32 hours—yes, that’s even more than the 6-11 year-olds, presumably because they’re not in school. I’m not surprised about the Nielsen numbers.
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Sep
18
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Our family comes from a long line of big sleepers. When our son was smaller, other parents would enviously ask, “Wow, how do you get him to sleep until 10 a.m.?” We’d just shrug and say, “It’s in the genes.” But when Alex started school last year, those genes became a real problem. You see, waking our son is a bit more challenging than raising a zombie from the dead. In my desperation, I rather short-sightedly purchased a “howler monkey alarm clock” for his bedroom. (You can read about that episode here.) The clock disappeared suddenly last fall. No one is fessing up, but I believe my husband might have been the culprit. (And I have to say, I understand. The howler monkey scream was making him twitchy in the mornings.) Still, it wasn’t a big issue because Alex attended afternoon kindergarten; sleeping in was a perk.
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Aug
14
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Yes, it is time to get our kids back on a school schedule. My blog post might just be a reminder for some, but it could be a very important checklist for the new single parent. With that in mind, I’ve gathered a lot of great suggestions from other single parents who have been there before, and know what works.
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Jul
24
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Despite my best intentions to simplify the summer calendar, my daughter asks me, “When are we going to get to sleep in late?” My parent blog for EP at the end of the school year proclaimed that I was going to do things differently this year and let my kids run and be kids and have fun this summer. I promised to have a relaxing summer, a calm time free from schedules and full of green grass and outdoor time. I have some confessions…er, I mean comments, on how it is really going. Let me set the scene for you:
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Jul
06
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The call came early; the voice on the other end of the line was frantic. “My kids are making me crazy,” my sister said. “How am I supposed to get any work done with their constant fighting, yelling and arguing?” I listened and shared stories of my own kids: backtalk, whining, complaining, and in-fighting. Ahhhh, summer.
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Jun
19
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Dr. Bob: Help! I have a ten-year-old son with ADHD, and I’m dreading summer vacation. Last year was a disaster. He teased his younger brother and sister constantly, and was forever stomping around the house shouting “I’m bored!” — and then getting into trouble! Is there anything we can do this year to make the summer go more smoothly? I’m at my wit’s end and it’s only June! –Janna P. in Kentucky Dear Janna: First of all, you’re not alone! I’ve talked to many, many parents who feel exactly the same way you do. The bottom line is that kids with ADHD have some special concerns, and it helps if parents can prepare a little ahead of time to ensure that the long stretch of summer vacation goes smoothly — and that their child is actually even learning something rather than getting into trouble all summer.
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Jun
18
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So I’m writing out the checks like they are going out of style. Summer piano lessons, summer swim lessons, summer tennis lessons, summer art class, summer drama club, summer soccer camp. I’m justifying all this layout of cash by promising myself that I appreciate the opportunities that this area offers and that this is a great time to introduce the kids to things they can try and maybe learn to love for a lifetime. Right? Who am I kidding? This is summer vacation, isn’t it? Who really gets the vacation if I’m still on a schedule and if I’m spending these glorious hot summer days, sweltering in some parking lot waiting to shuttle my kids to the next fun scheduled activity?
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