Holler if you’ve got a crazy rabbit this time of year. At our house, Mr. Easter Bunny likes to make a mess of our yard with half-bitten carrots before he somehow breaks into our home in the wee hours of the morning and leaves a trail of candy from my daughters’ bedroom and through the…
filosophies+parenting
Good Friday: A Kid-Friendly Explanation.
“What’s Good Friday, Mommy?” my 8 year old asked. Oh crap. As a mom with longtime faith — faith that grew stronger after I became a parent — I suddenly find myself dealing with what I’m calling “a great Good Friday dilemma.” Spoiler alert: I also happen to be a Sunday School teacher. Although my Pre-K…
For the teens dealing with college rejections.
A previous version of this piece was originally published in The Fresno Bee on April 6, 2019. Thanks to the recent and crazy college cheating scandal (and friends and family being on pins and needles about college acceptance/rejections happening this month), I’ve been flashing back twenty-plus years… Flashing back to the panic, the tears, the…
MOMO on YouTube & Moms Blaming Everyone Else.
Ok parents. I’m diving into this creepy ‘MOMO on YouTube’ thing that’s got all our panties in a tangle. Was it a hoax? Was it real? At this point it doesn’t matter… what is was though, was a wake up call. My fiery take featured on HLN’s On the Story: My quick & dirty: STOP…
For the love of kids, slow the screen-time!
A previous version of this piece was originally published in The Fresno Bee on February 2, 2019. Hi loving parents. Another study about screen-time is shouting at us, so why the hell aren’t we listening? For the love of family & health & kids & community — LISTEN. In the name of February and LOVE…….
I’m dreaming of a fake Christmas…
A version of the piece below was previously published in my monthly ‘FAB Mom’ family column in The Fresno Bee on December 1, 2018. Parenting through family Christmas traditions sometimes mean eating your words. Call me flocked. Since first becoming a mom I’ve taken deep pride in keeping traditions from my own childhood alive with my…
Traditions: Take It Down a Notch This Season.
A version of the piece below was previously published in my monthly family column in The Fresno Bee on November 10, 2018. Nevermind that some people I know are now decorating for Christmas before Halloween is fully over… when November rolls around, two themes continue to endure for me — gratitude and tradition. (And no, I…
