Encouraging the Sulky Pre-teen

To be fair, he will only be a pre-teen for another month. In a few short weeks he will officially be a full on, smelly, sullen, aggravating real live teenager.

But I’ve developed a habit (no, it didn’t take 21 days. Why do people think that shit? Link to some actual science here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/habit-formation ).over the past few months and today I realized that desire to infuse a positive, habit by using mentally easy, casual words had become someone else’s morning necessity. Continue reading Encouraging the Sulky Pre-teen

Filed To Almost Teens

Pre-teens are the most annoying humans on the planet. See how I just jumped right in there, no segue, no anecdotes? I used to use the word ‘fuck’ a lot, but since this new AF (meaning AS FUCK) has been invented by millenials or whomever, I use that all the time. I love it. So, pre-teens are annoying AS FUCK. Sorry, AF. And the reason why is: you know they know better. That’s it, that’s the whole explanation. Small children are being taught and can’t be expected to know or remember things that are new to them and well, everything is new to them because they’ve only been on the planet a few years, right? But what about twelve year olds? Continue reading Filed To Almost Teens

Vision Board – by Tamara S. Lee

The ways of the world are so different from when we were younger. The level of consciousness sometimes gets lost or unused because we have so much going on. As a mother, I am constantly trying to keep the kids balanced when it comes to life. I want them to grow up being well balanced, productive adults. What I do with them now, will stick with them and resurface when they are coming into their own, and sharing this world with others. My plan has always been to plant seeds of empathy, consciousness, humanity and good grammar (good grammar goes a long way) into their little minds.

Continue reading Vision Board – by Tamara S. Lee

Creamy Vegetable Soup

Honestly, I’m not that big a fan of traditional vegetable soup. But it’s a snow day here in NYC, I wanted to make my own soup, and I’m a fake vegetarian now, so there you go. (Caveat: I eat meat on the weekends. I’m not ready to completely give it up yet). If you read my blog, you know I like to make things that are relatively healthy, but really fast and easy. I don’t do the normal recipe site thing – I don’t know what your prep time is going to be, maybe you chop veggies like a pro or maybe it takes you forever to cut a zucchini into chunks. Not my business. But I came up with this recipe and unlike some of the stuff I come up with on the fly, felt it was so good I had to share it with you! Continue reading Creamy Vegetable Soup

Accountability

Ashawnty Davis

Five days ago, a ten year old fifth grader named Ashawnty Davis from Colorado committed suicide after a fight she was in was posted to a social media website. Her parents are understandably devastated and distraught, and they and a cadre of sympathizers are calling for accountability. As I read post after post about this situation, I begin to worry about how the word accountability is being used and what holding involved parties ‘accountable’ looks like.  Continue reading Accountability

Discipline?

Ah discipline. It’s a slippery slope that discipline stuff. What does it mean? Punishing bad behavior? Teaching kids how to behave within the society they live in?  My own personal thoughts and views on discipline have changed as I have matured, times have changed, and societal norms have also. For instance I used to use corporal punishment for bad behavior and although I sometimes felt guilty, thought I was justified in doing so. But as I got older I felt as though it just wasn’t an effective way to teach the lesson I was trying to get across and honestly, it was the path of least resistance. It takes a hell of a lot more energy and for some, inhuman patience to come up with a creative way to discipline in the face of bad behavior than it does to swat or smack your kid. Because ultimately discipline is how we control ourselves when we get the urge to do something that might not be good for us. Continue reading Discipline?