Mama J on February 25th, 2009

Here’s one of those little conundrums on which I would love to hear your opinions. Please take a minute to reply! When your young adult children or stepchildren take up another residence, do they keep your house keys or return them? Also and perhaps more importantly, can they enter your house whenever they want, to […]

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Mama J on February 23rd, 2009

Sometimes when I need a new perspective, jokes like these make me look at the world a different way.  I hope they give you the same shift.  Enjoy your day!  Q: Name the four seasons. A: Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar. ******** Q: Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe […]

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Mama J on February 20th, 2009

Today’s post is my quick reflection on the process we  parents have to go through when our kids are too sick to go to school (that is, if they are not homeschooled.) Households in which both parents report to a place of work have the biggest challenge: Who will take time off to stay home […]

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Mama J on February 18th, 2009

This is the third in a Wednesday post series about the role of the parent in stepfamilies.   Stepfamilies might feel more cohesive if the parent is able to: Be the central hub of the stepfamily. Be the main disciplinarian in the stepfamily. Be physically available (present). Be emotionally available (interested).  Today we’re looking at how […]

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Mama J on February 17th, 2009

Since this is the time of year when winter gets really long in some places, I thought a post on how to have winter fun with our daughters makes sense.  Why nine ideas?  Because you get to fill out number 10!    Take turns reading a book out loud together.  One of the moms I […]

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Mama J on February 11th, 2009

OK, where were we on this topic of the role your spouse or partner plays in your stepfamily?  Last Wednesday, I described what, after lots of reading and experience, I believe is the most helpful (productive, healthy) role for the parent left in the home in which you, the stepparent, are also living.  We summarized […]

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Mama J on February 10th, 2009

“A lot of how kids find themselves by exclusion, as in ‘I know what I’m not.’”  — Brian M., Psychologist I’ve read several articles in the last year or so that indicate young adults are “taking longer” to find themselves and figure out what they want to do for work. And parents are kind of […]

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Mama J on February 5th, 2009

I have this feature on the latest version of my blog software called QuickPress, and I feel compelled to try it out. You are the guinea pigs for this “Quick Blog” success story on addressing bullying. One crossroads I think parents face when they learn of bullying behavior against their child is whether or not […]

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Mama J on February 4th, 2009

We talk a lot about stepparenting on this blog.  However, successful stepparenting is integrally dependent upon the role the children’s parent (the partner you the stepparent live with) plays in the family.  As a family rebuilds itself and creates a new identity, the parent remains the key link between past, present, and future.  I’ve researched, […]

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Mama J on February 2nd, 2009

My title reminds me of Dr. Seuss’s One Fish Two Fish.  Despite my love for this author, alas today’s post is not going to be a fantastical poem!  It does capture my musings about why a small swim club seems to be a better choice right now for my daughter.  I spent this past weekend […]

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