Mama J on April 29th, 2009

This family form apparently reflects a very real trend. A recent article in the Colorado University Extension newsletter mentions that from 1990 to 2000, the number of custodial grandparents in Colorado increased by 73%! And, in the U.S., more than 4.5 million children under age 18 live with their grandparents. I know of one such […]

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Mama J on April 27th, 2009

This post will pique the interest of parents with high school seniors.  The post-graduation summer between high school and college is a creature alive with its own personality.  These months require parenting skills unlike those in any other phase of parenting.   I remember the summer before I left for college I made a very questionable […]

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Mama J on April 22nd, 2009

April 24 comes around every year.  It’s not like Leap Day; it never gets skipped on the calendar.  In two days, my stepchildren will again remember their mother’s birthday.  She would have been 49 this year.  At least two anniversaries each year should not go without recognition in a grieving stepfamily:  The deceased parent’s birth […]

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Mama J on April 20th, 2009

A friend of mine brought up an interesting dilemma this weekend. Her daughter is finishing third grade but reads well beyond her grade level (eighth grade according to AR scores). How does she keep her daughter challenged as a reader without exposing her to material beyond her maturity level? This situation reminds me of any […]

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Mama J on April 15th, 2009

After all that blogging about anger, I thought that bringing in a little bit of a “spring is blossoming” feeling here on the blog might brighten up the mood.  I want to share some things I actually like about being a stepparent.  I compose these “nine things” lists (instead of ten things) just to be different, […]

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Mama J on April 8th, 2009

Last Wednesday I blogged about anger, and the very same day another of my stepparent colleagues also blogged about stepparent anger.  Are we affected by the upcoming full moon, or is this a recurring theme families need to pay attention to?  What do you think?  I’ve been focusing on ways I can “come down” from feeling […]

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Mama J on April 7th, 2009

Sometimes it’s hard to separate my daughter’s identity from what I remember about my childhood identity.  She is a competitive swimmer, and I was too.  She likes to draw, and I did too.  She shares enough of my physical features to elicit comments like, “we know whose daughter that is.”  So even though I know, […]

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Mama J on April 4th, 2009

I’m excited to announce that you will now find it easier to make comments on Mama J’s Parenting Posts. No pre-comment sign-in is required; you simply have to type your name, e-mail, and comment into the space below the post. Voila! Please read one of the recent posts and give it a try.

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Mama J on April 1st, 2009

Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.   -Ambrose Bierce  There are three cardinal rules I have to follow when I feel angry at a member of my stepfamily.  I’m writing about this because I have blown it before.  No real good comes out of a screaming […]

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