Social/Cultural

Mama J on June 8th, 2011

That is today’s question. My 11-year-old has started to babysit. So far she has one client,  third-grade twins in our neighborhood. She has stated her case that it would be helpful to have a cell phone while babysitting in case of emergency when she walks out of the house to take the kids to the […]

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Mama J on May 4th, 2011

No matter whether you are biological mother, stepmother, or both, Mother’s Day can be an emotionally-loaded holiday.  (Often no where near as tasty as a loaded baked potato!) Over the years I  found that my expectations for Mother’s Day became my biggest enemies. I’ve learned that if I have expectations for Mother’s Day I need […]

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Mama J on April 27th, 2011

I am reading the book Success in Middle School: A Transition Road Map with my 11-year-old daughter. I believe that the key word in the title is “transition.” I picked that word instead of “success” because I think success becomes a very personal definition for each student. Those definitions will range from success equaling academic […]

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Mama J on April 14th, 2011

For those of you who have teens, you are well aware that prom season is upon us. I wanted to introduce you to a website that I appreciate, one that right now has several great blog entries about moms and prom, prom drama (a.k.a. prama), and how to talk to your teens about what could […]

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Mama J on April 6th, 2011

In the last month I have seen several references to the havoc that information overload can wreak on our brain power. (Most recently the cover article, “Brain Freeze,” from the March 7 issue of Newsweek.) In light of watching my youngest daughter grow up in an age of constant, excessive stimuli, I couldn’t be more […]

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Mama J on February 19th, 2010

Viagra online OK, I said I was only going to blog about my book chapter topics for now, but I’m so excited about a group I’ve become part of that I had to share. I’ve written before about the concepts behind The Mother-Daughter Project, an initiative to keep mothers and daughters close and supported along […]

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Mama J on June 2nd, 2009

One of the end-of-year anxieties girls (and let’s face it, their moms) usually have is:  who will be my teacher next year, and who will be in my class?  Different personalities handle the impending change different ways:  some verbalize, some act out, some fret, and some stuff.  I would like to take a moment to […]

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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 March 23rd, 2009

Like many people, I’m facing some financial challenges these days.  The mortgage assistance application calls it “income curtailment.”  And, no, the company hasn’t come through yet with any assistance.  I work for myself, yet only part time.  I actually made that choice about thee years after becoming a stepparent.  I admire women who have a full-time […]

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Mama J on March 18th, 2009

I am running a slightly edited version of yesterday’s post for the Wednesday stepparenting blog because I think the theme of “hosting a stranger” also applies to stepfamilies.  Your partner’s kids are your brave new frontier. Will you to rise to the challenge?  One of my loves is to coordinate international exchange students.  I match […]

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