Search Results for: blog to hug or not to hug

Do NOT Reply All

Dear parents of school-age children, It’s not necessary to “reply all” to every single email sent from your child’s teacher… especially if your kid is in the same class as ours. Sincerely, Parents for the Prevention of Reply All Abuse Look, I’m all for open communication, especially when it involves parents and educators, and despite my glaring absence on Facebook, I really do appreciate the advantages associated with digital messaging.  However, when it comes to emails and the “reply all” function, I’m a real hater. I’m not a huge fan of checking emails to begin with, so when I see … Continue reading →

A Hug a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

If this past year has taught us anything, it should be that we need to hug our kids more. Actually, we should hug anyone who means anything to us or needs encouragement. Studies have shown that hugs can improve both our physical and mental health. I challenge us all to get in at least one hug a day, if not more. For extra credit, hug so much that others think that you are a little eccentric. Isn’t it funny, how the world works. While I was typing this, my husband interrupted to tell me that there was an ambulance across … Continue reading →

Barnes & Noble has 8 Huge Holiday Sales!

Barnes & Noble is having not one, not two, but 8 “Huge Holiday Sales”! Now is a great time to shop for gifts for the readers in your family. There’s sales on books, toys, Christmas cards, and gift items. Sale number 1: Buy 2 Toys & Games, Get the 3rd Free Choose from a total of 2,513 toys and games. When you purchase 3 or more eligible toys and games you will get the one that is the least expensive for free. This offer is valid through December 17, 2012. The website might have more choices than your local Barnes … Continue reading →

Hugging Gets the Cold Shoulder at School

(Old school hugging outside of class) Damn you, hugs. Evil, awful, good-for-nothing hugs are being banned from a North Carolina middle school–maybe–and it’s got the Internet buzzing. Alcohol, drugs, and baggy pants, those are reasonable items to banish from school property, according to students at Chase Middle School, but putting the kibosh on an innocent little snuggle? The nerve. To say students are not embracing the school’s alleged hugging ban is an understatement. To show the world how much they detest the rumored new rule, a group of Chase students created a Facebook page dedicated to promoting hugs on campus. … Continue reading →

Ending Healthy Families Program Will Not Solve Budget Problems

California Governor Jerry Brown has decided to end the Healthy Families insurance program in 2013. Children covered by that program will be shifted into the Medi-Cal program. The purpose of this change is so the state can save money. Legislators see problems with this plan, and want Healthy Families reinstated. To understand this story, you will need a little bit of background. Healthy Families is a low cost public health insurance program in California that covers children and teenagers. It provides health, dental, and vision coverage. It is for kids who come from families who do not qualify for Medi-Cal, … Continue reading →

When A Bargain Is Not A Bargain

I love getting a bargain. My house is mostly decorated in early yard sale, late thrift store. I’m seldom opposed to buying or receiving something used. I like the character that comes with an older table or dresser. Chairs that are a different style and can be painted to fit in with my eclectic decorating style are always a favorite. As are little odds and ends that you can’t find anywhere else. No matter how much I love a bargain there are some things I will not buy used, it’s not worth the risk. When it comes to children’s safety, … Continue reading →

Not-So Safe Side of Strolling

Summer is the perfect time to load your child in a stroller and enjoy Mother Nature. Sadly, it only takes a few minutes for a relaxing stroll to go south if you don’t take a few basic precautions, such as: *Buckling up your child with a five-point harness *Not letting older siblings run while pushing the stroller *Not putting excessive weight in the stroller’s basket *Making sure to employ the stroller’s brakes after you park it And last, but not least, not letting your baby wear his expensive bling on a stroller ride lest he get mugged. I wish I … Continue reading →

It Could Be Nothing More than PR

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Some of the big insurance companies have declared that they will continue to offer the benefits set forth in the Affordable Care Act, even if the Supreme Court declares the ACA unconstitutional. It sounds like the insurers are being helpful. In reality, if the ACA goes down, there isn’t anything that would force them to live up to those big promises. Recently, UnitedHealth Group announced that it was intending to continue to offer certain parts of the protections that were created as part of the Affordable Care Act, even if the Supreme Court kills the ACA. A few more insurers, … Continue reading →

Not-So Friendly Side of Facebook

By now you know that Facebook is considering allowing kids under 13 onto the site. Sure, there’s talk of mandatory parental supervision and speculation that the under 13 section will be ad free, but let’s get real here; this is Facebook were talking about. The social media phenomenon currently states that users must be 13 years or older; yet a recent Microsoft study published in AdAge estimates that more than 7.5 million underaged kids are already on Facebook, and a huge chunk of them got there with their parents’ help. Parents, who are virtually clueless about the ever-changing privacy setting … Continue reading →

Single Parenting is Not Glamorous

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I’ve read many studies that say the rise in single parenting is also influencing the rise in teenage pregnancy. To many young girls single parenting looks glamorous, from the outside. Teenage girls who can’t wait to get away from their parents see pregnancy as an out and when they see lots of women raising their kids alone, they think it’s not a big deal. Not only is single parenting a big deal, single, teenage parenting is a huge deal. Many times the single mothers they see are established in their careers, they have a strong financial base, they also have … Continue reading →