Shannon is hosting a parenting advice collaboration for WFMW, so I thought I’d give it my best shot.

I remember when my good friend first offered to watch my kids while I ran errands — the friend who would one day have four kids of her own, all under the age of seven. The friend I think should probably be sainted and who I see as a role model for myself as a parent.

She said, “It’s really no problem. It’s easier when your kids are here.”

What?

I’m a do-everything-yourself-er. This was a huge step for me, partly because I was accepting help and partly because I felt completely responsible for returning a favor I didn’t feel all that confident about. It took me a few years to understand this logic, but she’s absolutely right. Playdates with good-match children make it easier on both caregivers, but I never would have believed it if I hadn’t experienced it myself.
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UPDATE: Apparently the Ashwin prize was a scam, so I’ve pulled the link.

My daughter’s outstanding best friend — the kind you want to adopt and whose spirit you hope will rub off on your kids — invited D to make treats for the firefighters at their recent meeting. Her dad is one of the firefighters in our town and this was a token of their appreciation for the efforts all the firefighters make to keep our residents safe.

The local newspaper caught D and her friend doing this good deed, and their photo made it into the newspaper. It’s so nice when the community recognizes kids doing good things. It’s almost a self-fulfilling prophecy, don’t you think?
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I’ve had an article published in North State Parent, a parenting magazine in Northern California. I think you’ll like it.

Empowering Youth – Say YES!

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I’m anxious to award the prizes I offered this week, as a part of Shannon’s giveaway linkfest.

I had planned to print out the posts, with the comments, have the kids cut them apart and draw from a hat. But with nearly 500 comments to manage, it would have required a 20-gallon sombrero, dulled my scissors and killed one-too-many trees for my liking. So instead, I used this handy-dandy random number generator at Random.org.

Um. Way easier????
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