Wednesday, January 9, 2013
After some serious surgery, Montco Mommy wants to share her stories for more reasons than one.
That’s right. I’m back in the saddle again. It’s been a long time coming, but I’m happy to announce the return of Montco Mommy. During the summer of 2012, I decided to take a break to enjoy more time with my children. They were off. We had many planned trips to the beach, to see family, camping. It was a whirlwind of a summer. It was a smart decision. My time is spread so thinly and the column seemed to be something I did largely for my own enjoyment. It hadn’t occurred to me that it would be missed. I, of course, aim to help other parents by venting my frustrations, offering my two cents and minimally showing you that nobody’s perfect and crazy things do happen all the time, to all parents! As the children went back to school (pre-K and …
Sunday, March 18, 2012
The Montco Mommy ponders why her energy levels are sometimes disproportionate to that of her children.
I’m not sure who decided that children should have as much energy as they do. More accurately, I’m not sure why parents have so much less. Perhaps this is more a case of cause and effect. Whatever the reason, I can tell you I don’t think I’m the only one. Last night, sitting in a Chick-fil-A, because quite frankly I was too tired to think about cooking dinner, I was pondering this question. I watched, while behind sound-proof glass (God bless Chick-fil-A), my 4- and 6-year-old proceeded to run, jump, climb and chase around Playland. The time was about 6:30 p.m. The kids had not only come off of a weekend in which we’d lost an hour of sleep, but had focused in one full day of school each. After school, we had quickly shuttled off to YMCA …
Friday, May 13, 2011
How have you handled talking to your children about this tragedy?
Dear Moms and Dads, During this incredibly difficult time, I would first like to express my deepest sympathies to the entire Kauffman family, their friends and the community. My heart also goes out to each and every parent out there who now, undoubtedly, is grieving and worrying for the safety of all of our children. I would like to hear how you are handling talking with your kids of all ages about 9-year-old Skyler Kauffman's tragic death and the circumstances surrounding it. Personal safety is one of those things we each talk about with our children in our own ways at different times as they grow and mature. I know that we as a family are taking this time to stress to our children how truly important it is to follow the rules we have…
Monday, May 9, 2011
A fiancee cheated with an ex-boyfriend, but regretfully ended it. Now, her soon-to-be husband wants the truth.
Hey Lizzie, I have a sticky situation here. I have been dating my girlfriend for over four years. I am 32, she's 29. We have had a great relationship, and in January, I proposed. She said yes, and we have begun to plan our wedding for 2012. A month ago, her ex-boyfriend’s wife contacted me on Facebook. She informed me that my fiancée and her husband had been seeing each other in late January through March of this year. She and her husband were splitting, and she wanted me to know, because she thought it was "the right thing to do." I was really upset by this news. I wanted to calm myself down before I did anything rash. I didn't speak about it to my fiancée. I did some snooping when she left her laptop on. I found emails that had ended …
Friday, May 6, 2011
What will you do for mom on Sunday?
This Sunday is the day of the year dedicated to celebrating us: it's Mother's Day! We as mothers strive to give every ounce of ourselves to our children and our families. So much so, that sometimes we forget to take the time to reward ourselves. Take the time this and every Mother's Day to soak up the love and appreciation your children show you in their own special ways. We would like to hear how each of you plans to spend your special day. How do your kids and husbands or partners celebrate you? And how will you celebrate your mothers, grandmothers and if you are so lucky, your great-grandmothers? How will you take the time to remember all of the mothers before us who are no longer with us, but leaves in each of us her love and…
Friday, April 29, 2011
While summertime brings on allergies caused by pollen, food allergies are a year-round threat.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Beth Fox
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Friday, April 29, 2011
Watery, itchy eyes, runny noses, sneezes, and itchy throats . . . yes, it is that time of year again—allergy season! Every day, I check the news for the tree pollen count for myself, and then I check my medicine cabinet to ensure I have enough of everyone's medications to get us through yet another season of sneezes and runny noses. My children are a bit more irritable during this season, as some days their eyes itch so badly that they cannot stop rubbing them, and their poor noses keep running. Fortunately, their animal/seasonal allergies are pretty much managed through proper medication, and they only suffer when tree pollen counts are extremely high or they are exposed to the dander of the animals to which they are allergic. My …
Friday, April 22, 2011
What can you do with your kids to recognize Earth Day?
Happy Earth Day! Those of us who try to be environmentally-cautious parents like to think that everyone out there is as worried about the future of our planet as we are. We would like to see our children and their children and their children and their children and their children (you get the point) have the privilege of living on a healthy green Earth long into the future. The amount of waste a family of 5 can make in a week is astonishing! Try to imagine what your family takes out to the trash per week times 52 weeks times the number of families in Lansdale; in Pennsylvania; in the United States; in the world! All good habits start somewhere and usually take some getting used to, but the sooner you start your family with the basic rules…
Monday, April 18, 2011
A 14-year-old questions whether or not she is gay or bisexual and how to tell people about it.
Dear Lizzie, I am a 14 year-old female. I think that I might be a lesbian. I don't know if I'm a lesbian or I'm bisexual. I don't even know if this is just a phase that I'm going through. I have liked boys, but I have also liked more girls then boys. I've told a few of my friends that I'm bisexual. They seemed OK about it. What I'm worried about is going into high school and me being the only one who's a lesbian or gay. I don't want to stay in the closet forever. I want to be able to tell my family that I'm gay or that I have a girlfriend. I don't know what to do please help me!! - Worried, Connecticut Dear Worried, In the beginning you said you weren’t sure, and then at the end of your question, you said you are gay. You seem a bit …
Monday, April 11, 2011
A single mom doesn't want to strain her relationship with her rebellious daughter.
Dear Lizzie, Single mom here. It’s not easy, but I enjoy my life. What I’m not enjoying is the rebellion of my daughter. She is 17 and a junior in high school. All I have is her and my son, who is 5. Her father is never around, and I have to raise her by myself. We try to get along, but it is hard. We go out together and have “Girls Night,” and for a while, it’s great. But it goes back to the same routine. She is good in school, but I don’t know much about her social life. I wish I did. What can I do to make our relationship better? —Worried Mom, Lansdale Dear Worried, Every mother and daughter go through this phase in their lives. Your daughter is finally getting her independence. She is almost 18—a legal adult—and she will begin doing …
Friday, April 8, 2011
This week's Moms Talk answers a Willow Grove mom's question about how to keep her children from begging at the checkout line.
It’s that time of the week again! Here at Patch, we try to take a moment to help out those most important people in everyone’s life: moms. Believe it or not, we don’t have all the answers, but we do what we can. When we come up short, we need the community to lend a helping hand and put in its two cents, advice or tips to help us along the way. This week, we’ll take a look at one reader’s question regarding begging. "Dear Patch, Each week, I have the same issue with my daughter. We have to do the grocery shopping, and I prefer to go when my older son and daughter are in school. I am a stay-at-home mom, and so I have to bring along my daughter who is just 3. She does fairly well in the store, sitting in the cart, but every week I dread the…
andthatsthetruth
5:39 pm on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
We have missed you! You were starting to be the replacement for situation comedy TV that has long gone away! :) I know you don't find these situations funny at the time, but you happen to find humor in it when you write that others relate to. Stay healthy and glad you are back!!!! more ›