Nicki Bradley's comments

Jessica Simpson = Mother? - Blog Entry

07 Apr 2006 05:32 PM

Yes, I was going to mention that very thing in my rant - my OWN kids. I know what she means but it is telling to me that she would not consider an adopted baby to be her OWN child.

Should Siblings Be Present During Childbirth? - Blog Entry

14 Mar 2006 10:01 PM

It can go both ways. My oldest son missed my middle son's birth and my middle son missed the birth of his step-brother - in both situations the kids were really looking forward to the experience and were very disappointed. I would even go so far as to say my middle son was traumatized by missing the birth and his presence played a very healing role for both of us in the birth of my youngest son. We allowed all five of our children to attend my youngest son's birth and it created an *extremely* strong bond for them all. They had a variety of reactions (not dictated by age, for sure - little ones are usually surprisingly flexible and understanding) but they were all there for the actual birth and none regret it at all. I honestly feel like it made a HUGE difference in terms of sibling rivalry and bonding which was important since we are a blended family.

I agree that all kids should be allowed an "out" if they need it, for sure. And children present for the labor itself can be very distracting and annoying for the Mom. I think flexibility is key.

The Debate about Recess - Blog Entry

14 Mar 2006 03:11 PM

Great article! Our old school cut out recess in their full-day Kinder program becuase they needed to fit in *economics* lessons in preparation for future state testing. They also cut out snack. It was horible.

Where are the Fathers? - Blog Entry

14 Mar 2006 02:43 PM

Funny you should write this. We went to the zoo on Sunday and it was astonishing how many men were there with their kids and no Moms! I wasn't sure if it was nice or just sad. But maybe that's where the menfolk are - off at the zoo :-)

Critical Thinking or Bush Bashing? - Blog Entry

14 Mar 2006 02:08 AM

I haven't heard about this but I would have absolutely loved to do something like this in school. How terrific!

A Day in the Life of a SAHM - Blog Entry

08 Mar 2006 12:03 AM

I love this! how fun! Do you have a link to the show's message boards? I'd love to check it out!

Home Alone? - Blog Entry

05 Mar 2006 04:11 PM

Oops, the link to the blog entry is here: http://parenting.families.com/blog/staying-home-alone

Home Alone? - Blog Entry

05 Mar 2006 04:10 PM

I recently wrote a blog about this topic, too - you can read it here where I outlined what is generally considered to be the "rules of the road". I am not comfortable leaving my 11 year old or 12 year old home alone and, actually, in my city there is a law banning any child under 11 from being left alone ever, even to run up the road. So you'd be breaking the law in my city! But I do think it has a LOT to do with the child. Parents should trust their instincts if they are active and involved parents. But I also think, at least for me, that the older they get, the easier (and more helpful) they are to just bring along. If they want to stay home alone, it is because they are in the middle of something like a video game and will probably be too unaware to handle anything that might come up! LOL So far, though, none of our kids have ever asked to stay home so it hasn't been an issue.

Boys & Guns - Blog Entry

05 Mar 2006 03:37 PM

Lisa - no, I don't feel like it eliminated the crime. I still really hate guns, I won't play fighting games with my kids and I have strict usage rules but I've given up trying to "ban" anything. I have only recently bought anything remotely gun-ish - those nerf lasertag and then velcro tag guns. Bought those for my 11 year old - I think he's old enough :-) But I do think the overall attitude has made them at least think twice about gun safety. We DO talk a lot about gun safety and as soon as they are old enough they are ALL taking gun safety classes.

Jaime - I swear it is the collective subconscious! I have heard many similar stories about boys being "banned" and finding their own way. It seems innate.

A Fun Twist for Hide and Go Seek - Blog Entry

02 Mar 2006 06:48 PM

This sounds like so much fun! I'll have to share it with my kids tonight!