Ask a Pets Blogger: Good Neighbor

I recently moved into a new condo in the same neighborhood, and my new neighbor is not a fan of big dogs. Of course I have two big dogs! My new neighbor has always been very outspoken about how dangerous large dogs are (he owns a small dog). I’m not sure how to keep the peace here, and I don’t want this guy hassling me. You may have a difficult task on your hands — trying to convert a person who doesn’t like big dogs. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to keep the peace between you and your neighbor … Continue reading

Bad Dads? You Decide

I know a dad who pays more money for airlines tickets to see his girlfriend than he does in child support. He also willingly shells out more cash to wine and dine said girlfriend in the course of three days than he does to feed his own child in an entire month. That’s on top of repeatedly placing the child in dangerous situations and consistently ignoring the child. So, does this make the guy a bad dad? He certainly doesn’t think so, and I would venture to guess that fellow fathers Jon Gosselin and Mel Gibson would agree. The aforementioned … Continue reading

Single Parenting: Good Guy/Bad Guy

Being a single parent, especially if you are the custodial parent, you have to take on the role of being both the good guy and the bad guy on most days. What I mean by this is that most discipline will come from you because your child lives with you and is with you the majority of the time. This is not easy. In a two-parent family where there is both a mother and a father, children who misbehave will often seek the other parent out when scolded for something that they did wrong. They will generally run to the … Continue reading

Do You Love Your Spouse? Too Bad!

One of my favorite lines in a movie comes near the end of the movie Moonstruck. After several interesting adventures, the main character, played by share, is given a proposal of marriage as the family is seated around the breakfast table. Her mother turns to her after the proposal: Rose: “Do you love him, Loretta?” 
Loretta: “Ma, I love him awful.”
Rose: “Oh, God, that’s too bad.” While this is a funny moment (the fiancee is clearly a good guy, although complete with his own quirks), it is obvious that the mom is actually happy for her daughter, even though she, … Continue reading

Spouses Behaving Badly

What would you do if your spouse talked and laughed about you behind your back? Or didn’t stick up for you when someone made an unkind remark about them? Or ran to save only him or herself without consideration for your safety when danger loomed? Sadly, my marriage has encountered all of these situations. Behind My Back In our early years, back when we were still dating and not even living together, Wayne had some friends who could be rather lewd and obnoxious. One day when we weren’t getting along very well (which happened more than I care to admit … Continue reading

Having a Clean Home Might Be Bad for Your Baby

Did you go through a period of nesting before the birth of your baby? Where you frantically cleaning and organizing? Most of us go through that time, close to birth, where we want to make sure that we are prepared and that everything is ready for our new little one. After baby is born, we try to balance all of that newborn care with creating a clean and safe environment. We scrub and sanitize to keep our babies healthy. But having a home that is too clean might be bad for your baby. There is a lot of research to … Continue reading

When Politicians Choose Bad Campaign Songs – Part I

It is that time again – time for politicians to try to appear to be in touch with the common man and in doing so, choose mostly inappropriate campaign songs. This phenomenon has been happening for a while now. You might remember that Ronald Reagan used Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” as one of his songs. Oh sure, on the surface, it seemed like quite a good choice. But, let’s look past the title to the actual lyrics. Here are just some of them – “I got in a little hometown jam, And so they put a rifle in … Continue reading

Celebrity Health Updates: Good News/Bad News

Cancer-stricken actor Patrick Swayze is finally setting the record on his health. According to the “Ghost” star, fans shouldn’t believe what they read in tabloids. Swayze says he is responding well to treatment for pancreatic cancer and “feels great.” The actor issued a public statement to PEOPLE magazine yesterday saying that he continues to live a full and busy life despite being diagnosed with the insidious disease. The statement read in part: “Thought I’d give you guys a little update. Lisa and I have been back and forth from New Mexico enjoying the arrival of spring and new baby calves. … Continue reading

Travel Tidbits: Good News for Sports Lovers and Bad News for Smokers

GOOD NEWS FOR SPORTS LOVERS I grew up in a house with four guys and every one of them was a sports fanatic (and still is). If your brother, father, son, or husband has dreamed of taking the wheel of a NASCAR racecar or slamming a stick into a NHL hockey puck coming at him at 120 mph make sure your summer travel plans include a stop in New York City. That’s where your favorite sports nut (male or female) can experience what life is like as a professional athlete. On May 7th the Sports Museum of America will open … Continue reading

There is a Difference between Explaining and Justifying

I try not to get into situations with my kids where I am justifying a parenting decision I have made. It inevitably ends up in an argument or a power struggle. This does not mean that I do not offer explanations and reasons for decisions or choices or rules, but there is a difference between offering an explanation, and trying to justify what you have done or are doing. An explanation might go something like this: “I need you to finish your homework early tonight because we are having company for dinner.” A simple explanation can also accompany a disciplinary … Continue reading