Tag Archives: childcare

Day Care Experiences–Baby Steps

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This past Sunday, Lily had her very first day care experience. The church my wife and I attend has a nursery for children ages three and under. Parents are welcome to leave their little ones there while they attend Mass. My wife and I thought this would be a good test for Lily before we tried dropping her off at a real day care for an entire day. It actually went better than we thought it would. Neither my wife nor I have family in Atlanta, so Lily has never been watched by anyone but the two of us. In … Continue reading →

Changes in Marriage in USA

The other day I touched on some of the changes that have occurred with woman and work over generations. Of course this has had a huge impact on marriage as well. Looking back to the early seventies, and in particular 1972, here are some of the differences the women’s movement has made in marriage. These statistics are taken from the Time magazine article by Nancy Gibbs based on –’a statistical look back at the journey of American Women,’ by Andréa Ford and Deidre Van Dyk. In 1972 women over the age of 15 who were married was 62%. These days … Continue reading →

Poor Economy = Fewer Kids in Daycare: Who’s Watching Your Children?

Parents around the world are cutting corners these days due to the struggling economy. Some have restructured their household budgets to eliminate family vacations while others no longer go out to eat or have decided to give up their weekly trips to the movie theater. For other families, who have suffered layoffs or a reduction in work hours, the nation’s economic troubles have meant pulling their children out of daycare. According to news reports, daycares are the latest causality of the financial crisis. One of the hardest hit childcare centers is in Rockford, Illinois, located about an hour northwest of … Continue reading →

Does Your Boss Have Kids?

If so, do you find that the status of “parent” makes him or her more sympathetic when your daycare calls demanding that you pick up your puking, feverish child NOW… and NOW is 10 a.m.? How does your boss react when you consistently leave the office at 4:30 on the dot to pick up your children from their after school program while the rest of your colleagues remain at the office until 6 or 7 p.m.? Does your boss feel your pain as you struggle to juggle career and family or does he or she resent your late mornings and … Continue reading →

Tristi’s Testimony

Today is bittersweet for me. I’ve been a blogger on Families.com for two years and two months. I started out in Media, added Movies, added LDS, then went to just LDS and Media, then went to LDS and Weight Loss. I’ve had so much fun and met so many wonderful people, readers and bloggers alike. I’ve loved my time here and I’m sorry to see it come to an end, but life is calling me in some different directions and as much as I’d love to take every single path presented me, I can’t. So this is my last blog … Continue reading →

Saying Good-bye and Good Luck

This is my last post as a blogger at families.com. I just wanted to write a simple thank you to those who have been reading my words for the last several years. I have truly enjoyed my time here, and I’ve really felt blessed, as I have shared my testimony of the gospel. I have grown tremendously as I have studied the scriptures more deeply, and I have gained a better understanding of the blessings that the gospel brings into our lives. The years that I have spent writing here have not been the easiest for me personally. My family … Continue reading →

Are You Really Best Friends?

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How many times have you heard someone comment that their spouse is their best friend? I have heard it a lot. However in how many cases is it actually true? It seems that those words are just something that one says because they feel like they should. Many partners may say that they are best friends but in reality they do not treat one another like best friends at all. Many partners have much higher expectations, more jealousy, and greater demands of their mates than they ever would have for a friend. In addition they also typically give their mate … Continue reading →

A Ring of Endless Light – Madeleine L’Engle

A Ring of Endless Light is one of my favorite Madeline L’Engle books. In this middle grade and young adult Newbery Honor book, the Austin family has returned to Seven Bay Island. Their grandfather is dying, and they’ve come to help. Vicky Austin is almost sixteen and is facing confusion over boys, her own role and purpose in the world, her artistic personality in a family of scientists, and questions about death and what it means to live. Her grandfather is a minister, but also a lover of poetry. The Austin’s are a intelligent, loving family, and how they deal … Continue reading →

Is it Really You that You’re Unhappy With?

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In some cases, marriages go bad because one of the partners begins to identify and dwell on the faults of the other. It can be very easy to find faults and focus not them rather than look at the positive things that a person does. While in several of my articles I have discussed accepting the faults of the other person and how we cannot change our partner’s personality, I am going to take this article into a little direction. When thinking about the faults that you have found in your mate, have you ever considered yourself? There is no … Continue reading →

Donuts with Dad

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During the last week of my daughter’s school, her kindergarten teacher organized an event called “Donuts with Dad.” My wife had attended “Muffins with Mom” about two weeks earlier, so the pressure was on dad to come through. It was a busy week for me. I was starting a new time job, not to mention I still had to maintain all of the other appointments and activities for my family. Consequently, when I heard about this new activity with her kindergarten class I was not too excited about going at first – until I got there. When I arrived at … Continue reading →