Author: Terri Shearer Trenchard

Engage Your Kids On President’s Day

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Make the most of President’s Day with your kids.    Here are a few ideas to help your kids acknowledge some of the value and the reasons for their “day off” and holiday weekend: 1.  Acknowledge the great presidents of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and their February birthdays. 2.  Identify (with your child) some of the accomplishments and challenges faced by Abe Lincoln and George Washington. 3.  Talk about our founding fathers, the values they lived by, and how those values compare to those of our society today. 4. Identify some of the presidents you admire and their “mark” on history or our country. 5. Discuss the unique traits and characteristics of a president and whether your child or you would like to be President. Tie some meaning into the holiday, enjoy, and make it a great day.

Teens, Screen Time – And the Great, Big Beautiful World Out There

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Once, it was simple. No t.v. for kids under 2. Then, 1-2 hours of “screen time” a day for ages 2 and older. That was pretty easy. (Well, okay, not always easy, per se, but we got it and we did our best to acknowledge the benefits, the risks, and put forth appropriate limits.) Is it just me or has “screen time” become an elusive thing? Not only for us as a society, but for our growing teens? Let’s face it, screen time consumes us all, sometimes, doesn’t it? Especially those teens. The average teen sends 3,340 texts per month. That’s a little over 100 texts a day. We all know the potential downsides of unmonitored, undisciplined, unyielded “screen time” for our children – and our teens: potential sleep problems, increased risk for obesity, greater chance of attention problems, anxiety, and depression, just to name a few. Yet, how do we most effectively teach, instill, and model behaviors for technology, in a way that allows technology to enhance our teen’s life, rather than — ultimately …

Be A Better Parent. Get Bork!

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Did you see the SuperBowl ad — the Kia Sorrento one — where the young boy asks his dad where babies come from? “Babylandia,” says Dad, continuing on with a very vivid description of this baby-making planet. Okay, cute commercial. We’ve all been there, with those questions — those questions we’re just not ready for quite yet. Even though we may not be ready to face these questions, our kids are. Don’t let your kid be the laughing stock at the lunch table, believing Babylandia makes babies. Buy Bork. Just like the Kia Sorrento, Bork has (the right) answers for everything. Don’t we owe it to our kids to tell them the truth, the facts, The Real Deal? Let Bork help. He’ll pave the way for you . . . and help you with those questions. http://bit.ly/WIOB6D

Let’s Hear It for Mean Moms

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Let’s hear it for Mean Moms. I don’t know about you, but I remember the time my first-born looked me in the eye, and said for the first time: “You’re mean.” I think he was 2. I must admit, it hit something. Struck a chord. And not a peaceful, harmoniously moving one. It wasn’t too long later that I patted myself on the back. That time, and every time after. For I knew, at that moment, I was doing my job. Let’s hear it for Mean Moms. And all the mean things they do. The following piece has circulated over the years. Not even sure of the original author. But it’s a good one, and it’s a keeper. Nice reminders for us mean moms. High five and carry on. ____________________________ Someday when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a parent, I will tell them, as my Mean Mom told me: I loved you enough . . . to ask where you were going, with whom, and what time you would …

Teens . . . And Their Space

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Teens – and their growing need for space. We’re sure finding it in our home. We just “finished” our basement. Real walls, paint and everything. It was once a cellar, crammed with precious “stuff.” Needless to say, we are all thrilled. Especially my 13 year old. Did I mention we never see him? Sorta figured that might happen. Everything has its benefits and costs. He just . . . well . . . likes his space down there. He does occasionally come up. For snacks . . . and dinner . . . and such. You see the picture. It might even resemble your own. What is it with these teens and—their need for—privacy? Away from . . . us? As our teens develop, they need their privacy. It’s one of those developmentally appropriate things. They reach that stage, as they are growing and maturing…in so many different ways…that they want to be thought of as being mature, capable, and able to have some independence. They want us to trust them to be such, and …

You Know You’re In Puberty . . . When . . .

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You Know You’re In Puberty When . . . . . . you grow taller and stronger and certain parts of your body grow bigger and you get hair in different places and your voice starts to change and . . . Let’s slow down. (a little excerpt from my book, just for free . . .) One of the first things to know about puberty is: everybody begins it at a different time. Yep, everyone gets to the starting gate at different times and everyone finishes at different times. Just like everyone learned to walk, talk, read, and catch a ball at different times. Some boys start the puberty changes when they are 9, and some boys start the changes when they are 14 or 15. One thing’s for sure though…you can’t skip it. You will definitely go through it. And you know what? IT’S ALL NORMAL. Let me repeat that: IT’S ALL NORMAL. It can feel like a wild ride, sometimes, but IT’S ALL NORMAL. Guess what else? Girls generally start puberty before …