Mothering Many

I saw something just a minute ago that left me with some very mixed feelings. At first, I was all like, “how can they do that.” And then I saw that there was pretty decent money in it, and was like, “maybe”. And then I remembered how many perverts and sickos there are in this world, and I almost puked, and I really think I’m back to “no, just no.”

My goodness, Cass, where in the world were you, you say? I was at AlwaysHD, where they sell video stock footage, and I saw that people were selling video of their children. Cute, right? Except for. See, all those vids are sold royalty free. Once you buy the video, you can use it wherever, however you like. And I don’t think those parents are realizing that their laughing smiling baby video could be morphed and edited until………..Yeah. Now you’ve been where I’ve gone. Are you sick to your stomach, too?

We all hope that our kids will never get in the kind of trouble that causes them to need addiction treatment. But I’ve heard that there are no guarantees that your child will not end up experimenting with drugs, and maybe even using. That’s right. No matter your income level, educational background, parenting style it can happen to your kids.

There’s a thing I’ve said when dealing with growth problems in my babies: when our babies need help, we help them. We’re parents, so that’s what we do. And that applies no matter what the problem is, doesn’t it? Now, I don’t know all the latest info on addiction treatment, but that’s ok, I don’t have to. Instead, I can just remember 4rehabilitation.com, and they DO know it. And if I should ever need to help one of my children with a drug issue, they can help me do so.

My pal Laura posted today about an accident her daughter had. If you have kids (I assume you do, since you are here) and they like to play on slides, her post is a must read. While you are there, check out the rest of her blog, too. She’s another Mother of Many. Laura tells it like it is and doesn’t pull any punches. She has 5 children, and that number includes 2 set of twins.

There comes a time in parenting a lot of teens where parents need some help. I’ve had an occasion like that, and I am thankful that it was incredibly short lived. I didn’t blog it out of respect for my teen’s privacy. I found a site today that can offer advice if you find yourself in such a place, and it becomes a chronic issue. Parents can get an online assessment for struggling teens. I really like their slogan: “They’re not bad kids…They’re good kids, making bad decisions.” That is so true, and it’s our job as parents to help them through these times as much as we can. Lifelines Family Services specializes in finding schools to help your teen with the problems they are facing, and help them with issues like responsibility, integrity, and self-esteem. You can also call them for a free consult. There’s no charge to the family for the referral service.

I know it can be very difficult to admit that one of your children has a problem bigger than you can deal with. But when our children need help, we help them. That’s what parenting is all about.

Technorati Tags: parenting, help for your teen, teen life line, parenting teens

Spring is sprung around here, at least for the past couple of days. It’s a good time to make sure your yard is a safe place to play again, particularly if you’ve been covered in snow for awhile. It seems that my yard collects trash and debris faster than we can get rid of it. Get your kids to help you clean it up, and then spend some time playing with them. Whether you live on Blue Ridge real estate, or somewhere a little less scenic, you know that home is pretty when you are there together.

It’s also a great time to check any swing sets and other large playthings to be sure they are in good repair, and the bolts are tight, etc. Here that means dismantling the trampoline, because some of the tabs that hold the springs have ripped off, and it’s no longer safe to play on.

Technorati Tags: Spring, yard, swing sets, trampoline

This post is in the nature of a PSA. I knew, as I am sure you know as well, that you should have family fire drills, and make sure your children know what to do in case there is a fire in your home. What I did not know until a recent trip to the fire station with my son’s boy scout den is that the recommended frequency is once per month. I’d not been doing it nearly that much.

Tomorrow is the first: Put a fire drill on your calendar. I just put it down on mine.

Be sure and mix your drills up a bit, as far as times. You want to be sure all your kids, even those in a bunk bed know what to do, and how to escape.

Technorati Tags: family fire drills, fire drill