A Real Housewife?

OK, so I don't have cable or satellite television. It isn't a money issue - at least not one that you would assume. Yes, we can afford it. No, we don't want to pay for it. So, there are a number of cable or satellite shows that I have never seen. One of these is I believe is called, "Real Housewives"? I may have the title wrong, but I learned that I wasn't really missing much.

Yes, I am a writer by profession and I bring home the bacon right along with my husband. But, I also take care of the house and the kids - in a way, a Housewife.

In my world, I am trying to keep track such things as the kids, if we have enough toilet paper, what I will make for supper, where we are supposed to be and when, if the bills are paid, etc. I think you get the point. I can't remember the last time I got my hair cut and unless I mark it on the calendar, I can't remember when my period should start.

I don't have time for hair extensions, breast enhancements, botox or anything else that will make me more "something" to my husband or anyone else. And, in reality, most of the people I know don't either. Amazingly enough, my husband doesn't mind that I look my age.

Thanks, Bravo! for letting the world know just how fake real American housewives really aren't!

The Grandparents

I have a friend who has been in a stand-off with her mother-in-law for more than a year now. Some may hear that and assume selfish pride is the issue. Sure, it is possible that one or the other is letting pride get in the way; but in this particular case, I agree with my friend.

The dispute started because grandma tried to supersede mom in the authority of the children. One particular incident - "the incident" - included grandma overriding mom's decision in front of my friend's son. In such a situation, how does a child know who is in charge?

In this situation, grandma was out of line. Unless the safety of the child is involved - and in this case, it wasn't - grandma had her chance to raise her own kids. Now is the time to step back and remember grandma's place is to love and spoil.

The saddest part of this situation is that because grandma does not respect mom's role in the family, grandma isn't welcome in their home any longer. A tall price to pay for a little pride.

The Use of Time

I talked with a friend today who was telling me the amount of free time she did not have to spend with her kids. When I asked her what the problem was, she listed off all the activities that he children were involved with and how much time each of these activities took.

Now, this mom is only a mother of two children, but she listed 8 activities. 8! How many of these activities did her kids actually asked to be involved in? Not one of them.

I don't completely blame her as it is important for kids to be involved in important activities instead of sitting around all day, every day. On the other hand, what 's wrong with a lazy summer day once in a while? When will your child ever have that opportunity once he or she is grown?

So, my friend, eliminate some of those activities and spend time getting to know your kids!

Junk for Sale

I just read one of the best articles I have come across in a long time. Of course, I use the "best" description simply because I agreed with everything the author wrote. This particular piece covered the area of items created to protect children from the most dangerous of all things: life. You can find items to test bath water, helmets to protect heads when learning to walk and heaters for baby wipes. Anything you can think of to make a baby's life more pleasant is readily available - for a price.

What many parents fail to realize when indulging in these products is they are denying their child the experience of learning life as it is. In creating a false sense of the world where nothing hurts and everything is warm and comfy, how harsh will that reality be when they finally discover the truth?

Unfortunately, common sense in this area has escaped many a parent today and the generation being raised will be of the high maintenance sort. I hope my kids are able to find mates who don't expect their socks to be warm before they put them on, but what are the odds?