Parenting (Your Pet) Yes, Seriously...

My Angel and my 4th Baby

OMG, is all I have to say.

I might have a way with kids (my own especially) but I totally suck as a four legged’s mother!

How do I know this? Well, because, my dog is running the show and it’s taken a trainer, a vet and two separate doggy sitters to point this out (or gently remind me). Can I say, the trainer is not shy (that’s okay, go ahead, I can take it; ‘Never sugar coat it' I always say… loving my own medicine).

Anywho…since I’m learning so much lately, PLEASE, let me pass on the parenting tips to you; fellow parent, of a furry-animal-capable-of-completely-screwing-up-your parenting-mojo!

Hey, don’t worry, if you aren’t a pet owner, this will all work on your children…!
No I’m not kidding. I’m completely serious!
And that’s exactly why I’ve asked myself this question repeatedly, ‘and you couldn’t get this?’.

Ready?

Rules for Doggy Mommies and/or Daddies:

1. Do not show any anxiety, worry and/or apprehension when dropping your angel off at daycare (this goes for your toddler too)

2. Do not allow your dog to walk (you, away from you OR all over you)…
Sorry, I got carried away… You should not allow your dog to walk away from you if you have given him/her a command; you’re the boss so if he/she does not listen, repeat and persuade (in doggy this is food- with kids I do not recommend bribery). If it doesn’t work, ummmm I’m not sure… I don’t think we learned that yet :)

3. If you say no, no means no. (Yep- across the board, toddler to teen, Beagle to Rottie, when you put your foot down, lol, IF YOU CAN, no means an absolute no. Put up with no ill behavior and/or whining during this time and if you get that feedback… ummmm, maybe refer to #2 (right, we haven’t gotten there yet… maybe do #4).

4. Bad manners? Discipline with love. Apply safe and appropriate time outs for kids: toddler to about 10 years works and only as long as their age 2 yrs.=2 mins, 5yrs.=5, etc.. For dogs? Use a crate but don’t leave them in there too long… they’ll think the crate is a bad thing.

Looks like knowing you’re the boss, and having balance, is the key (just like I’ve been telling parents all along - ehem- regarding two-legged parenting-).

Boy, almost 18 years of being a mother (to two-leggeds) and I had it down with the first kid. Apparently, I must be distracted by fur and the four legs…sheesh… what a pushover.

Truth? There isn’t much difference to parenting a kid over a dog.

Your four legged family member is sensitive to change, loves affection and being fed and hydrated, needs exercise, sleep, and in many cases social interaction (depending on the animal).

Piece of cake right? Yeah, maybe, but I gotta go; time for our training appointment (where I’m being trained more than my pet is-- wait-- did you see those big brown eyes in that doggy photo??? Ugh… I’m such a sucker).

I knew I was right, eons ago, when we had our first dog (b.c. - before children)… and I said, this is a lot harder than having children!

Back to School Anxiety: Bullying

Download “School Boy Being Stressed” by David Castillo Dominici via freedigitalphotos.net I recently wrote about how to help your child if they’re struggling with going back to school because they were bullied. My biggest most important tip was to listen, because I honestly could not write a ‘How-to-make-them-not-afraid’ column. Frankly I thought that was absurd. Fear is sometimes real. Anxiety is sometimes truly there, and for a good reason. Our job as parents isn’t to try to make it go away, it’s to try to find out the true source of those worrisome feelings. If you’d like to read more, click here. And if you’re child is struggling to find excitement about the new school year, don’t deny it, just accept it and move forward gently. Here’s some more on bullying: Family Matters Links: A Touching Story/Song Bullying: A thing of the past A Peace Poem By My Teenage Daughter A Deeper Insight into My Thoughts on People Who Bring Harm to Others Other Links: Stop Bul

6 Ways to Support Teens and Mental Health (Column Related)

Enjoying a trip to see family and exploring the outdoors. May was Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s over now, but it shouldn’t be. I’m not a medical professional or anything even close, but I am convinced that every person on the planet (no matter age, economic status, profession, race, or gender) is vulnerable to events that can alter their state of mind. If you’re not sure about this, just research the increase in the amount of people seeking psychological help due to the pandemic, then try getting an appointment with a therapist or counselor that doesn’t require weeks or months on a wait list. There are so many things damaging our mental health that we don’t even realize. Add underlying issues not yet detected and undiagnosed…it’s a bad situation made worse, and the need for support more urgent. Many teens are struggling with mental health issues right now and many of us don’t even know it. How could we? Not too many teens feel comfortable talking to adults about ‘their stuff’ a

Green Punch Buggy....!!!!

Green Punch Buggy...No Punch Back! As I was writing this blog post, my son came to me showing off his Lego creation. And don't you know I got hit at least five times since on my computer screen was displaying at least five different punch buggies, of five different colors thanks to Google Images. (Bad timing I'm thinking...) How can we possibly have world peace with these silly cars in the world!? ;) Don't the owners of these cute-but-obnoxious-cars understand that driving these things around town promotes violence!? ;) Anyhow.... The original purpose of this blog was to ask parents everywhere this question: Do you find yourself saying 'PUNCH BUGGY *BLANK-COLOR*! ' to yourself, even when the kids are not in the car??? I do! Isn't it funny how those games we used to play as a child are still around? I bet our parents say the same thing.... HAPPY FRIIIIIIDAAAAYYYY! P.S. I got hit at least ten more times, since as my son stood beside

Search This Blog