Whether you're a single parent or coupled parent, end your days with your kids like this.  No matter their ages, there's a way to get them together and spend time as a family before they go to bed... Reading has always been our way.  Do this... https://www.facebook.com/reel/722184402220491?extid=a&extid=chYV2B&fs=e Not that: screen time

It's never too soon to begin reading to your child. I read to mine when they were in the womb and I knew they could hear me. I brought my children to the library as soon as they could walk.  I read to my toddlers on up to preteens at bedtime nightly and it was as popular to them as Friday pizza & popcorn movie night was.  I enrolled them in weekly storytime. Every couple of weeks I'd bring a new selection of books home and stack them in the kitchen to read during breakfast time. That was probably even MORE popular than Friday nights OR bedtime stories lol. Reading to them in the mornings seemed to capture their attention so much! They never seemed to want it to stop! ❤️ I suggest funny books. It wakes them up and helps them be happy.🤗 My kids all still love books... for different reasons. I've always loved them. I'm sure there's a blog somewhere here on our site that explains how books pretty much saved my life as a little girl. Besides being therape

  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

We are facing more issues on the internet. As if the internet wasn't already a really risky place for kids, and several of the apps geared towards them dangerous, but here is another one. Omegle. In a time where so many young people want so much attention, this is the perfect petri dish for trouble...if you don't yet protect your child's devices with software that blocks out (or allows you access and monitoring to) potentially harmful things, get something now and also read this article below. Also, do the girls (and boys) a favor and explain to them that while it's natural to want attention, not all attention is good (or safe). They need to be addressed from the need they have which is driving them to reach out and seek being 'noticed' (or accepted/liked). They don't understand... They make the perfect victim and need to realize there are people out there like this... everywhere...  https://fox8.com/news/what-parents-need-to-know-about-the-omegl

I've been pretty negative in regards to technology and parenting teens lately, but for good reasons.  However, you all know I do love sharing positive uplifting stories...and this is one that had to be shared! Click here to read my most recent Family Matters with Amber Column about what I learned while on the phone with a Southwest agent recently!

  Not many people know the history behind my 17-year-old son’s name. I thought I would share it today. In 2001, I was pregnant with my second child.  Each time my husband and I never chose to find out the sex of our children. Up until that point, our names from when we were pregnant with our first child just weren’t working for us anymore, so we went back to the drawing board. We had happily come up with agreeable girl names but were continually challenged by boy’s name. Several days after that fateful day of 9/11, I went into the hospital to have a scheduled cesarean section. Not shocked, once again our boy names fell by the wayside as we delivered another girl. Until May of 2004, while planning for a girl again (I mean the odds were there lol) we were surprised shocked to have a boy! We quickly went back to the last selection of names for boys from the last time we were expecting and of course that didn't work...there was just one we agreed on. (We separated in 2

One of the most commonly asked questions on the Facebook page for parents that I posted recently, (aside from how do I learn XYZ in tech realms to be ahead of the kids) is 'How do I limit my child's screen time?'. I have found my most successful way...I use Bark . (When the phone limits are set, he actually gets himself to bed with no fuss.) But there are many other ways.  Here is a USA Today article on keeping kids on the internet safe . You've heard me preach all of August (click here for the column related post)  that started it all, about the need to do this...now you can hear it from another source. One that I particularly like.  And if you have not visited or joined the Parenting in a Tech world Facebook page , you need to.  If not for anything but to learn what your kids know that you don't. Don't wait until it's too late to take some kind of action, even if it's simply educating yourself... Take it from me.