In an age when computer gaming and other electronics have replaced playing kick ball in the street, or building a fort in the back yard, there is a great way to get your young children and teens outside again. Looking for an all year-round activity that the entire family can participate in that won’t break the bank? It’s a perfect time for geocaching. All you need is a hand-held GPS (Global Positioning system), an internet connection, and some basic investigative skills with a sense of adventure. Technology has taken scavenger hunt enthusiasts to the next level. In simple terms, geocaching is…

I’ve always made sure that my kids are involved in activities in and outside of school. It’s good for them to stay busy and have a focus outside of academics. When I was growing up, the rule of the house was that I had to be involved in at least two interests. For me this was easy. I was active in community service organizations, my church youth group, debate team, and even started a poetry club. Over the years I took different forms of dance and even tried karate.  I was never at a loss for something to do, as there was always an event to participate in. Child psychologists, teachers and …

Once my older sister started driving, I inherited the most loathed deed of having to manually vacuum the pool. Nothing was more dreaded. It involved sticking my hand in a basket of dead bugs and spending two hours of hard work in the hot sun. Of course when the time came for my little sister to assume this fun task, my parents invested in a Creepy Crawly. Go figure. After all my chores were checked off, I was handsomely rewarded with $7!  It was a pretty decent gig and I quickly learned how to get the most bang for my buck. This gave me enough money to buy a Big Gulp for the beach, a ticket …

My beautiful daughter will be 15 years old this weekend, and I'm convinced that adjectives have hijacked her vocal chords. The know-it-all virus is running rampant, and it has become a strain resistant to trendy parenting techniques. I now realize that I've contributed to the creation of this "Me" generation by not taking direct charge early on. When I was growing up, just the slightest inflection of my mother's voice was enough to make us stand up straight and cautiously send warning glares to the offending sibling that dared cross the line and talk back to our mom.   Such an infraction was …

Halloween is just around the corner, and my kids have already planned out expensive and ornate costumes only available online or in specialty stores. Tickets are on sale for elaborate theme park Halloween events with all the bells and whistles and price tag, too. What happened to good old hayrides, neighborhood haunted houses and parties, and homemade costumes? When I was younger, we greatly anticipated these simple activities in preparation for our night of trick-or-treating. To those spoiled with changing seasons, a Florida fall may seem somewhat boring. It’s rare to witness changing colors…

I have been working since age 11. An entrepreneur from the start, I got my strong work ethic from my father. I wasn’t going to make anything of myself just sitting at home. Starting out as a babysitter for my neighbor, I landed a regular gig every Saturday night earning me $20 cash. I thought I was loaded and it was the easiest money ever. When I turned 14, I pushed my parents to allow me to get a “real” job. The rule in my home was that my grades came first and transportation, if provided, had to work with other family members’ schedules.  I also had to save a percentage of what I made by …

This past weekend, I turned off the A/C and opened all the windows. I welcomed the cool fresh air as summer finally seemed to take a sabbatical to allow fall to make an early debut. Not taking a chance that this may just be a teaser, I took full advantage of the beautiful weather. It was the perfect end to a very stressful and long week at work. It also turned out to be an opportunity to spend dedicated time with my son, enjoying the outdoors together. We made a great dinner at home on Friday, followed by a night walk around the neighborhood. The sky was clear, and the moon was bright. My son…

House rules seemed much simpler when I was growing up, and they were inherently understood. There were no discussions, no debates; the rules were the rules, and that was that.Once I became a teenager, curfews were set and they were enforced. When I was a freshman in high school, I had to be home by 10 p.m., a curfew that was extended by a meager half hour each consecutive year until I graduated.  I thought this was ridiculous and restricting. My mom used to tell me that she could not go to sleep until she knew all of us were home safely. At the time, I felt my parents were being unreasonable…

Our kids teach us the most basic but poignant lessons in their everyday efforts. They don’t even realize the power they hold in their small hands and whimsical smiles. Sometimes I step back and just observe my children in their daily personas — how they interact with one another, how they step through making a decision on their own or how they take on a new challenge. However, many times as a parent I try to anticipate every moment, disappointment or obstacle, and I quickly jump in to break the fall, buffer the outcome or avoid what I know will be hurt feelings. I am very guilty of doing this…

I hate homework. Sometimes I feel that it’s a punishment for parents. It’s the one part of the school year that I don’t look forward to even though I know it’s beneficial for students. At the end of my workday, my brain is fried. Coming home to exhausted kids, it’s no small feat to get them motivated to crack open the books and get their work done at a reasonable hour. A few weeks into the new school year, homework assignments have already come pouring in. It’s a big transition for my sixth grader to go from one main teacher to seven. Half the battle at this age is for kids to remember all …

If you have a child who has played a sport, then you are familiar with the time and commitment involved in being part of a team. Whether playing a field sport or in an organization, the schedule can be grueling on everyone. When kids reach a point of exhaustion or frustration, it’s not uncommon to hear them say they want to quit.  As parents, we try to teach our kids about commitment and follow through and encourage involvement that will foster team-building and self esteem. But when should a parent consider allowing a child to quit?   Sometimes parents should push to keep their kids going, …

The other night, my daughter’s cellphone sat on the kitchen counter, repeatedly beeping as multiple text messages beckoned her attention. She was asleep in her room, unaware she had left her phone out. She normally guards it with her life, never leaving it accessible. I hesitated but decided to pick up her phone and scroll through a few of her recent text messages, something I have never done before. Earlier this summer, my daughter and a friend were caught sneaking out of my house one night. They were busted by intercepted text messages her friend’s mother discovered a week later. My …

When it comes to conceiving children, staggering advancements over the years have made conception possible from test tubes, donors and surrogates. However a baby comes to be, finding out its sex used to be dependent upon the aid of medical staff and impossible to predict with high accuracy before 16 to 20 weeks of pregnancy. In recent years, several over-the-counter gender prediction tests have become available at pharmacies and online. These at-home tests include urine tests that detect gender-specific hormones as early as 10 weeks. With proper use, these tests claim to predict a baby's sex …

I hate shopping. I just didn't get the shopping gene, but somehow it doubled up in my daughter’s DNA. Lucky me. 

For weeks now, my soon-to-be high school freshman has been strategizing and mapping out her back-to-school wardrobe spree, calculating every detail based on her given budget. She's spent countless hours creating outfits with paired accessories online to ensure that she would know where and what to buy down to the very last dollar. The impending shopping day is something I’ve dreaded all summer. Not only did my daughter want to make an epic day out of it, she also wanted me to go …

I bet you never thought that when you had kids you wouldn’t be able to take them out in public. That day has come, parents, and I have mixed feelings about this new trend. When my kids were younger, it was extremely difficult to listen to any bit of raised volume, let alone high-pitched squealing. There’s just something about a child’s shrill screams that can be bloodcurdling to parents, let alone others. Kids come with these boisterous antics that are part of the package — all parents deal with this issue at one point or another.   If I don’t want to hear it from my own kids, I know others …

I’m convinced that my 14-year-old daughter is a bat. A DNA test might prove my theory, but based on sheer observation, science isn’t necessary to convince me.  It’s 10 p.m., and the house is winding down for the night – everyone except the bat. She scurries around in her cave generating clatter to warn that her “day” is just about to begin.  Clanking noises and the sounds of furniture sliding across her bedroom floor echo into the hallway as she has a sudden burst of energy to rearrange her space.  Her door suddenly flies open, banging against freshly painted walls, and she makes her debut …

The saying that it gets easier as kids get older is the biggest lie ever. I was in the grocery store skimming over coffee flavors when I overheard what sounded like a trainwreck heading around the corner.  I looked up to see a young mother, disheveled and out of breath, trudging behind one of those obnoxious kid carts that are nearly impossible to turn corners with (clearly not designed by a woman). With a screaming infant in the front lap seat, another child climbing out of the plastic car and an older child pleading for his mother to buy something she had no intention of getting, she had …

It’s as if I just woke up one morning to find that something had taken over my child. My son had always been verbally and physically affectionate with me, often wooing admiring women at the grocery store. On his own accord, he would wrap his arms around me as I stood in line and say with his soft but confident voice, “Mom, I love you.” I could feel mothers and grandmothers around me melting at his sweet and self-motivated gesture. It happened on many occasions, and I was always very proud knowing that I was a coveted recipient and the envy of others. My child was not embarrassed to display …

Thumping around the house with one black heel on, I was on a quest to find its missing mate. I had five minutes to throw myself together and head out the door. After giving up on the search, I opted for a different pair of shoes and realized I had one minute to spare. Throwing my laptop case over my shoulder, I simultaneously reached into my purse to feel around for my keys. Women have an amazing way of sensing items with our hands. It’s as if we have a pair of eyes on our fingertips. Lipstick, eyeliner, pack of gum ... I moved to the other pocket. Suddenly, I felt something foreign, and I …

Just a few days ago, my daughter’s friend told me that she wants to lose 12 pounds by the end of the summer. My jaw almost hit the floor. She is a beautiful girl who has really come into her own in the past year. She’s 5-foot-8 with a petite frame and long, ash-blond hair. There is not an inch of extra skin on this girl, and I think she should put a few pounds on. What does she see when she looks in the mirror? My daughter is 5-foot-3 with a more muscular build like her father. She is strong, toned and athletic. She’s not as petite as most of her friends, but she has a very healthy frame. She…