I am a teacher. I understand the need for school supplies and for lots of them. But the Grade 3 school supply list for my twins’ school seems ripe for humor. What originally shocked me was the need for 50 pencils. 50? I don’t think I’ve used that many in my life. As one of […]
It's a Rant
Bizarre Baby Names
When I was pregnant, the best decision I made was to tell no one the names I was considering for my uterus-imprisoned twins. I did tell my husband, though, which led to many name debates. For the majority of names we bandied about, we tended to respond with one of the following retorts: “That was […]
Destroying Things on International Women’s Day
Last year, in honour of International Women’s Day, I destroyed a toy that I believe lowered the glass ceiling for my daughter and didn’t help my son’s view of women. On March 8, 2010, I gave Stripper Barbie a funeral. I’ve reposted the You Tube video below. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpWZGb_QyKo] If you want to read more about […]
Five "Best of 2010" Toys That Really Suck
Black Friday approaches, like an SUV-sized pothole that threatens to eat our credit. Yes, the Friday following American Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year in the U.S., which means bank accounts will be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder before a single Christmas stocking gets stuffed. In honor of this retail harbinger […]
Why I Despise Dollar Stores: A Rant
If there are 1000 Awesome Things in this world, then there are at least 10,000 Not-So-Awesome Things. Near the top of that list are dollar stores. This summer, when my dad slipped each of my children a Toonie (for you non-Canadian folk, that’s a $2 coin), I decided to take them to the dollar store. […]
How Many Shoes Does a Child Possibly Need?
It’s Day 4 of me guest posting over at Canadian Family. I have two subscriptions of Canadian Family left to give away (and once again, you don’t have to be Canadian to win, enjoy, or understand the magazine). If you wish to enter, leave a comment below. Today’s post concerns my kids and their shoe […]
Why I Despise Kids' Birthday Parties: A Rant
If you read yesterday’s post, you know that this week I’m guest posting every day at Canadian Family. You may also remember that I am giving away one subscription of Canadian Family each day (and no, you don’t have to be Canadian to win or enjoy it). If you wish to win, comment below. Here’s […]
Kids, Chewing, and Dogs
This week I’m guest posting every day at Canadian Family. And the lovely people there have given me one subscription of their magazine to give away each day. If you wish to win, comment below. Of course, it would be great if you read the post in its entirety and found your way back here, […]
5 Annoying Parenting Habits
1. A Fixation on Height Bragging about the height of our children seems to be the latest wave in competitive parenting. Since a child’s potential height is basically predetermined in the womb, this makes as much sense as bragging about a child’s natural hair colour. I don’t really care if a child is going to […]
Band-Aids and Bad Parenting
I think a great gift for new parents would be stock options in Band-Aid. Let’s face it: if you have a young kid, Band-Aids are practically an accessory. They come in different sizes and skin tones – though I still have to wonder who has a Sponge-Bob-patterned epidermis. In my early days of parenting, I […]