The holiday decorations and the wrapping paper have barely been put away. In fact, I still see Christmas lights on the house down the street. Despite this, boxes of valentines and candy have been on the shelves in Target for at least a week. So as a mother of a kindergartener, it’s time to think […]
Tag: Support
Twin Talk: I Don’t Always Love Being a Mom (There, I Said It)
Before anyone starts judging, I would like to point out that I didn’t say I didn’t love my children. I just said I don’t always love being a mom. What prompted me to write this was the other day, I was reading a post on a very popular Instagram account. It was the account of […]
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Impacts of the Election on Family Relationships
This is an unabridged version of my column that will be published in the March/April issue of GRAND Magazine. Prior to the presidential election I wrote two columns on how the presidential campaign was impacting family relationships: (1) “Grandparents’ Political Rants Are Upsetting;” (2) “Readers’ Responses to Grandparents’ Political Rants.” Post-election, many readers who did […]
The House vs. The Town: Which Matters MOST?
Since you first started imagining life in suburbia, you no doubt started picturing your “dream house.” Maybe it’s a vision you’ve been kicking around for years, or maybe it’s just now starting to take shape. Either way, it’s getting clearer and clearer by the day – the perfect backyard, a big master suite, an amazing […]
My Toddler’s ‘Tude is Out of Control
My toddler is really flexing her muscles. Her attitude is out of control. I want to support her fire but I also really don’t like the ‘tude. Yup, toddlers start to push back and make their voices louder and louder as they wade deeper into their twos. They go past just the “no” stage into real […]
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Ongoing Issues With the In-Laws
I wrote to you last year about favoritism occurring in my husband’s family – his parents showing a preference for their other grandchildren over our two boys. We took your advice and spoke to his parents about a few of the issues we noticed. They were very appreciative for the information and accepted it, but […]
Twin Talk: Twin Tip – Chux Liners
I love writing my Twin Talk posts, and hope that you have enjoyed reading them. My goal has always been to educate, inform and give an honest (and humorous) look into what it is really like to be the parent of twins. That said, in addition to answering questions and sharing my experiences, I am […]
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: My Daughter-in-Law Insults Me by Cleaning My House
I’ve never had a particularly warm relationship with my daughter-in-law Bernice. She’s a bit of a cold fish. For example, when her mother died a few months ago, I never saw her shed a tear. Whenever I tried to talk with her about her mother’s illness and then her death, she made it clear she […]