by Christine Hammond on May 31, 2013
Just compiling this list of stupid things your kid might do over summer break was enough to drive me, as a parent, into a massive anxiety attack. After all, summer break should be about camps, swimming, going to the beach, parks, and hanging out with friends. Unfortunately the combination of unsupervised kids, the internet and… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on May 9, 2013
I’ll never forget the first time that my husband and I suggested to our kids that they go away to a summer camp for a week. As parents, we had discussed the benefits of a good summer camp program and spoke with many of our friends who recommended several camps around the country. We took… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on March 12, 2013
Having kids is a blast. There are so many places to show them, so many things to explore, so many things to do and so little time. It seems as if your calendar is always full and it probably is with birthday parties, trips to the zoo, new playgrounds, play dates with friends, soccer practices… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on March 12, 2013
In your head you keep a constant ledger and running total of all the gifts, grades, thank-you notes, kind acts, punishments, harsh words, phone calls, and hugs for each child. You carefully check the ledger daily to ensure that your kids are all getting equal time, attention, and punishment as the thought you might be… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on March 12, 2013
“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” This is one of your favorite quotes and your child already knows it by heart. You are a careful planner in every activity with many detailed lists in order by priority and usually color coded for easy reference. This is responsible behavior and irresponsible behavior is not having… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on March 11, 2013
It seems like it happened all at once. One moment you were praising your kid for being so good and the next thing you know he/she is a completely different child in a foreign looking body. Not only are the clothing choices a bit different but the shoe size is rapidly increasing, the attitude is… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on February 11, 2013
When your child comes home with a bad grade on a test, you sit them down immediately and try to help them set new goals for improving their grade. You explain about the importance of setting long-term goals and how their current behavior is not consistent with what they want out of life. You never… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on February 1, 2013
Parenting is hard work. At times it can be overwhelming, lonely, exhausting, discouraging, exciting, joyful, rewarding, encouraging, and fun within just a few short minutes. The wide range of emotions you feel from excitement over watching your child finally ride a bike without training wheels to paralyzing fear as they ride that bike straight into… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on January 22, 2013
It is yet another counseling appointment for Sam who is 13 years old and is struggling in school, home, and everywhere he goes. He has been diagnosed with ADHD and depression in the past but all of the medications have failed to work and his is getting worse, not better. He is a bright boy… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on August 25, 2012
If you are like me, then the start of school always seems to come sooner than expected. Projects that need to be finished are half way done, trips to the beach were less than planned, vacation time flew by, and friends coming over happened too infrequently. But here we are again with school starting regardless… (more…)