5 Advantages of Being a Single ParentI often hear single parents complain about being single parents. It's so hard not having a spouse to help out. It's so hard to do anything with friends. Dating is so hard. Keeping the house clean is so hard. The list could easily go on.

And while I sympathize as a fellow single parent, and while I know that there's an adjustment period, can I just tell you that a really big part of me loves being a single parent? I mean, there are some BIG advantages that being a single parent gives me.

1.) Single parents make all the decisions
As a single parent, I decide just about everything when it comes to my time with my kid. What we do, where we go, what we eat, who we visit, where we shop, what we watch, which pets we can have, where we vacation, and more. Sure, some things have to be a joint decision between my child's mother and me, but for the most part, we do our own thing.

Related: Is it possible to date seriously as a single parent?

2.) Single parents don't argue about

Even before my oldest daughter hit her teens, I heard a lot of stories about what having a teenager was like. I listened, but I will say that I wasn't expecting to revisit so much of my daughter's toddlerhood now that she's a teen. Who knew? Here's my list of 8 ways having a teenager is like having a toddler: - By Tracey Clark

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A lot of our frustrations as mommas are things we "signed up for" -- like being a working mom -- but I don't think that always means that we have to suffer constantly. I don't think it means we have to become martyrs but I do think it means we have to start "working smarter." Here's are 7 ways I take a step back so I can move forward: - By Beth Anne Ballance

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Nanny kills 2 childrenThere are some parenting stories that you never want to report, or even hear about. Last night while I was engrossed in homework help, the news switched from the wild upcoming weather to a news story that was unfolding.

Two children were reportedly found stabbed in a posh apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Police also found a nanny with a self-inflicted knife wound to her neck.

Shortly later, we were told the grim and horrendous news: a mother came home around 5:30 p.m. and found the horrific scene of her two of her three children bleeding to death from multiple stab wounds in the bathtub and the nanny nearby.

When the mother took the 3-year-old out to run errands, the nanny, Yoselyn Ortega, 50, stayed behind with the 2-year-old boy Leo and 6-year-old girl Lucia, and stabbed them both. She then stabbed herself. The children's father is Harvard grad Kevin Krim, CNBC's general manager of digital content and the mother, Marina Krim is believed to be a

boy in princess costumeWould you let your little boy be a princess for Halloween? Would you let your daughter be Spider-Man? ABC's What Would You Do sent a mom to the costume store with a couple of kids (all actors). Each kid insisted on a costume that was utterly non-traditional for their gender: Quentin picked out a Belle dress while Joli picked out a Spider-Man costume. Hidden cameras caught how other shoppers would react.

More from The Stir: 9 Distasteful Pregnancy Costumes

No surprise. Several grownups felt it their duty to inform the kids that they needed to choose a more appropriate costume. "You really can't be a princess," other moms told the boy. Nip that cross-dressing tendency in the bud! I mean, it's just a phase, of course, but what if ...?

The other parents at the store were clearly uncomfortable with the whole idea of little boys in sweet, shiny princess dresses. One mom had a very kind-hearted explanation. She just wanted to save the boy from bullies. "Kids are cruel. I don't

waiting roomWhen 23-month-old Lucie Linforth became ill earlier this month with a fever and what her parents thought might be a chest infection, her father took her to their family doctor. While they say she looked "extremely poorly" and her lips were turning blue, the receptionist told them to wait. And wait they did -- for more than hour.

According to the girl's father, Eric Linforth, 33, he went up to the reception desk four or five times during a 70-minute period of time, and was told to sit back down without anyone even giving his daughter a glance. At one point he was shown a sign that said anyone who was being abusive to the staff would not be seen. Finally, as the poor girl sat there physically deteriorating, he told them to call an ambulance. It was too late.

Though she was finally taken into the "minor injuries" room, and doctors tried to resuscitate her for more than 45 minutes, Lucie died at a hospital shortly thereafter.

More from The Stir: Mom's Intuition Saves 'Dead'

It's cold and rainy outside, and the last thing you want to do is take your kids out of the house. Keep your little ones cozy and entertained at home with everything from a cookie stamp to a D.I.Y. terrarium.

OmyColor It In

A whimsical paper mural - fit for a wall or floor - is a colorful distraction when you're stuck inside. Gingerbread men, unicorns, birthday cakes, parachutes, and airplanes come to life when you hand over a box of 64.

Available at omy.fr, $25.

OeufBake Cookies

Nothing warms up a home - or at least a kitchen - like cookies fresh from the oven. Mark them with a stamp to ensure everyone knows they were made from scratch.

Available at oeufnyc.com, $17.

Imagine ChildhoodGrow Something

Bare tree branches. Snow-covered streets. Is there anything alive out there? Let it grow indoors with a do-it-yourself terrarium. The kid-friendly kit is a mom-and-me science project that lasts all winter long.

Available at

Books for Better LivingAn article in The New York Times caught my eye recently. It reported on several studies that found music training during childhood may improve auditory skills for a lifetime. Playing an instrument can, for instance, help you be able to hear a conversation over background noise when you're elderly. (In my own unscientific research, I have found that I am excellent at clapping to the beat of a song; my husband, not so much. Guess which of us played the clarinet for 10 years.)

You don't need a scientific study to know that music is good for kids, good for the soul and just plain fun. Before I had kids, I thought lullabies and nursery rhymes would be in my new-parent future, but when my daughter was born I realized that I didn't remember very many of them. My curiosity led me to All Together Singing in the Kitchen, a fabulous guide for any family that wants to make music part of their lives. Musician-sister duo Nerissa and Katryna Nields put together this creative handbook for family