Redsy’s Blog

10 Worst Places for Your Kid's Tantrum

nospam@example.com (Redsy) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:08:27 -0700

Surviving your child's public tantrum is a rite of passage faced by all parents. Whether you a. totally lose it, b. act calm like a zombie, or c. get the screaming child the heck out of there says a lot about your parenting style, but even more about your instincts for survival.

Ever since the...

10 reasons you're a better parent than you think you are

nospam@example.com (Redsy) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:01:25 -0700

We live in an advice-rich age and parenting experts are as ubiquitous as pictures of Angelina and her brood. While information is power, too much information can be debilitating. When it comes to parenting, sometimes it's nice to remember that many of us, most of us even, know what is right for...

5 ways to embrace family budgeting

nospam@example.com (Redsy) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 02:41:55 -0700

Learning how much I spent on coffee-to-go earlier this year was a spiritual experience of sorts --- I saw God and knew I was going straight to heck. Many of us avoid knowing the truth about our finances out of a well-placed fear that knowing amounts spent will require lifestyle changes or at least some "discussions" within the homestead.

Alas, unless you're lucky enough to not have to worry about money, finances must be faced sooner or later. Budgeting, if used properly, can be employed gently and simply enough that hardly any remonstrances or shaking in boots is required.

5 ways to enjoy the (last) lazy days of summer

nospam@example.com (Redsy) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:45:41 -0700

When was the last time you threw your head back and belly-laughed? Or, sat peacefully doing only one task or nothing at all and just breathed? Life gets hectic and busy and important as we get older, and the kinds of fun we're allowed to have seem circumscribed and expensive (cruises, dinners...

5 ways to be happy today

nospam@example.com (Redsy) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:49:25 -0700

As is probably already clear, I can't say enough good things about the 12-step spiritual program I embarked upon nearly a year ago. Mostly, I remain humbly impressed by the whole process because a year ago, I felt like the last person on the planet who could ever be happy or satisfied. I felt...

Kindergarten flop: 5 tips to help your whole family get ready for school

nospam@example.com (Redsy) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:42:05 -0700

My twin daughters were all set for Kindergarten. We had them signed up for a lovely school with a very low teacher-student ratio and pumped full of school-related enthusiasm (the new friends! the learning! the cute Diego lunchboxes!). So when school began and one of the girls began complaining that...

Should parents be naked around their kids?

nospam@example.com (Redsy) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:19:34 -0700

Free-range childrearing (the belief that kids need the freedom to be kids, without overt parental micromanaging and helicoptering), is definitely the practice in my house, as is calling a spade a spade when it comes to body parts. We generally avoid cutesy substitutions like "down there"...

5 (more) ways to live frugally and green

nospam@example.com (Redsy) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:48:18 -0700

These days, it's relatively easy to believe that unless we're riding in a Green Peace boat against the whalers, or eschewing our beloved vehicles for bikes or public transportation, we're personally responsible for drowning all the polar bears with our globally warming ways.

The other week, we reviewed 10 ways to live green for less, endeavoring to make living green seem less perfect, less intimidating, and less expensive. Here are 10 more methods of accomplishing both savings and relief from eco-guilt:

Let's get spiritual in 5 simple (but not easy) steps

nospam@example.com (Redsy) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:56:53 -0700

I began a 12-step program nearly a year ago in the hopes of kicking a very serious addiction to alcohol. In addition to stopping drinking, I now have a daily spiritual practice that leaves me more centered and happier than I've ever been. For those of you who think of Stuart Smalley when you...

Is Your Child High Strung? Here are 10 Signs S/he Might be...

nospam@example.com (Redsy) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:15:54 -0700

When my daughter was 3, she used to throw such monumentally outrageous tantrums we dubbed them "wild animal fits" and on the advice of Brazelton, we put her in a safe room, told her we loved her and then held the door closed until the storm passed. Sometimes this would take an...