surprise

Many people think that surprises are good. And maybe a family surprise can be pulled off and even enjoyed. After a family surprise this weekend in which I did not respond with the best composure, I am not sure that all surprises are in order, even if done with the best of intentions. I hope that in the future I will handle the surprises which I face with more composure and grace than I did this weekend.

pride

One thing that sometimes gets overlooked is telling our kids how proud we are of them. My husband called me today to tell me about something our son, who is away at college, did for someone last week that was really an encouragement. We would never have known about it if this lady did not tell my husband about it. My husband then told me how proud he was that our son did that. I told my husband to be sure and tell our son. He said of course he would. I know that kids love to feel their parents' pride and it is an important aspect of the family. It's never a bad time to tell kids of your pride for them.

family meals

In spite of all the flak kids give parents about so many things, including sitting down together for family meals, today I was reassured by a mental health professional that it is very important for families to do this, ideally once a day. It allows time for reconnection, communication, involvement, a feeling of belonging and a chance to model and observe appropriate behaviors. Even though our kids would at times only come to the table begrudgingly, I am glad to hear that this ideal is still endorsed by professionals!

Technology Loving Parents

Thanks for the article from Laura Ryan

I think I have the coolest parents. When I was a kid, that statement would have been difficult to make. No one thinks they have cool parents. However, now that I am grown up I realize how cool my parents were and are. They were one of the first people to own a computer. When I was little, I didn’t even know how cool that was. They were also one of the first people to get DIRECT TV. And to top it off, they were also the first to get a cell phone. Looking back it is amazing how quickly my parents accepted technology. They were able to see what items would be fads and which items were here to stay. To this day, they are still trying new things and having the coolest gadgets. Most parents go to their kids for advice on computers and such, but I go to my parents. I look back on my childhood and realize I was a lucky kid to have had some of the coolest parents around and I still am.