Author: Julie Meyers Pron

Update: Thank you to everyone who participated in Thank a Teacher Day. I’m keeping a date open. Will we need to do it again? Let’s hope not. If we continue to say thank you more often, to show appreciation more easily, we won’t need to. We’ll revisit next December, with a tentative date of December 16. In our rushed world, we rarely have an opportunity to show our appreciation for those who spend 6 hours a day with our children. Those who give of their time and brilliant minds to help our own children to stay safe, comfortable, loved, and…

Nearly every child wants his mom or dad to be involved in school. If only it were so easy for nearly every parent. Here are ways to help out beyond lunch duty.* Can you spend some of your day at school? Before volunteering to help in at the school, review your child’s school policy or ask a few questions: Are you permitted to bring siblings?Do you need proof of government-mandated clearances?Are parents permitted to volunteer in their child’s classrooms, or do you have to volunteer in other classrooms?Who oversees parent volunteers? Is it better to offer services through the teacher…

In June, I addressed my frustrations and emotions about raising a little 4-year-old girl in a post that I finally felt strong enough to publish 7 weeks later, 2 days before Little turned 5. I was brought back to that post last week when reading a highly debated article at Yahoo! Parenting, Why 5 May Be the Hardest Age of All. Some say 5 is the hardest age to parent. This article describes a mom’s experience as she and her daughter grow. Almost 6 months later, I vividly remember sitting in the car that day, pulling the car over and crying in frustration. Four,…

As parents, we’re all going to face the ups and downs and challenges of our kids. We’re supposed to be here to guide them in making the right choices. We’re supposed to expect them to respect our wishes and demands. We’re supposed to enforce our beliefs. It’s a lot we’re supposed to do. And while I try hard to be consistent and direct with my expectations, I’ve also learned to pick my battles. There are things to expect, and there are things to expect. After battling with Little all winter and, really, since 2011, about what to wear each morning, a few…

Summers ago, my then-rising second grader spent his first-grade year obsessed with Captain Underpants. Obsessed. He found the ol’ cap’n after first exploring the Super Diaper Baby book series at the school book fair. About two weeks later, I received “thank you” emails from classmates’ moms. The boys were finally reading. And reading. And, to be honest, at that time, it didn’t really matter that the graphic novels were written in phonetics and that every other word was “fart” or “poop.” The boys were reading! But after four months of nothing but underpants, diapers, and cavemen (because they eventually moved on the slightest bit…

The fact that I’m all about the shop (that’s a verb) is no surprise to anyone. And while I love the convenience of kicking it back with no-hassle online shopping 360 days a year, there are those 5 or 6 days when I actually enjoy getting out and into the spirit of live shopping in real life. You know. Touching and scanning and perusing. Okay. Fine. I’ll admit it. I go to Barnes & Noble way more than 5 or 6 days a year. My local B&N? They know me. And this time of year, they call my name. Like, I’m sitting in…

After a break from school, students of all ages should look back over the past several months of learning and evaluate their growth. This family opportunity for discussion can easily occur over a shared meal, a drive in the car, or several snack breaks. Guided by parents with the right questions, students will be led to further goals that will increase their effort, eventually helping them to reassess, re-evaluate, feel confident in their growth and success and, finally, develop new goals. As the conversation continues, families will notice a healthy process of self-improvement. This process doesn’t just work for children…

So, you’ve started your mom blog, your parenting blog, your blog blog (perhaps by reading How to Start a Mom Blog), and you’ve invested some time in Social Media Marketing. You know it takes time, but you also recognize there is so much more you can do with your blog to get it moving along, right? Perhaps it’s time to invest in a conference. Of course, with so many blogging and social media conferences, it’s difficult, even for us seasoned bloggers, to know which is right for you. Look at your schedule and consider your location and then take some time to…

Every now and again, I have friends ask me how I got started in blogging. How they can “live the life”, we bloggers live. They want to “pick my brain.” I know a lot of bloggers are shaking their heads right now—first suggestion: don’t use that phrase when you’re talking to a blogger. We don’t really like to have our brains picked. Brains are a vital part of us, and picking brains is just gross. Many of those friends have already created their blog (if you haven’t, read Mom Blogging: How do I start? first). But now they’re stuck. Things aren’t just…

According to Digital Mom, there are over 3.9 million mom blogs on the internet. Add to that the infinite number of blogs, and it makes you wonder how some of my peers haven’t caught the blogging bug yet. I’ve talked to a few friends who ask, “how do I get started blogging? What tips do you have? What do I need to do to start my blog and get it moving?” How do I get started blogging? Um. You start. No really. If you want to blog to share favorite photos and stories of your family with family and friends, if…