This week, the Parents YAP about their own emergency plans... and if they had 'em before writing this week's article!   Lisa PaglieraniUntil this topic was raised, I hadn’t given much thought to a specific Emergency Plan.  Fortunately, we have not experienced any serious emergencies.  Even the deliveries of my babies were scheduled, allowing plenty of time to arrange for child care and coverage at home.  But as I think about it now, I realize that our contingency plan has been in place all along.  We are privileged to be part of a wonderful community, and to be close with our extended family…

A recent article suggested that involved dads shouldn't get any more credit than involved moms. It suggests that perhaps all dads are doing is "parenting" - nothing more, nothing less. This week, The Parents YAP about Fabulous Fathers. Is there such a thing as a Super Dad?   Lisa PaglieraniI must admit I relate to this article, not so much because I’ve experienced the sexism described within, but because I consider my husband to be something of a “Superhero Dad.”  He coaches soccer, changes diapers, volunteers in the classroom, chaperones field trips, does lunch duty, and ferries the children…

This week, in celebration of their own mothers, the Parents YAP about motherly advice.   Regina MartineI don’t know if this counts as advice, but there was one thing my mother always said to me and my brother while we were growing up— and she continues to say now. Whenever we complained about something being strange, or different from what we were used to, or we made a comment about someone’s unusual taste in music or food or clothing, she always said “the world would be an awfully boring place if everyone was the same.”I don’t know if this particular tidbit from my upbringing is responsible …

Is money something you discuss with your children? Do you pay them to do things around the house? How do your kids learn the value of hard work and earning a buck or two? This week, the Parents YAP about kids and cash.   Tasha Schlake FestelThis weekend was our big post-winter yard cleanup. Yeah, we're a little late, but with lacrosse schedules and busy lives, well, let's just say it's better late than never. Cleanup for us involves bagging of leaves left over from Fall, collecting of trash that seems to flourish under the in snow my yard over the winter months, and scooping of poop. Yup, it'…

From "simple" parties at home that take years off of parents' lives through stress, to "elaborate" parties at a venue where someone else does all the work, the birthday party scene can be a bit of a horror show. Sure, the kids love 'em, but what about us parents? This week, the Parents YAP about their birthday party experiences, including what worked, what didn't, and what we'd like to do with all of that goodie bag loot.   Lisa Paglierani I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I have a love-hate relationship with birthday parties.  Of course I want to mark each milestone in my children’s …

With continuing media coverage and our own conversations as we struggle to understand, it is incredibly difficult to shield our children from learning of this cowardly and senseless attack. incredibly difficult to shield our children from learning of this cowardly and senseless attack. We read an article in the Boston Globe's MD Mama column that really resonated with us. We won't attempt to rewrite what Dr. McCarthy stated so eloquently, but we have a few thoughts of our own to share. This week, the Parents Yap about how they attempt to control the messages their children hear. Tasha Schlake …

The Parents sat down and tried to think of three things their kids like to do, besides the endless options of Spring sports. We're hoping that you'll join the discussion too. This week, the Parents YAP about springing into Spring! Regina MartineWhere I grew up, the only “tourist attractions” are the formerly most polluted lake in the US and the Salt Museum, so I am thrilled to live in a place that attracts visitors from all over the world. April vacation is the perfect time to be a tourist in Boston. The city gets all gussied up with freshly planted flowers just in time for the marathon …

How do you teach your kids to navigate the politically correct and easily offended social landscape? Do they learn by watching you? Or is it a "do as I say, not as I do" situation? This week, the parents YAP about keeping their panties from ruffling and helping themselves - and their kids - from making unintentional trouble.   Julie KeysorWell…this is an interesting topic.  I have to admit I mulled over the reference to “swinging a dead cat” quite a bit as I wrote my section for this week’s topic.  When I first read the introduction, I thought, “Isn’t that catchy and clever?” Then my mind …

But if you're in Ipswich, you definitely can't win if you're a smarty pants. You know, the kids who didn't get good grades might feel bad! We don't want to discourage them from trying by celebrating those who succeed, right?This week, The Parents YAP about awards, trophies, certificates of participation, and what all of this means to a generation where everyone wins and no one keeps score. (Bonus points if you can guess whose Valedictorian badge that is! Yes, we're a panel of smartypants!) Regina MartineI don’t understand why a school would want to cancel an event to honor the best students …

In a recent New York Times article, it was suggested that knowing your family's history is what will keep your family strong. That got us thinking. Do you agree? And what do your kids know about their history?    Tasha Schlake FestelI don't know that we have a family story, some continuing narrative that binds our family together. I don't know that I had one as a kid, either, although I'm quite sure my father could tell it to me if I asked. He's good like that, always knows the history of the family. Genealogy is important to him; he's a family tree kind of guy. Perhaps it comes from being …

We recently came across an article on the Huffington post that addresses exactly that. It got us thinking: do we treat boys and girls differently? Are they really different, besides in the obvious physical ways, of course? Are we perpetuating society's gender biases? And if we are, is that bad?   Regina MartineI have three children, two girls and one boy. I have never consciously treated my daughters differently than my son. When my girls were really little, I refused to dress them in pink and frilly clothes, I didn’t glue little bows to their wispy baby hair, and I didn’t buy them “girl toys…

The recent article in the Boston Globe raised this issue. Are we robbing our kids of fulfillment by taking away their work? What about the sense of accomplishment achieved from a job well done? Are we raising kids to be lazy, reliant adults? Or are we letting them enjoy their childhood with the knowledge that they have their whole lives to work?This week, the Parents yap about kids and housework. Who does what at home? Melissa Schools                           “Hey, Mom! Look! I made a letter O!”     – Bruno, age three, proudly practicing his letters in the dust on my dresserThe article that …

Go ahead, do a quick search and you'll be amazed at what Chuck E. brings out in parents. What it is about this place? Do you go to parties there? Do you ever feel violent urges "where a kid can be a kid?" What about other necessary evils of the party circuit - indoor playgrounds, Monster Mini Golf, Monkey Joe's, and the like? This week, the parents yap about the birthday party circuit and the behavior of parents.  Regina MartineI am proud to say I have never set foot in a Chuck E. Cheese, and hopefully, I never will. If it is anything like the horrors I have experienced at The Kids Playground…

Last week it was reported that a father and daughter signed a contract worth $200 for the 14 year old to stay off of Facebook until the end of the school year. How do you handle electronic distractions in your children's lives? Would you pay them to stay away? Money talks, after all. Or do you find the idea of paying cold hard cash for desired behavior to be a little distasteful?This week, the Parents Yap about what they do to keep their kids focused and if they'd ever pay for it.   Paul SimpsonWhen I first heard about the father who was paying his daughter to stay off Facebook for five …

This week, the Parents yap about how they handle school projects in their own homes.    Melissa Schools You know, I may sound like a teacher-kiss-up, but I think there is a lot of value to assigning school projects. It’s a good test of whether a student is processing and integrating the lessons taught at school. I’ll tell you why I hate school projects: it shines a harsh light on my own flaws as a person, not to mention as a parent. Blaaaarrrrgh! When you get along with your child like oil and water, no school project will be a peaceful, satisfying experience. I am a frustrated crafter. I …

Even if you don't believe in "resolutions," the new year is a good time to reflect, take stock, make changes, etc. What's on your parenting agenda for the new year? What are your Parenting Resolutions for 2013?Tasha Schlake Festel I'm not usually a big New Year's Resolution kind of girl. However, I do think of the new year as a fresh start, a time to set goals for the year. My birthday (which is July, for anyone who wants to send gifts since I'll be 40 this year!) is a great mid-year check in, allowing me to stay on track - or get back on track - for achieving the goals I set at the beginning…

Wakefield Schools have rolled out a pretty extensive Anti-Bullying policy. The kids have all learned about it and there was even a march at Galvin last week in support of a zero-tolerance policy. Since October is Anti-Bullying Awareness month, we thought we'd have some straight talk about the whole subject. While none of us ever want to see a child bullied, we share our thoughts on the policy and where we see its strengths and weaknesses.Let’s start out by identifying the meaning the term bullying, as defined by the new Olweus Bullying Prevention Program being rolled out in the Wakefield …

mombie [mom-bee], n.A mom who has nothing else remotely interesting going on in her life and does nothing but focus on her children, to the point she lives vicariously through them, finding no other means of fulfillment.School is back in session and some of us find ourselves with time during the day to do something of "our own" instead of being a pre-occupied parent. What is it that you do that keeps you sane and fulfilled? How do you hold on to "you" in the whirlwind that is family life? Do you remember who that person is?   Tasha Schlake FestelThe fact that I'm going to try to desperately …

But... before we get to the complaining, we'd like to say a fond farewell to outgoing Patch Mama, Jillian Sallee. As a teacher, day care provider and involved mother of three, Jillian has decided to simplify a bit and step down from the MomTalk panel. We will miss her, but hope to hear from her in the comments every week.If YOU would like to join our merry band of parents, please let us know! We have a spot available for you! And now, let the therapeutic venting begin!Paul Simpson Pet Peeve: When Parents Ignore the Rules Kids face a number of changes when they head back to school after their …

Melissa Schools Feeling harrumph-y and peevish tonight, and my whipping boy is refusing to play his role, so this may not be the best time to be delivering my Public Service Announcement on pregnancy-related info-gems, but I will make an effort to be truly helpful. A reminder to our dear readers that this article is not meant to take the place of real research or professional medical opinion: the following is a small compilation of stuff that I’ve learned personally (or through other child-bearing friends) that I wish I had known from the beginning of my first pregnancy. If even one person …