Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Toronto parents are not revealing the gender of their child.
Note: Post a question or comment about this article, and a member of our Moms Council will respond ASAP. Pink is for girls, blue is for boys. Girls play with dolls and boys play with trucks. Girls are ballerinas and boys are football players. The list goes on and on, but not for a Toronto family with a baby named Storm. Kathy Witterick and David Stocker of Toronto have decided to raise their baby gender-neutral. The only ones that know the sex of Storm are siblings and the midwives that he/she was delivered by. This idea has brought criticism from friends, family, and even experts who say that the parents will be confusing Storm. The couple has decided that they will only share gender with others and even Storm when the entire family feels…
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Are teachers overpaid? Weigh in here.
Note: Post a question/comment about this, and a member of our Moms Council will respond as soon as possible. With the economy suffering, teachers have taken a hit in their pay, vacation, and sometimes in their benefits. Many areas of the country are facing furlough days for teachers if they have not already done so, and more furlough days for those areas that have taken some. In Providence, R.I., teachers rallied at the beginning of the month to oppose 2,000 layoffs. Teachers were amazed that some people came out to counter the opposition. According to a New York Times article, teachers received emails and saw signs that called them nothing more than babysitters. One such sign said, "You are glorified babysitters who leave work at 3. You …
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Gov. Deal changes proposed pre-K cuts after objections from parents and teachers.
Note: Post a comment about this article, and a member of our Moms Council will respond ASAP. The Southern Education Foundation, a nonprofit group, has found that Georgia pre-kindergarten helps by cutting the retention rate. This means that fewer students are being held back in school, there are fewer students dropping out, and there are less students in need of special education. The group goes a step further by saying that 10,000 fewer students have to repeat the same grade since Georgia pre-k started. What does this mean for taxpayers? It means that in the long run, Georgia pre-k's net savings equaled $35.6 million in 2010 and will continue to save taxpayers. This information flies in the face of Gov. Nathan Deal's plans to cut the …
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
This week's topic: Mothers who sell Girl Scout cookies for their daughters.
Post a question on the Suwanee Patch home page, and a member of our Moms Council will answer as soon as possible. You walk with your daughter as she rings every doorbell in the neighborhood. You help her place calls to grandma and grandpa to beg for a small order. You help her fill out the forms and decide on what prize she wants to claim this year. You write a check to cover what she doesn't sell. Proudly she takes her form to her leader and waits to see if she is a contender for top seller. She loses to a girl whose mom has sold a gazillion million boxes at her office and friends. Yes, this is Girl Scout Cookie Time ! Is it fair for moms to sell for their daughters? What is truly the lesson that the girls are supposed to be learning from…
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
The topic: Are you a friend to your child?
Note: If you post a question in the "What do you have to say" area on the home page, a member of our Moms Council will respond as soon as possible. In the February 22 issue of GQ magazine, Billy Ray Cyrus answered many questions in regards to his daughter, Miley, and her rise to fame. He admitted during the interview that he wishes Miley would have never had a hit TV show and that he blames the show for destroying not only his daughter,but his entire family. Billy Ray Cyrus' wife filed for divorce last October. The interview brings up a lot of topics that parents may struggle with. He says that he tried hard to be his daughter's friend rather than parent. He did not set up boundaries as well as he ought to. He takes the blame for some of …
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
How would you feel about fewer school days?
This week's Moms Talk: As Gov. Nathan Deal tries to make good on his promise to avoid more furloughs, schools struggle to get through the year with the funds they currently have. Even schools that planned ahead and saved some of their state stimulus funding are finding it hard to complete the year on budget. The solutions have varied across the state. In Cobb County, the school year was shortened from 180 days to 175. In Haralson County, west of Atlanta, the schools went to four longer school days, for a total of 147 days a year. Here in Suwanee, Gwinnett County is struggling to ensure that next year has 180 days, even with less money from property taxes and less funding from the state. What does that mean for our children, families, and …
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
This week's topic: Should photography be allowed during labor at hospitals?
The birth of a new child is an exciting moment that most parents want to have a record of for themselves as well as to share with the child when he becomes older. In fact, when packing the bag for the hospital, a camera is often on the top of the list, with a change of clothes and hygiene products. Recently, there have been hospitals that are no longer allowing the filming of the birth. The reason? The hospitals say that it is for the safety of the mother, child, and the privacy and protection of the hospital staff. Obstetricians are among the most sued medical professionals and have some of the highest insurance premiums. A recent case in Illinois showed a nurse using excessive force when delivering a child; the parents sued and won over…
Chris Moon
12:50 pm on Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Something that has always helped me is remembering that we are raising adults, not children. Therefore, I have to think about what type of character I want my four daughters to have as adults and what is required to get them to that level of maturity. Knowing how to handle a "No" and disappointment is a key principal and one that I feel has been lost over the years. So many children now a days … more ›