Mom Writes Stuff

As parents, we want only the best for our kids. We dream of a good future for them, a future devoid of a career in peddling cigars for less out on the streets. As long as they’re in school, we know they’re in good hands. And while in school, there is always the inescapable reality of homework. How can we help our kids with their homework?
First off, make sure that your kid is in a good mood when you’re about to do homework with them. If your kid is tired or cranky, he is most likely unable to produce best results with his homework.
Go through his assignment notebook, or wherever it is they write down their homework for the day. If you seem to be loaded with homework, start with the subject your kid finds most difficulty in. After you’ve tackled the tough stuff, he’ll find it a piece of cake to hurdle other assignments from easier subjects.
Be patient with your kid. If he doesn’t seem to understand the topic at hand the first time, keep at it, until he does. Sometimes, he may just need a fresh plan of attack on the subject. Try to answer that math problem in another way, and you just might arrive at a solution.
More than anything, it’s your presence and support that will help motivate your child to excel.

 

Tags: help your kids homework, kids and homework

If you’re like most people in the metro nowadays, you probably live in one of those high-rise condominiums. City living has definitely afforded us with more convenient ways of living, in keeping up with the times. Doesn’t it sometimes make you miss those backyard barbecue and pool parties you grew up with?

The good news is you can still enjoy an outdoor barbecue up in the 32nd floor of your condo unit. If you’re lucky enough to have a balcony outside your unit, you can get one of those nifty tabletop electric grills. You can grill your favorite burgers or steaks with ease, and invite your closest friends for an intimate barbecue party. Throw in your favorite drinks and side dishes for a perfect get-together.

Tags: plan a barbecue party

I love my husband, let nobody tell you differently! That’s why it almost crushes my heart to see him, on most days, heavily weary from a long day’s work. When I see him occasionally staring blankly into space, I sometimes think he has totally lost his bearings.

Working men are, of course, prone to a great deal of stress. They do take their jobs seriously, what with their bosses breathing down their necks the entire time. So how can we, as wives or loving partners, help alleviate some of that stress?

Since we love our man to bits, it should be no herculean task to show him that we care. Simple acts such as fixing him a sumptuous dinner and pouring him a glass of wine as a nightcap can do wonders at relieving him of stress and anxiety. You could give him a quick shoulder rub as he sits on the couch to catch his favorite basketball game.
If you keep doing more stress-reducing deeds each day, your husband will keep looking forward to going home to you.

Tags: husband stress, loving your husband

Yesterday afternoon, I felt like I was stuck in a time warp as I was watching old reruns of Doogie Howser, M.D. If you remember, this was a hit TV series back in the nineties about a 16-year old doctor. In those days, cell phones were the coolest gadgets of the day, and hi-tech gizmos such as the Garmin zumo 665 motorcycle gps were farthest from people’s minds.

Whenever I feel I need to take a break from the humdrum of everyday life, I just sit back and reminisce the old days. I turn on some 80’s or 90’s music and images of my single-blessedness spring back to life. I am instantly transported back in time to the days when I had fewer cares in the world. Moments like these are essential, as they help invigorate my soul, giving me a fresher outlook in taking on the challenges of today.

You should try that too. Travel back in time with some music or old TV flicks. Just don’t forget to return to the present.

Tags: daydreaming, musings, reminiscing the past

When I got up this morning, I have to admit that I was a teeny bit frustrated that the pair of hot skinny jeans my husband bought for me a month ago didn’t fit. Of late, I have been too busy with online work, that most of my hours were spent sitting in front of the computer. With the kind of work I do, I hardly break up a sweat.

Then again, sexiness is a state of mind. Feel sexy, and you will look sexy. We are what we conceive ourselves to be. And not even the best diet pills can do that!

I love looking at my fingers. It’s not because I’m naturally vain, though. It’s just that, whenever I see the gleaming diamond studded wedding ring on my finger, I am reminded of my husband’s undying love for me.

If you are on a quest for wedding rings or bands for you and your soon-to-be lifelong partner, keep him involved. If possible, take him with you when you go ring-shopping. You’d want to consider his personal style and taste when picking out wedding rings. Decide which band metal you want: yellow gold, white gold, or platinum. White gold is the more popular choice, as it goes well with silver and gold, without costing as much as platinum. You can go for artcarved rings in platinum if you’re willing to spend a little more.

Tags: how to choose wedding rings

It’s every homemaker’s nightmare to find rca video cables and other such electrical wires scattered all around the living room floor. Making your way past these wires is almost similar to walking along a jungle teeming with creepy crawlies in every direction. If this is a problem in your house, you can remedy the situation with the help of a few household items on hand.

If you have some spare yarn or colorful string, you can use these to simply tie around loose cable ends. Just gather up the excess length of cable wire, and tie them up nicely with string. Your kids may even find this an enjoyable activity, what with the colorful yarn. Just supervise them whenever they handle cables and electrical wires.

Tags: home cables, home organization

Do you sometimes feel like you hardly know your family members anymore? What with each one of you leading busy lives: dad spends 10 hours slaving away in the office, mom spends hours in front of the computer with her at-home job, and the kids are each busy with schoolwork and after-school activities. It’s about time you found the time to do something enjoyable together as one tightly-knit family unit.

One such fun family bonding activity is camping. Exploring the great outdoors is a welcome respite from the stressful demands of everyday life. When going camping, remember to bring these essentials: a camping tent, sleeping bags, a first aid kit, and a reliable cooking system like Jetboil. Also prepare games for the whole family to enjoy.

Tags: ccamping essentials, family activities, family bonding

After a long day in front of the computer, I sometimes feel as if somebody has just used a laser barcode scanner to zap me straight in the eye.  My eyes get the most tired after long hours of work.

If you also find yourself a victim of eye strain after romancing the PC monitor, there are some things you can do to help ease the discomfort.

 

Even if you don’t plan to take a nap, it helps to put on a sleep mask, just to give your eyes a break from the light.  Five minutes should be enough.  You could also dampen a rag with cold water, fold it in half and put in on your closed eyes.  This helps perk up your eyes.

 

Tags: ease tired eyes, relief for tired eyes

Don’t be surprised if you suspect that your little boy might be taking a human growth hormone without your knowledge, because kids do grow up at an incredible speed- both physically and mentally.

As parents, dealing with this reality is somewhat causing us a great deal of distress. We naturally would want to hold on to them for much longer, but thing is, time is getting the better of us. And we don’t have it in our power to stop our kids from growing up.

We can help cope with this fact by dealing with it bit by bit. We must learn to slowly let go, as certain life events begin to unfold. For instance, when our kid starts to go to school, we should try to let him go and give him a shot at independence. And by the time he hits his adolescent years, we should gracefully embrace the fact that he may want to spend more time with his peers than with us.