2017 | PulseonParenting

Why Date Night is Important

Apr 18 2017

We had to think about it for a moment. Then we remembered: it had been four years since my husband and I took a trip together, just the two of us. How time flies, just like we were, taking an early morning flight to Boston. It’s not like we haven’t had the occasional “date night” but there’s something about the freedom a couple has when they can do things on their own schedule for more than a few hours at a time. Author Ayelet Waldman (Bad Mother: a Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace, 2009)…

Apr 10 2017

A couple weeks ago, in The Common Cold: Your Questions Answered, we looked at some of the lesser-known (but widely-wondered) aspects of that pesky triad of runny nose, sore throat and sneezing (etc.). Now let’s dig in to the burning question: What remedies really work to cure the common cold? Well, the bad news is no medication or remedy cures the common cold. And unfortunately, there are no prospects on the horizon. But the good news is there are options that help minimize symptoms and give relief while the virus runs its course: For the full gamut of symptoms: Rest and…

Mar 30 2017

It’s morning. I’m getting ready for school and hear my family in the kitchen. My husband’s rattling cough, punctuated by wall-shaking sneezes, echoes through the house. My daughter harmonizes with a wheezy, low melody. My older son, who normally sneezes three times in a row on a good day, seems determined to break the world’s record for ah-choos in rapid succession. And my younger son? Still out “cold” and I’m just letting him sleep. As for me, I’m dragging and achy and my throat is sore. I don’t have the sonorous coughing or sneezing like the rest of my family…

Mar 21 2017

There’s an episode of the sitcom New Girl where lovably pedantic Schmidt pulls out his ringing mobile. Incredulous, he says, “What? My phone hasn’t rung in two years!” There’s plenty of truth in that one-liner. We have Skype. We have FaceTime. And the too-convenient ability to text message. Really, who talks on the phone anymore? Mobile phones are hardly the simple chatting devices of ages past; they are fun-sized, portable computer devices, a far cry from the spring-tethered rotary dial model and the cordless version my family used to lose under the couch cushions. We communicate so differently…

Mar 15 2017

Remember Snackwells? The near-miracle treat that contains no fat? Back when we were told that fat, any fat, in our diets would surely lead to our artery-clogging demise, these cookies were a godsend to those of us with a raging sweet tooth. And I remember my indulgence, eating almost a whole box of the devil’s food variety, proudly avoiding an eminent heart attack by eating dessert so wisely. But now, times have changed and the “devil” in the name of those (let’s face it) tasteless, half-dessicated cookies has an updated meaning. Most of the calories come from sugar (satanic carbs!) and…

Mar 09 2017

One morning last fall, I just had to walk away. Homeschooling was not going well, specifically grammar, and I had to just take a break. No, we all needed a break. It was a Monday, my daughter was coming off her 10th birthday celebration, and we were in a sprint down Letdown Lane. Ok, I’ll admit it. I didn’t just walk away. I went and hid in my bedroom. Before I retreated, I gave my kids their science books and asked them to read. I honestly didn’t think they’d do it (they did admit to playing Minecraft on my…

Feb 28 2017

It was a dark and stormy night. I was being a real handful, angrily quizzing my husband about exactly where the on-call anesthesiologist lived, and how long it would take him to get to the hospital to give me my epidural ALREADY! And how much, to the minute, he would be slowed down by the nasty February weather. My poor husband. It really was a dark and stormy night. When we tell our boys the story of their arrival, we get to indulge in a little drama. It was well into the evening, and a nasty sleet-snow was falling…

Feb 22 2017

I spin it in a positive light: my kids interrupt because they want my husband’s and my attention. As my kids are 10 and nearly 12, I know this desire to share with us is limited. The problem is, it’s universally accepted that interrupting a conversation is rude. My kids know that, but they’re kids. Even though it can be exhausting to navigate, I’d rather my kids be verbal in their interruptions than be stealthy about it, as when they were toddlers. I remember one particular instance when I was pregnant with my daughter and my one-and-a-half-year old twins…

Feb 14 2017

Oh my gosh, it’s so good. I mean, really good. So good, in fact, I want to lock myself in the bedroom and ignore everything but the book until I finish it. But then, what kind of mother would I be? Can I argue that a good mother gets on board with her kids’ obsessions as long as she reminds them where the peanut butter is? No, of course not, but I’m coming to realize why my kids are totally taken with all things Harry Potter. And J.K. Rowling herself. My daughter, who did a report on this most-famous…

Feb 07 2017

Sometimes it’s hard to believe we’ve gotten this far. At other times, it’s not. Recently we reached a milestone: 100 days of homeschooling. We fastened our seatbelts back in August and ready or not, we took our newfound motivation for a spin. Map in hand, we had a pretty good idea where we wanted to go but no idea where we’d end up. Sometimes the ride was smooth, sometimes the dips and turns were expected (math) and sometimes they were not (grammar). But here we are. 100 days and not yet out of gas. Last fall I wrote an…

My name is Heidi Black and I have it all... Maybe not in the traditional sense of the phrase but I do feel I have it all: three beautiful, healthy children, a devoted husband and father and the privilege of being a Domestic Engineer. (I used to call myself a SAHM but that just doesn’t fit when my day is filled with coordinating 5 schedules and preplanning their execution, all up to a week in advance.) And now, indulging in a not-so-secret desire to write, and following the advice “write what you know” I am ready to share what I have learned from this ironic life journey and along with you, discover answers to those many questions related to parenting.

Archive - 2017

Why Date Night is Important

What Cold Remedies Really Work?

The Common Cold: Your Questions Answered

What We Need to Know About Cell Phone Etiquette

Beware of Hidden Allergens

Am I Doing Too Much? How to Help Kids Become More Responsible

Once Upon a Delivery Room

Excuse Me, Please, Should I Teach My Kids Not to Interrupt?

For the Love of Harry Potter

The First 100 Days (of Homeschooling, That Is)