The TRUTH About Motherhood

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Are Alpha Women the Reason So Many Marriages Are Failing?
Do you think as Alpha Women are taking back their “bossy” and leaning in so hard that maybe we are forcing men out?
Are Alpha Women responsible for causing so many failed marriages and entitled kids who are products of these divorces? FOX news thinks so. Wait a minute…FOX news doesn’t think, they just speak.
I recently watched this video segment on FOX news and was flabbergasted. I was sure that someone had posted an Onion piece posing as a FOX “news” piece but then again, what comes out of FOX news channel these days shouldn’t surprise me. They are the conservative news outlet and apparently, they don’t so much report the news as bend it to their will to support their conservative agenda. Or maybe it was an Onion piece? I kinda hope it is.
Apparently, as we women “lean in”, men are forced to lean out to avoid being completely annihilated. Now that a whopping 24% of women make more money than their husbands, the conservative dogma is about to implode upon itself. (Women typically make 23% less than men, so obviously if these women are making 24% more than their husbands, they are having to work just about 150% harder for that.)
In this particular piece, it was stated that social pressures in the U.S. for men to be breadwinners are what may cause the marital problems. Obviously, the answer is for women to stop being so damn Alpha and let their men do what God intended, take care of women. Only there is one f*cking problem, men don’t always take care of women and secondly, not all women want to be at the mercy of some man to make her dreams come true.
Look, our whole lives, women have been told that in order to succeed in life we need to get married and have children, keep a clean house, cook well and look good while doing it all. We are not supposed to think or have free will if it interferes with the grand scheme of things. If what we want to do interferes with what he wants to do, we are expected o acquiesce because you know… the vagina thing. Just accept our fates already. We have vaginas, they make us weak so we need big, hairy men to take care of us. Huh?
In fact, let’s back up, what constitutes ALPHA WOMEN?
Is FOX News trying to insinuate that strong women are the problem? Are we suppose to teach our girls to bend to the will of men and take less than they deserve just to make the men in their lives feel better? Because I’ve got to tell you, that will never happen in my house. We teach our girls to do their best, work their hardest and go for whatever they want. We teach them that anything is possible. I’m raising Alpha Girls.
The question was raised, “Do women LIKE being taken care of?” Well, I have a two-part answer for that. First of all, what does taken care of mean? Financial security? Shelter? Food? Or emotional support and love?
My first answer is yes! Of course, every person (man and woman) loves to be taken care of in a way that they have a partner that reciprocates unconditional love and support. Do we all like having someone in our life that will carry us through when we are down or give us a hand when we have fallen? Of course, we do. Doesn’t everyone? Do we like being financially stable and being provided a beautiful home and things? Of course, that is human nature. But do I expect my husband to provide my everything? No. He is my partner and I am his. We get through this life together. If being “taken care of” means my husband going to work every day while I stay home and work my tail off and that equals him getting to do whatever he wants while I get to be subservient, then no thank you. We take care of each other over here.
No one is leaning over crushing the other under his or her weight. Sure there are sometimes when he is the star and I let him shine and there are other times when I am leaning in so hard, he picks up all the slack. This is not him doing me a favor or me letting go of my dreams to support his. We do this for one another. No, marriage is not 100% equal all of the time. You are a fool if you think it is. But in the grand scheme of things, if you add up our years together and divide them by when ones been the star and the other has been the wind beneath the wings; it’s just about even.
I don’t make anywhere near as much as my husband does these days but when we were first out of college, I was the only one working while he interviewed for months. We lived together. There was no animosity. I worked while he looked for a job. Every night we sat down together for dinner, both of us had worked all day; one at a place of business the other at home. I appreciated everything he did for our home. I respected him for being a participant in our marriage and supporting me emotionally during that time in our life.
Once we had children, we made the decision that I would stay home. To be honest, I made the decision and he completely supported me. Since he had been home, he knew what had to be done to keep a home running. Once we had the children, he knew I was at home raising our babies. He knew all the other stuff I was doing as well and he supported me. We moved several times throughout our marriage for his dreams and now, he supports me in pursuing mine. When I go to conferences or on press trips, he is able to be flexible at his place of employment. He’ll work from home when I travel. When I have deadlines, he makes dinner. He knows how to give the girls a ballet bun. He takes them to ballet on nights when I need to host a Twitter party or have a Google chat about business.
In our home there are no master and servant roles, there are only 2 people who have loved and supported one another for the past 16 years. There are no man’s work or woman’s work, there are only things that need to get done and we do it…together. The idea that a man would divorce a committed, loving wife for making more money then him I ludicrous and only proves how stupid it is to let male pride and machismo get in the way of happiness.
In truth, the Big Guy says if I ever make enough money to be the sole breadwinner, he’d be more than happy to stay home with the girls and consult for a living. He gets pretty excited at the dream of an early retirement.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe that finances most certainly can contribute to the divorce rate but that usually has more to do with a lack of money. Our philosophy has always been that as long as we have one another’s love and support and the true desire to be together, there are very few problems that we couldn’t work through. Next week, we celebrate 15 years of marriage so apparently, what we do has been working for us.
Alpha women, Alpha Men, Alpha Babies and Alpha Dogs, we love them all.
2014/05/06
Strong Like A Girl #LikeAGirl
” Like a Girl ” what does that even mean? Like a boss? Like your best? Like you? Bigger? Bolder? Brighter? Faster? Harder? Stronger? Longer? Better? I’ve never gotten that phrase and I’ve always hated the negative connotation that is inferred by it. I’m a woman and I love being a woman. I don’t think being a female makes me less, it makes me more.
“Why do people say “grow some balls”? Balls are weak and sensitive. If you wanna be tough, grow a vagina. Those things can take a pounding.”
― Betty White ( Like a girl)
I am the proud mom of two very strong willed, strong minded and strong bodied, amazing girls. Girls who are smart, funny, caring, loving, challenging, athletic, witty, love science and math and give everything they do 110%. They are also beautiful, delicate, stubborn, opinionated, whimsical and 110% girl.

They are two of the fiercest little girls I know. They are everything they want to be and my only wish for them is happiness being their best version of themselves. I never want them to lose the belief that they can do and be anything they want to be. It’s all a matter of working hard and has absolutely NOTHING to do with what is between their legs. Contrary to popular belief, a vagina is not a liability. It’s a mother f*cking miracle.
You see, I’ve never put my girls into a box and I’ve NEVER in my life understood the asinine turn of phrase, “Like a girl” because it makes no sense. Girls grow up to be women. Women grow babies, give birth, hold careers, make homes for their families and hold shit together when the world starts to fall apart. Without women, quite literally, the species would cease to exist. Girls are can do anything boys can do, in most cases, even better because they’ve had to work twice as hard to get it.
The “Like A Girl” campaign as a social experiment to destroy the negative implications of the phrase. That ad was shown during last night’s Super Bowl game.
The video shows grown up men and women being asked to run, throw, and fight like a girl. In each case, they watered it down. They reacted slower, more cartoonish and awkward like. They “dumbed it down”. THEY thought it was funny. I don’t think it’s funny at all, especially when women are doing this. This makes us part of the problem, not the solution.
However, when the producers of the video asked young girls under the age of 10 to run, throw or fight “like a girl” they did it with all of their might. They ran as fast as they could. Fought as hard as they could. Threw as far as they could. They did not undersell themselves because they were doing it as they always believed they could. They had not yet been conditioned and beaten down by society’s stereotypes and become a cartoonish, underwhelming specimen of a woman. They were strong.

As a woman, who survived puberty, we all know that once puberty comes and your body starts to change. Your confidence is shaken. People react to you differently. You cross over from being a kid to being a woman and the expectations change. With breasts, you become shackled with limitations. It is a sad but true fact. Right now, my girls are still at the age where they do everything like no one is watching and there is a quiet strength and beauty in that.
The video bothered me a lot, then again I knew this day was coming. My oldest is about to be 10 and I have worked her entire life to make sure that she NEVER sees “like a girl” in a negative way. I want her to always know and accept that she is as good, as strong, capable and intelligent as any boy. If anything, I want my girls to know they are special because not only can they do every thing that men can do, we can do one thing that they can’t…conceive and give birth to a child. We are stronger in that capacity than any man can ever hope to be because we are the keepers of the world.
I think I’m doing a pretty good job, my girls look completely baffled when I ask them to do anything “like a girl” I have to clarify…just do it the way you do it. I’m pretty proud of that and them. Like a girl should be synonymous with Like a boss because that is how we do it around here.
I think my girls are the two most amazing creatures I know. They are strong, bold and fierce in ways I only wish that I was. I watch them grow in awe and humbled by their spirit. They inspire me to fight harder, to be better to make this world better for them….to make it what they deserve.
What does ” like a girl ” mean in your house?
2015/02/02
Bossy, My Ass, Calling Little Girls the B-Word is Fine
Of all the things I get up in arms about concerning women’s issues, being called bossy is not one of them.
In fact, I don’t find “bossy” to be derogatory.
There are so many other more important issues concerning women today than being referred to as “bossy”. I get what Sheryl Sandberg and Anna Maria Chavez are trying to say that by calling little girls “bossy” in a negative context, we are inadvertently teaching our girls that to be a leader, to be a woman who takes charge is a bad thing because men don’t like it. We are teaching our girls to give up their dreams of being leaders because it’s not the role they were meant to fill. I call bullshit.
I grew up being called “bossy” and “stubborn”, always. I don’t take it as an insult. Maybe it’s because my dad always told me that if I had something worth saying then I should say it and not to back down. My mom taught me that where there is a will, there is always a way. For me that translated into work hard, bust your ass, embrace your bossy and be the leader. At my core, I have always believed that there is nothing that I could not do. I could be, do or achieve anything…all I needed to do was commit, work hard and make it happen. Being called bossy didn’t hurt me. Being called bossy made me feel empowered, respected and even a little feared and I thought that was awesome!
A vagina is not a handicap. For me, people underestimating me because of my sex is their fatal flaw not mine. Hell, I may have had to fight a little harder to get what I wanted but believe me once I got where I wanted, I’ve always impressed people with my leadership skills probably because they started off with such low expectations since I am just a woman.
I just had a conversation with my 9-year-old and I asked her about this. She said that she doesn’t take it as an insult. She said that a boss is a leader who is in control of the situation and she said she likes being that person. She said in her group in class, she is the only girl with 4 boys and every time that they work on problems, if there are 10 math problems, she does six and lets each boy do one. She said this is because she wants them done right. She says the boys call her bossy but she told them she doesn’t care and if they want to be in charge they can be but then they get to do the 6 problems and she gets to do the one and she added….and I still want my A. So if you think you can do it, go ahead. To which the boy, quietly declined and has not called her bossy since.
I am thrilled to know that my girls are not afraid to lead. I am thrilled that they don’t get offended for being recognized as strong women but I am troubled that she is learning that to get things done right, she has to do 60% of the work while the boys each only do 10%.
I think we need to teach the world to reward our girls for being leaders and not turning a personality strength into a flaw. Don’t ban the word bossy, ban narrow mindedness.I want to raise strong minded, strong willed, strong bodied girls who have every faith in themselves that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to and most of all, I want them to NOT be afraid to lead. I want them to embrace their inner bossy.
Do you find the word bossy offensive?
2014/03/12
Precocious Puberty~ A Mother’s Prayer…for NO Pubic Hair!
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Kimberly Danek Pinkson
My girls are growing so fast, in a blink of an eye puberty will be hitting us over the head like a hammer. It seems every new day brings a lost tooth, a growth spurt of some sort, a new amazing feat they can perform or skill they have learned. In all reality, I am in constant awe (you know, with the exception of those days that I feel that I am watching paint dry). I’d say between my two girls I spend 97% of my life having my breath taken away. Some days it feels like it is all going by too quickly and I just want to slow it down a bit and enjoy it more. Then my friend, whose daughter is 7, drops this bomb on me….her daughter is getting underarm and pubic hair.WHAT??? Apparently when she was giving her little girls their nightly bath,she noticed a few tufts of hair after her daughter said she couldn’t get her underarms clean. Poor kid.
Puberty before the age of 10, say what?
Yes, you could hear a pin drop when she told me that, with the exception of the thud of my jaw hitting the floor. She, like myself, tries to feed her girls a reasonably healthy diet. They are pretty diligent about the organic/no hormone milk and dairy products, eggs, fruits and veggies. Her girls are not overweight. They are an average upper-middle class Caucasian American family. Yet, her little girl is on the brink of prepubescence. This thoroughly freaked me out. Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was changing diapers? I’m still wiping asses ( I just wiped one before I sat down to write this post. Don’t worry I washed my hands). What kind of cruel world is this that little girls who are still in need of their Mommies to bathe and wipe them ….should start getting pubic hair and menstruating? If you’re looking to remove unwanted body hair without worrying about waxing, cuts, or razor burns, look no further than the list of the best bikini trimmers here https://emeraldspa.com/best-pubic-hair-trimmer/.
Precocious Puberty;Dont be Fooled by the Name
They call it Precocious Puberty. It sounds all cute and adorable. As if cramps and mood swings are anything but terrible, especially for little girls. Don’t even get me started on the onslaught of hair growing in places you least want it. And so I am compelled to write a little prayer to God or the Goddess Mother Nature ( whomever you believe is responsible for this early onset puberty sweeping our nation and whomever can actually do anything about it).
Dear God,
It’s Me..Truthful Mommy (I’m sure even God thinks that’s my name by now) are you there?
Please let my little girls stay little for a little while longer.
I want to cuddle them and read them to sleep.
I want to kiss their foreheads and all their booboos and make them magically all better.
I want picnics in the park, uncontrollable giggles because I act like a goofball. I want innocence and virtue.
I want to be the best thing since sliced bread, for a little while longer.
I want to get to know them a little better before they become hairy, hormonal beasts.
I want the time to bond deeper before they hit that place in puberty where I am the enemy.
The moment that I become the dumbest, most ignorable and annoying person in the world.
I’m pretty sure this happens on the first day of spotting.
I am not ready for all that just yet.
Please wait until they are passed the age of losing teeth and learning to ride bicycles before bestowing their monthly visitor upon them.
I know with puberty, precocious or otherwise, comes boys.
You know we are not ready to deal with boys!
Dear God, most of all I pray for health and happiness for my girls.
Please give them a few more years to get their feet firmly planted on who they are before turning them into someone else.
This is my mother’s prayer.
Please, God…no more pubic hair (at least not for a few more years)!
For now, let’s just say no to early onset puberty (Amen)
Puberty, Precocious or otherwise
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2011/08/09
Date My Dad is a Refreshing New Take on the Modern Family
I watch a lot of television so when I was asked to screen Date My Date and have the opportunity to interview Barry Watson, I was all in. I like television shows and movies for various reasons. Truth is I’m a bit of a show binger. In the end, there is usually some kind of connection or take away that keeps me coming back and Date My Date did not disappoint.
I’ve spent my life as the kid who was always looking for the keychain at the gift shop that had my name on it. I never found it, at least not spelled correctly and my girls have the same issue. I was also the little girl who changed which box she checked on the enrollment card every single year. #BiracialKidProblems My point being my “niche” in life was a little smaller than others. I never quite found kids on television or movies who I could completely identify with.
Enter, Up TV’s new television show Date My Dad. Date My Dad is an original scripted dramedy starring Barry Watson (7th Heaven, Gossip Girl), Zenia Marshall and the legendary Raquel Welch. How can you go wrong?
Date My Dad begins airing June 2nd at 9PM ET on UP TV.
I had the chance to watch the pilot and rewatch it with my daughters and I have to say, we love it. It’s the first time my daughters have been able to watch a show and identify with the characters. For me, it’s huge that my 2 biracial daughters who follow after their mom’s freckled Mexican complexion can see girls on the show who represent Latinas that look like them and the fact that we all come in different colors, complexions, eye and hair combinations. That is refreshing for me.
But whether you are a single parent, raising your kids alone, or like many of us finding ourselves depending on extended family and friends to help raise our children (because it really does take a village) you too will find something you can identify with on Date My Dad.
Date My Dad is about a widowed father, Ricky (played by Barry Watson), who is navigating his way through raising his daughters ranging in ages from just pretween to teen and between. Ricky just turned 40 and life is not what he expected it to be at this juncture in his life but along with the help of his Mother-in-Law (played by the force that is Raquel Welch), his brother and his wife and his neighbors, he is figuring it out. Along the way, he is learning a little bit more about himself and, maybe for the first time, seeing his daughters as people and not just his children. It all becomes very evident in the pilot when his girls set out to find their dad someone to love because they feel he deserves to have someone.
The show is touching and endearing without being overly saccharine. It’s also infused with just the right amount of sarcasm and humor to balance the sometimes serious themes of the show.
My girls are 9 and 12-years-old and we watched it and all found it not only captivating and well-written but appropriate for audiences of all ages. Finally, something you can watch with your children without having to worry about suddenly having to cover their eyes or ears.
But if you don’t believe me, just check out this video of Date My Dad.
I also had the pleasure recently of interviewing Ricky ( Barry Watson) at Mom 2.0 Summit and I’ve got to say, aside from playing a great Ricky he is a genuinely good and likable guy. Plus, he is a fellow hand talker so obviously, we are now best friends. Okay, maybe not best friends but he certainly was fun to interview and run into, over and over again. Stop following me, Barry 😉
I only wrote that because I know he would totally laugh because he did. We seriously ran into each other several times in those 3 days. We have a bet going on who is actually whose stalker.
Anyways, if you don’t believe me that this show is going to rock, check out my interview below and see for yourself. And don’t hold it against me that I totally have over expressive face disorder and am a major hand talker.
Kudos to Barry because if I were him, I would have been terrified with all that craziness going on in front of me. He was a good sport and I’m telling you as a friend, you really should watch Date My Date and watch it with the whole family.
To celebrate this great new addition to the UP TV roster, join @UPtv on Twitter every Friday night during Date My Dad for the chance to win great prizes and chat about the show with special guest hosts. UP TV is the entertainment brand that can truly say “We Get Family” and offers viewing experiences that feature authentic, relatable stories about all types of families, in all their complexities.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by UP TV however, all thoughts and opinions about Date my Dad are my own.
2017/05/25
Why You Must Vote like Your Life Depends on It
I am completely befuddled at what is happening in America right now. How can we live in a country where our own common sense and intelligence is pushed aside to listen to what a politician says? Never mind, science and medicine. People are literally dying while we fight over semantics. Fun fact: Coronavirus is real and it doesn’t care if you’re a Democrat or Republican. This is why you must vote like your life depends on it.
As Americans, as human beings, why can’t we all get on the same page and agree that human life is more important than who’s a democrat and who’s a republican? Political parties are supposed to be chosen based upon the candidate whose political ideologies align closest to our own. Everyone has the right to choose for themselves who that is. But somethings are bigger than that, like human life.
Vote like your life depends on it
When I see someone in need, I help them. I don’t ask for credentials first. If someone is desperately in need of help, I don’t care what race, religion, sexual orientation or political party they belong to because that is extraneous information. None of that is relevant when I’m deciding whether or not to help someone in need. So why can’t we all agree that this pandemic needs to be controlled? More importantly, why can’t we all do our small part to stop the spread?
Coronavirus is real. We know this. It has killed 231,000 Americans to date. That’s not a hoax, that’s facts. Just ask the relatives of those who’ve lost their loved ones.
231,000 mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters of America dead.
All that is being asked of us, as conscientious Americans, is to social distance, wear masks when in public, stay home when sick and use common sense and yet, some still refuse. People have actually become combative to the point of protesting and refusing to comply with mask mandates. I’ve seen people not only refuse to wear masks but purposely cough at other people. Coronavirus is becoming a weapon of the willfully ignorant. People are brutally fighting and even murdering others over a mask.
READ ALSO: Why I Risked My Life to Vote
I get it, the President of the United States (who has access to the world’s best healthcare and an unlimited budget to get round the clock, top of the line treatment) said it wasn’t too bad. He even said, “Don’t be afraid of CoVid. Don’t let it dominate your life.” I’m glad he didn’t die. I’m happy it wasn’t too bad for him but even if I can accept that, you need to accept the fact that I have several friends who are now CoVid long haulers and I’ve lost family members. Either he’s extremely lucky, extremely well cared for or maybe just completely full of shit. His behavior is not only irresponsible but dangerous to all Americans. What exactly is the point of this continuous gaslighting of the American people?
Coronavirus isn’t a Democratic hoax. These people aren’t coming back after the election. They haven’t been sequestered on some remote tropical island virus and I’m pretty confident they haven’t gone into the Democratic party’s super-secret Coronavirus witness protection program. They are dead forever. There’s no reset button for them. Of course, they also didn’t have the same kind of treatment available to them as the president because they are regular people, like you and I.
READ ALSO: The Consequence of believing your vote doesn’t count.
Everything is opening back up, just in time for the election which happens to coincide with cold and flu season. Hospitals are full and overcapacity here in Indiana, yet, our mask mandate is scheduled to ends in a couple of weeks. Our high school is in Mode 2 but, when the quarter ends and the mask mandate ends, the plan is for the students to come back fully in person, Mode 1. The cases are constantly rising as are the number of kids quarantined at the school, but hey, let’s do like our president and let’s go against common sense, science and modern medicine and just do what the fuck we want to do.
I am at the point that I’m feeling like maybe I’m having some sort of mental break because how can this many people be this fucking ignorant? How can they believe a politician with an agenda over their own fucking eyeballs? It would be comical if it weren’t so frightening.
Vote like your life depends on it because it does. Either way, your way of life is about to change.
I’m a Democrat. I used to be a Republican (when I was in college). I’m also a devout Roman Catholic. My educational background is in political science, history, criminology and sociology. I learned about the branches of government, procedure and law. My politics and my religion may not always be on the same page 100% but you have to weigh the consequences of the many over the benefits of the few. That is free will and I believe that my God gave me free will, intelligence and the capacity to love all people.
READ ALSO: What Every Mom Needs to Know about Coronavirus
My lifetime of religious studies has taught me to never judge others and to show compassion, empathy and love to others. I’m supposed to do for others as I would want them to do unto me and I know that no one human is of more value than any other so it is my social responsibility and Christian duty to do my part to put good into the world not spread hate and incite fear-mongering. I believe in truth and honesty.
Let’s say you really, truly, believe that Coronavirus is not a threat and maybe you’ll be one of the lucky ones who it doesn’t affect long-term or kill. Fine, you are entitled to your beliefs but why can’t you still wear a mask, just in case, if it makes others feel safe.
If you believe Coronavirus is real but you don’t like wearing a mask, surprise, none of us do but if you could save a life by wearing one, why wouldn’t you? You think it’s your “right” not to wear one, it’s not. Nowhere in the Constitution or the bible does it say you have the right to not wear a mask and intentionally (and maliciously) put others at risk. If we could all adhere to common sense and logic, listen to science and wear the masks, all of this could be controlled and we could go back to a more normal existence.
Right now, I feel like a prisoner in my own house because I have an underlying condition and I can’t count on everyone to do their part to keep me safe even though I do mine. More importantly, I have a president who is gaslighting those of us following the science. I feel like I’m living in an alternate reality.
I’m not here to push a candidate down your throat. All I ask, in any election but especially in this one, is that you please use your own judgment, common sense and intelligence. Your vote is more important than it has ever been.
Vote like your life depends on it because it does and so does your kids’.
2020/11/01
Creative Tips to Foster A Love Of Reading
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
It may appear to be a difficult effort to encourage your child to pick up a book and start reading. Even if you encourage a positive relationship with reading from the time your child was an infant, many parents find that as their children get older, their children’s enthusiasm for reading begins to wane, and getting their children to pick up a book becomes more of a struggle than a pleasurable way to pass a few hours. This is true even if you encouraged a positive relationship with reading from the time your child was an infant.
How, therefore, can you instill a love of reading in your child while preventing it from being a source of disagreement between the two of you?
Beginning a healthy relationship with reading and books while you are still a young child by sharing stories with your children is the best way to proceed. If you are worried about your child’s ability to read, you should check out the reading standards by age and start reading books to them right away and continue until they can read on their own.
Make sure your tales are entertaining, easy to understand and follow their lead. If they just want to stay still for a few pages, then you should not force them to continue for the complete book because this will encourage a bad experience with books in and of itself. As you read to them, you should make an effort to engage them in the tale by asking them straightforward questions or encouraging them to make silly sounds. Or you could let them read the narrative to you, or encourage them to look at the photos and come up with their own interpretation of what is happening or what they think is occurring based on what they see.
Allow them to choose the reading material that suits them.
Reading may take many forms, including perusing comic books. It might not appear at first glance that kids are reading when they follow the plot in comic books; nevertheless, there are always words on the page and a storyline to follow, so this qualifies as reading. It will only be counterproductive to try to get them to read literature in which they have no interest. Therefore, if you truly want your child to develop a passion for reading, you should give them the freedom to do so on their own terms.
Audiobooks
If they enjoy listening to music, you may suggest that they try listening to children’s audiobooks instead. Some children have a different way of processing information; therefore, reading the words on a page will not be something they can do easily. It is possible that substituting sounds for words will be the answer to broadening their knowledge while allowing them to continue listening to stories in a new style.
When it comes to reading, it is essential to keep in mind that you should follow your child’s lead. If you take the initiative and attempt to get them to read novels that you like or that you believe are appropriate for their maturity level, you will only succeed in driving them farther away from reading, and they may not want to read anything at all as a result.
2022/07/30
Fashion Haul Friday ~ Karen Kane
Fashion Haul Friday ~ Karen Kane This week’s fashion find is a Reversible Faux Fur Vest by Karen Kane. If you’ve never heard of Karen Kane, you are missing out, mamas. Karen Kane is high quality, reasonably priced fashion. Forget the big stores we are used to frequenting, like Target and Kohls (not that I don’t love them but I want some place to shop for JUST me not the whole family), think boutique. Think being the hottest mom in the drop off, think Karen Kane!
How Hot is this Karen Kane Faux Fur Vest?
I received this in the mail and couldn’t wait to wear it but where to? I was over thinking it. But it was so beautiful that I didn’t want to wear it just anywhere.Then I remembered to live for today. It’s like fine China, you spend an entire lifetime looking at your China through the glass door of your China cabinet but wouldn’t it be more fun to actually use it? I decided that I wanted to wear this beautiful gray faux fur vest today and I did. I put it on with a well-fitted, long sleeved t-shirt, a pair of jeans and my sweater boots. I reported for room mother duties in my daughter’s classroom feeling put together and cute, instead of hiding behind a ponytail, dark sunglasses and yoga pants. That in itself was an awesome feeling. The vest is generously cut and if you are on the smaller built size you may want to actually purchase a size smaller than you usually wear. I happen to be very well endowed upfront and the vest closed perfectly. I also love the fact that it is reversible because you can change your entire demeanor with the switch of your vest. If you are feeling a little more rocker, switch it around so that the fur is on the outside’ pair it with the incredible turtle neck paired with the vest in the photo and a pair of well-fitting skinny jeans and of course a pair of hot 5 inch heels. This is definitely a piece to help rescue you from sweat pants purgatory.
Karen Kane; Redefining the Mom Uniform
Features:
A fabulous faux fur vest that can top off any outfit. Turn it inside out to completely change the look of the vest. You’ll love how easy it is to create so many outfits using one simple piece!Details include: • Faux Fur • Raw edges and seams • 95% Polyester 5% Spandex • Available in gray and ivory • Imported • Dry clean
I am currently in love with this vest. It is my new favorite piece. It’s warm, fuzzy and chic;perfect for the cold winter ahead. It’s also perfect for sipping wine by the fire with your favorite snuggle bunny. Not only has Karen Kane made my heart skip a beat with this collection, they will make you fall in love with them too because Karen Kane is generously offering a $100 gift certificate to one of my lucky subscribers to use on any piece you want on the Karen Kane website. What would you choose? Buy yourself something sexy to wear for Valentine’s Day. They are also extending a 25% discount for all of The TRUTH about Motherhood readers; good from January 13, 2012 to February 13,2012. Just use the promo code TRUTHFULMOMMY!
There are a few mandatory rules that you must adhere to enter the giveaway:
Mandatory: Leave a comment for EACH mode of entry you choose to employ for the Karen Kane #giveaway in the comments below the post
( you do NOT have to enter the number of entries each one is worth because Rafflecopter will figure that out. I.e. You only have to write one entry comment for writing a blog post about the giveaway).
*Important Mandatory entries
( if you don’t do these, you will NOT be entered)
1) MUST RSS or Email SUBSCRIBE TO The TRUTH About Motherhood ( GFC doesn’t count) 2) Must Like the TRUTH about Motherhood FB page 3) Must Like Karen Kane FB page. Fill out the rafflecopter survey below and it will guide you through all the various ways to enter. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclaimer: Karen Kane is providing the gorgeous prize for the giveaway and provided me with the product to review. The opinion expressed in this post about Karen Kane is my own honest review of the product.
Karen Kane; New Year, New You
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2012/01/13
Blog Like No One is Reading
Discombobulated. Exhausted. What time is it? What day is it? Wow! I am in the throes of one of the worst Christmas hangovers I’ve ever experienced. It’s outrageous. My poor blog has suffered and fallen to the wayside of my priorities. With all the moments saturated in holiday joy and togetherness, sitting down to write about it seemed to feel like it might spoil the magic. I wanted to live it not write about it and that is what I did and it was magnificent.
On December 14^{th the}Nutcracker ended and then I played the most intensive game of catch up that I’ve ever had the misfortune to take part in. My blogging has been shit because I had so many obligations that I needed to get done. Then Christmas came and I have purposely been spending time with my girls and the Big Guy. I am like a damn quality time camel, I am trying to suck it all up while we are in this holiday bubble, before people start going back to school and work, before deadlines are mounting and the out-of-control-ness of life takes hold once again.
I do want to get back to blogging like I did in the beginning before I had to worry about who was or wasn’t reading. I’m forgetting that my mom, mother-in-law and Homeland security have all been known to frequent my page. I want to blog like no one is reading once again. I want to comment and read blogs. I want to know what’s going on outside my bubble. I want people to give me their perspective on what I write even if they disagree. I want to have long, drawn out conversations in 140 characters. I want to make new friends online. I want to hug the necks of all those who have taken the time to engage. I want quality to matter over quantity. I want content to be king again. I don’t want to worry about fucking SEO, my “numbers” or how much to charge. I want to write what I feel and say what I mean and not give a damn.
I have a list of goals for my life, the blog and my family (by the way, I always have a list of goals not just on the brink of a New Year. I am a chronic list maker, if you are one too, I am sure that you have a list of goals at all times too. Go ahead, flip through your phone, notebook or journal, I’ll wait). I want to be better and yet, I want to be who I am; loud and proud and free of over-thinking. I don’t want to worry about other people’s judgment or care what they think about what I have to say. I want to blog like no one is reading. I want to live like there is no tomorrow and I want to dance like no one is watching.
Life is too short to do anything else. So this year, I have my list of things that I want to accomplish. Most are things that I do already, some are things I need to remind myself to do and others I have completely forgotten or given up on but I like a challenge so on my list they remain. 2013 was good to me, better than 2012, but I want to blow the roof off of 2014, in so many ways. Mostly, I want to be better, love harder and live fully. I want to mommy with compassion and patience, I want to be more present in my life and more passionate in my marriage. I want to give 110% to the things that matter and most of all, I want to be happy with myself with no regrets.
I wish all of you an abundance of love, peace in your heart and success in your every endeavor. Be brave, blog like no one is reading and live like each day is a new beginning of your story. Embrace it with enthusiasm and wonder, because each day is a chance to rewrite your story. Each moment is redemption and salvation. Don’t plan for how you want to live your life…just live, right this moment; every minute of every single day for the rest of your life.
Wishing you all the happiest New Year filled with moments that take your breath away!
I am serious about wanting to read and comment of blogs and I am serious about more conversations on Twitter and I really want to have conversations and share on FB not just read and like links like its a job. I want to look forward to hearing what you have to say. Let’s do this. Let’s bring it back.Let’s blog like no one is reading…like it’s 2009.
Leave your blog url, twitter handle or FB page in the comments and I will check you out. Here’s to 2014!
What’s your #1 goal for 2014?

2013/12/31
How to Teach Your Kids to Be Internet Awesome and Stay Safe Online
Disclosure: This is a compensated campaign and I was hosted by Google and #WeAllGrow Latina Network to experience the Be Internet Awesome / Se Genial en Internet program and get pointers on how to stay safe online firsthand but all opinions are my own.
Trying to teach your kids to be internet awesome and stay safe online? Are you amazed by how tech savvy and online in tune your children are? I am. I didn’t use the Internet until the late 90’s when I was in college. In fact, the word processor (for you people too young to remember it was a really fancy, digital typewriter) that I owned had to be pried from my hands and I went kicking and screaming. My then tech-savvy boyfriend, now husband of 20 years, chided me for holding on to such an antiquated and outdated piece of machinery. Hey, it did the job of typing up my college papers and that was all I needed. Or was it?
I mean, I had no idea the scope of what the Internet could be. I definitely had no idea how to be internet awesome or safe. The internet was all new when I was in college. I existed before social media and the internet. Nobody was Googling me before an interview.
Now, I could not survive without being able to Google everything. Like what actor played in that movie that we saw last week who played in that other movie? You know the one. Or being able to Google the passage in the Lord of the Flies that reminds me of that other book? You know the one. Or what was the name of that restaurant that we ate at in the little city when we took our road trip that one year? The one with the weird foods but the really cool assortment of craft beers. This makes me realize how dependent we’ve become on the internet and how it became a necessity in our daily lives.
I Google everything and everyone. Google everyone, how scary is that? Most people Google you now before they even meet you. Our children live in a time where very little is private, most relationships begin online and they are slowly forgetting how to interact face to face. The thing is while I am wowed by evolution, I sometimes feel like maybe we’ve gone socially backward while thrusting ourselves technologically forward. This is what scares me.
READ ALSO: Protecting Your Privacy Online
I know to be wary. I went to college before social media. And while I live and thrive in social media now, I am forever grateful that it did not exist when I was a teenager. I did enough ridiculous things that I wish I could forget. Things I would never want to be living forever on the Internet. When I think of what could have ended up online, I cringe. This makes me really want to protect my children from the Internet and themselves. But how do I do it?
How do I teach my kids to be internet awesome and stay safe online?
Yes, there are many ways to put parental restrictions on the Internet and you can try to limit your child’s exposure but the fact of the matter is that you can’t keep them in that internet bubble forever. The best thing that we can do for our children is to teach them to use the internet responsibly. We won’t be there forever so we need to teach them to make good choices. Respect themselves. Respect others and to have a healthy distrust in people that they have never met in person because a person behind a screen can pretend to be anyone and people aren’t always who they pretend to be online, or in person for that matter. It’s basically like teaching them about sex, drugs and alcohol. The internet can be an amazing place but it can also be that dangerous in the hands of unsuspecting, naive children.
When our children are young, we do our best to help them get the most out of the internet while protecting them from the risks and downsides of the online world. As children mature into the tween and teen years, our roles shift from helping them learn to make their own safe and thoughtful decisions as they begin to navigate their digital lives.
Google believes in partnering with teachers and parents to prepare students to be internet awesome:
Think critically and evaluate websites, email and other content online.
Protect themselves from online threats, including bullying and scams.
Get smart about sharing: what, when, how, and with whom.
Be kind and respectful toward other people online, including respecting their privacy.
Ask for help with tricky situation from a parent or other trusted adult.
To aid parents in this new milestone, this year, Google has developed a multifaceted program, Be Internet Awesome/ Se Genial En Internet designed to teach kids the skills they need to be safe and smart online. This FREE digital citizenship and online safety program are available to everyone.
READ ALSO: Cyber Fan or Cyberstalker and how to know the difference
One of the resources, Interland, is a browser-based game that makes learning these skills interactive and fun – just like the Internet itself. Developed by Google in partnership with educators, researchers, and online-safety experts at iKeepSafe.org, Be Internet Awesome/ Se Genial En Internet provides fun, age-appropriate learning experiences built around five foundational lessons:
- Share with Care | Online Reputation
- Donʼt Fall for Fake | Phishing & Scams
- Secure Your Secrets | Privacy & Security
- Itʼs Cool to Be Kind | Online Harassment
- When in Doubt, Talk It Out | Inappropriate Content
Smart, safe technology usage can enable students to help drive their own learning and help schools function better. It is a definite step toward ensuring that all students learning, exploring, and staying safe online, inside and outside school walls.
Last week, I saw the program in action at an event hosted by Google for students and their parents at Gallistel Language Academy in Chicago. It was moving to see all these parents show up for their children on a weekday, in the middle of the day. They know that it’s important that we teach our kids to be safe online because we can’t watch them every minute of every day.
The event was packed with eager children and willing parents, experiencing the Be Internet Awesome program; playing Interland and learning valuable lessons about the digital world. Google had plenty of staff on site to walk families through the program. The kids even received a certificate once they completed Interland and were certified to be internet awesome. It was a great learning experience and I loved seeing how proud the families were of their children.
But Be Internet Awesome/ Se Genial en Internet is not just for those who could attend the event, you can teach your own children to be internet awesome by visiting the Be internet awesome website and letting your kids learn how to navigate their digital lives safely.
What’s the most important thing you think your child needs to know to be internet safe? Does your child know how to be awesome online / se genial en internet and stay safe online? Are you sure?
How do you teach your kids to be internet awesome/ se genial en internet and stay safe online?
2018/08/27