Ten Personal Lessons Learned In Raising Kids
Note: These 10 personal lessons learned are a tongue-in-cheek appraisal of what Moms of Cuddlebugs can expect now and in the years ahead. 1. Spending time with my children means more than what I bought at Toys-R-Us last Thursday 2. Tucking them in at night requires a brief show-and-tell and a 20-minute Q&A session – so clear your schedule. 3. Children will tell your business at the Wal-Mart checkout – forcing you to pretend you forgot an item and leave a long line to retrieve anything. 4. Children do not obey the rule – if the bathroom door is closed, do not come in – and barge in only to quickly inform you that you do look funny naked, and then leave. 5. You will cry when you overhear your child praying and they don’t know you’re there. 6. You will receive a call from the school that your son is
Child Abuse Vigil Draws Attention to Community Problem – Part Two
Note: This is part two of a series about child abuse in Onslow County. For part one, click here. We, a community of colleagues, parents, family, friends and neighbors – do not accept the statistics of child abuse. What can we do? We are dismayed as to why children are abused. We ask – who could or would do such a thing? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this question. Abusers aren’t the scary monsters we envision. Sadly, they can be a neighbor, a friend, and a co-worker. What we do know is that child abuse is more likely to occur when parents are struggling from: Stress Pressures A difficult or painful childhood Addictions Feelings of isolation Unrealistic expectations of children The greatest gift we can offer to families who are at risk or in crisis is our time and our listening ears – to hear them and get
Child Abuse Vigil Draws Attention to Community Problem – Part 1
“It shouldn’t hurt to be a child” was the key message at the Fifth Annual Child Abuse Vigil at Onslow Memorial Hospital held in October. Onslow County has historically ranked as one of the highest in child-abuse rates in the state. Officials say that’s primarily because the county is also the youngest county in North Carolina, with a median age of 23. There were a total of 388 reported cases of child abuse in Onslow County in 2008. These numbers have declined drastically from the thousands since Onslow Memorial Hospital started hosting the Vigil. As the Maternal/Child Case Manager for Onslow Memorial Hospital, I was asked to speak at the vigil and share my views on parenting and how I help educate parents about this important issue. Bill Cosby said it well: “Raising children is an incredibly hard and risky business in which no cumulative wisdom is gained: Each generation repeats the mistakes
