You are a very clever and entertaining writer! Keep it up, I enjoy laughing andf thinking about how I raised my 2 in Hoboken. Now they are parents....
Karen

Great advice.....My two parenting mantras have always been......"Never Say Never" -- You just don't know what you're going to do as a parent until you're actually in the situation. So be careful with the judgements you pass on other parents and what they're doing in THEIR situations. The other mantra I believe in is this....."Do what you have to do to get through the moment, the hour, the day, whatever, and worry about the consequences later" There were times when my kids were little that I found myself doing something that I swore I'd never do, but at 4 a.m. when I'd been up for four days straight, I just did what I had to do to get a few minutes rest.

And BTW -- I've definitely bribed my 3 children before. My favorite is when we'd all go on a vacation and stay in the same hotel room. I'd offer up a dollar to the kid who fell asleep the fastest each night! Well worth the money.

LOL yes a good bribe always pays off in the end.

Pay them in Iraqi dinars. Then later you can explain to them about the monetary rates and international exchange. Later yet, why the US dollar will be worth less than Iraqi dinars.

Great article. Now how about a pet feature? How to parent your pet? :)

or chucky cheese tokens!!!

Great article and great advice. Every kid is different and so parenting will never be a one size fits all situation. I hope this becomes a regular feature on Hoboken Patch.

Great piece - now I know how to shake you down at playdates. Congrats on the columns and good luck!

"So by all means, don’t take advice from anyone—including those who razzle-dazzle you with their self-certainty and efficiency—without first measuring it against your values, common sense and your child’s own unique set of qualities".

I love this quote and it is great advice!

Thanks, everybody!

Apparently you weren't kidding about giving birth to the mother of all pop culture columns! Good luck!

Haha! Love it- especially the tidbits about Bob. Looking forward to the next one.

Now this is advice I can follow!
It's also the advice I give my friends who are new mothers drowning in advice from books and well meaning but interferring relatives and friends. Everyone's child and circumstances are different and what was working one day may change the next- it may even change in the same day.

Kudos on a refreshing and humorous debut column. I'm looking forward to your next one.

Nancy! Great column.
I work with Bob in Wallace school. Although I have seen his cat picture, and he's told me his cat stories, our conversations are usually about ink cartridges. I bumped into him in Best Buy a few years ago. We both bought the same computer/printer package. So he's always telling me where to get cheaper ink. He's a nice guy.
My daughter is 22 now. If you need any hints on dealing with the teenage years...give a yell! I also have a few ideas on how to live with an adult/child. First thing, stock up on hair dye. You're gonna need it!
Sue

Great article! Refreshing honesty regarding child rearing.

You should be very proud of your toddler.

On the back side of my sons’ teenage years, the only truism is that teenagers are proof that humans are related to cockroaches. They travel in groups and only come out at night to feed. If you work normal hours, you will rarely see them. They text about going out just about the time you are starting to yawn and fight sleep. They are also, evidently, partially deaf because they do not hear the volume or lyrics to that “music” they listen to. Like cockroaches, they rely on vibrations.
And don’t worry about having to give up your phone. It will not be cool or technologically advanced enough. They will take your phone only to demonstrate how to access some feature that you didn’t even know that you had. And when you ask them how they did that, you will have to accept, “uh, duuh” as part of the explanation that you will not be able to follow. So, you will proudly kiss them on the forehead as they head out into the night to “chill” and lie with one eye open until their safe return.
Hair dye – I own 6 boxes.
Fun column Nancy - keep up the good work.

I liked this Nancy.

My parents had reward system for when I said ain't. If I said it, I paid them a nickle. If I said isn't, I got a dime. Eventually out of habit I just didn't say ain't and no one got paid.

Just another way to use bribes.

Excellent column and good luck! Refreshing, warm, and engaging. A friend of mine would use a map of the world as a tablecloth and protected it with a heavy sheet of clear vinyl. It made for good conversation and discussion of travels with her child. I'm looking forward to your next piece.

Thanks, pat! The map-tablecloth's a great idea.

Saw little avenger had a great day at school!!!! Its all good when they go back to school...yay

Oh bambam go back under your rock, you're a foolish court jester and you'll make no points by embarssing yourself.
signed
pebbles lol

hmm, bambam, mine and horsey's comments all disappear, wtf is up with this site??