Recently a MOB reader emailed to ask for recommendations on what her friends, with teenage kids, might enjoy doing during an upcoming trip to New York City. It’s timed for mid-February, and they’re staying on Times Square, so I actually suggested the Westminster Dog Show. This tip is valid only if you’re a dog lover. I [...]
In the epic war between parents and children, it is rare that you find a new weapon so effective that it surpasses all previous tactics, arsenals and strategic maneuvers. Not only is it rare – but it is really a beautiful thing. Because let’s face it, parents – even on a good day, we are [...]
Most kids earn their first pocket money by feeding the neighbors’ dogs and mowing their lawns. We have more esoteric neighbors. Our boys have all taken turns iguana-sitting and watering a bonsai collection for the couple located just across the back yard. This is the perfect first job, because our neighbors are: 1. Frequently out of [...]
May I brag for just a moment to the blogosphere about my son who not only failed his eye test last week – but also came up considerably short on two other occasions within a 24 hour period? The first screw up was his book report. Any parent who has a kid matriculating in our [...]
Sometimes the best laid plans are the most last-minute ones. This seems counter-intuitive, but just think what impromptu action spares you: over-thinking, over-planning, over-waffling. Late last Wednesday night, my friend Lindsay emailed from her business trip in NYC asking if I could run up, go to dinner, and spend the night on Thursday. I didn’t [...]
It was only a matter of time. The events of the last week come as no shock to Dave and me. The only surprise is that it took this long. And that Chase was the first one to be hit with the genetic betrayal that is his legacy. We always assumed that Noah would be [...]
Last night’s news had a report that American children are now spending almost the equivalent of a full workday staring at a screen. Facebook. XBox. Texting. TV watching. Web surfing. It adds up. Big deal. I would like to point out that I, a representative of the middle-aged American, am a target of marketers as well. Screens are [...]
Yesterday, the Pew Research Center released a study that reported that wives are out earning their husbands more than ever before. According to the study, in 1970 just 4 percent of husbands ages 30-44 had lower incomes than their wives. In 2007, that percentage was 22 percent. Hello America from 22 percent! Dave is a [...]
For years, with no signs of relenting, our boys have loved to watch constant reruns of Seinfeld. Initially, this surprised me. Wouldn’t the bad 90′s fashions bum them out? The big white sneakers, Jerry’s mullet, the tight sweatshirts? No, the fashions and styles didn’t bother them. If anything, Ian, Hugh and Malcolm view these things as having vintage [...]
This week our grown-up bed arrives! While I know for 99 percent of you, this proclamation conjures up memories of the childhood move from the crib to a real bed jury rigged with side bars, placed upon the floor, with pillows on every side so that it is actually safer than a crib, our grown-up [...]
