It's nice to do favors for your family now and again . It's what they're for. We all need each other in order to survive, and we have to come through for each other. For example, if your beloved sister just gave birth, you might offer to come over to her house and help clean, or take care of the baby while she goes and gets a massage. We do this because we love each other, and because we hope they would do it for us in return. But, as with anything, there is a line . It shouldn't interfere with…

Birthday parties should be all about the birthday haver. It's their day to do whatever they feel like doing. They get to choose what food they eat, what activities they do, and who is around them for it. It's the one day of the year when you get to be utterly selfish . But, you'd expect, that your wife is one person that you'd like to include in that selfishness. Not that you can't enjoy time with friends as well (you should), but it's probably not a sign of a healthy relationship if you want t…

Life's not easy as the 'easy child'

Cinderella story

Getting your child to school every morning is one of the top tasks of being a parent. It's part of the gig. You either have to do it yourself or rely on someone else in your community (a neighbor, a friend, a bus driver) to do it for you. That's why when they get to the age of being independent enough to do it on their own, it's a huge blessing. But what age is the right age, especially if the school is within walking distance? There's a Japanese show called "Old Enough!” that follows the journ…

Back to that parenting grind.

Apparently, moms don't always know best.

Sometimes, you get out-witted by a toddler and you just have to laugh.

Sharing the same as someone can be a huge form of respect . New parents often name their babies after a relative who has passed or someone in their lives who they want to honor. That way the child can carry on their legacy. However, having the same name as a peer can be confusing. I remember being in grade school with 4 different Olivias in my class. One of them had to go by Olive and the rest of them scrapped it out, using the first initial of their last name. It was a logistical mess, especia…

Please stop changing your costume idea

Talk about favoritism

Harry and Marv never stood a chance

This rule feels targeted

Favoritism is not something you want to get accused of as a parent. If you have more than one kid, you should do your best to love them and support them equally, since they're all your kids. And it's just a good example to set for them. But it's also incredibly common that parenting styles change from kid to kid. When you're on your first kid, everything is new and untested, and you have basically no idea what you're doing. By the time the second kid rolls around you're more of an expert, you'v…

Sounds like they're being set up for success

What's the magic word?