Well, Hello

That last month of school nearly did me in, what with all the parties and plays and performances – I was pooped! Then the summer started. Then the deadlines rolled down like thunder. Then I sent my two little darlings off to spend three weeks with their grandmother and aunts.

With all that, I either had too much to blog about and, seriously, "no time for this," or nothing to blog about and all the time in the world.

Either way, I'm back to the blog and am hoping you'll find some funny stuff, helpful tidbits and useful information as we continue on this parenting journey together.

Have a topic/event/product/person/place you think I should to know about? Send me and email at carolyn.graham@parenthood.com.

And stay tuned!

Interview: A Q&A With My Mom

I interviewed my mom for the May issue's Editor's Note. Here's the complete Q&A with Cora, the undisputed queen of our clan:

I know you are cute,
I know you are funny.
I know you are sweet,
You're a lot like your mummy.

My mom scribbled that little rhyme to me in an autograph book back in my grade-school days, and it makes me smile to this day. Even though these days we live almost 800 miles apart and both of us lead busy lives, she still manages to help me along on this parenting journey, often with incredible wisdom, always with calm and patience, and usually with her trademark wit.

I thought I'd share a bit of her wisdom and humor by conducting a brief Q&A with my mom, who raised three girls and is a grandparent to one young woman (my mom won't let me reveal my niece's age), a 9-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy.

Why is being a mom so difficult?
Because you have kids. That's what's wrong with this country.

Do you think we moms make raising kids more difficult, or is that our kids' faults?
Of course it's the kids.

Do you think being a mom is fun? Why or why not?
Yes, it's fun just thinking about them knowing that I am still the boss.
No, wait - some of them think they are on a pedestal, too.

What would you consider to be a few of your mothering "mistakes"?
I wish I had not thrown your pinwheel out the car window over the golf course.
I wish I had known that children who put kitties in the refrigerator needed more supervision.
I wish I had kept a closer eye on the kids' dog, before she ate 20 boxes of Camp Fire Girl candy.
I wish I had played more Monopoly with them, rather than finding out that the kids where throwing tomatoes at someone's white convertible passing by on the street.
I wish I had visited the school more so my daughter would not have gotten sent to the principal's office for throwing dirt clods with a boy (Editor's note: That wasn't me).
I wish I had not taken the caramel apples for a Halloween party to Carolyn's class in a Coor's beer box.

What would you consider to be your shining moments as a mom?
When Carolyn earned the top prize for candy sales (thanks, dog).
I did go on a lot of trips with the marching band, against her wishes. You are welcome.
Encouraged the kids to go to college.
Took them on summer vacations to California, Oregon, Texas, Florida, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, Bahamas, Mexico and oh, yeah, Las Vegas.
And I sold real estate, all while being a mom.
Whew! I am tired.

What makes a great Mother's Day in your mind?
Having all three of my girls and grandchildren together. If they cannot come, a nice gift will suffice.

Why was Carolyn your favorite child?
Because she is just like me.

Thanks, Mom, and Happy Mother's Day to you and all the moms out there! (Your gift is in the mail.)

Interview: Tween Expert & Author Rosalind Wiseman

What is the most important message on the minds of tweens these days? That they matter and that they have a voice and want to be heard. That's what tween expert Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queens Bees & Wannabes (which inspired the movie Mean Girls), told me in a video/phone interview last week.

Wiseman offers words of advice to haggard parents such as me, who often finds herself mystified by this irrational, emotional creature that has taken over the body of my adorable little youngster. But the tween years are a critical window of opportunity for parents to be a helpful and credible source of support, she says, and can set the stage for guiding them through such issues as bullying and the lack of self-confidence. The body image issues are also a major factor at this age, which is why Wiseman says she joined forces with DontFretTheSweat.com. The site includes a panel of parenting experts and provides tools for parents and kids to develop confidence, self-esteem, and self-reliance.

Check out her brief interview here:

Parenting & Paychecks, Part II

UCLA Today (the faculty and staff newspaper) just posted a story about my mini-seminar there on balancing work and parenting. Read all about it here.