I’m now a Parenting Correspondent for NBC 6 Miami and the Second Segment on Healthy Homework Habits is in!!!
If you’re in the South Florida area, you can see my segment on Friday’s South Florida Today show, which is between 11AM and Noon. Please tune in or tivo and tell your friends. I’ll bring you 5 tips each week to help tackle parenting issues that we all deal with like separation anxiety and homework habits, to learning to say “no,” a skill I’m still perfecting, and by perfecting I mean failing miserably at. ENJOY and Thanks for the support!
Tag Archives: the suburban jungle
Mad Men Inspired Masturbation Article for iVillage
Here is the original article I did for iVillage I gave you a bit more than a teaser this time because a lot was edited out.
When I first sat down to write this article I couldn’t help but snicker; not because this seems like an amusing predicament to be in, but because the topic tested my maturity level. A nervous wave came over me as I reluctantly imagined this scenario and all I could think was “Awkward.” As awkward as this circumstance is for the parent, consider the gut wrenching embarrassment from a child’s point of view. I know, simply empathizing could make you red in the face. In fact, at 30-whatever I am, I still wouldn’t want to have a conversation on the subject with one of my own parents.
So, what’s a parent to do when they’re confronted with such a touchy (no pun intended) situation? Continue reading
‘Fred: The Movie’ Comes to Nickelodeon
Warning to all parents, the web character Fred Figglehorn is getting his own movie — Fred:The Movie — which will air on Nickelodeon Sept. 17th. You may be asking yourself, “Who is this Fred, and why am I being warned of his impending flick?” Fred, a character developed and portrayed by teen Lucas Cruikshank, may be one of the most annoying personas ever created.Read More
Why is My Little Brother So Hairy | Ryan’s Baby Banter
Okay, here goes. I don’t like to harsh on people because we are all special. That’s what the purple dinosaur says. Even though he’s an over sized geek, I think he’s right most of the time – everyone is special. That being said, I don’t understand why my little brother is so hairy. I know, we’re all different, but he’s really hairy. I mean like, head to toe fur ball.
I’m worried about him. He doesn’t seem to be developing the way other babies do. Frankly, he just seems to be getting fluffier.
Stars They’re Just Like us: They Deal with Separation Anxiety
Tori Spelling has been tweeting about her 2-year-old daughter Stella’s upsetting separation anxiety during her first days of preschool. Recently Tori wrote, “I said to Stella ‘you get to go to school today & play and see your friends’ & she smiled & said ‘And you’re gonna leave me.’ My heart broke!” Ugh, what mom doesn’t know that feeling?
Interesting News about Your Child’s Personality Traits
What Personality Traits Will Your Kid Carry Into Adulthood?
Is the person you were in the first grade the person you are today? To some degree, yes. A new study shows that personality traits are set as early as the first grade. The study looked at four personality traits: talkativeness, adaptability, impulsiveness and humility. Many subjects who were interviewed as children and again 40 years later retained the characteristics they had four decades prior.
Spit Happens | Rockstar Ryan’s Newest Rant
Why can’t the adults have a more mature sense of humor and stop using us babies as mini billboards?
What to Say When Your Kids Catch You in the Act
Talk about awkward. Here’s my take on explaining the unexplainable.
I always say it’s not a matter of “if” your child will walk in on you and hubs doing the deed, it’s a matter of “when.” Sure, there are lots of excuses: “Mommy and Daddy were just wrestling… naked.” “Oh, mommy slipped and her clothes fell off and dad was helping me up. Why are his off too? Well, he didn’t want me to feel silly.” “This is a special dance we do for rain, you know like on the National Geographic channel? Damn that drought and global warming!” And of course when they’re over a certain age, there’s just no explanation other than, “Okay, you caught us.”
Fireworks: Friend or Foe? |Jenny from the Blog
Okay, I may have mentioned I’m a guilt ridden parent once or twice or a thousand times. Well, I also have 4th of July guilt. Yep, I feel guilty if my kids don’t get to see fireworks on the 4th of July. Like many parents, I go to great lengths to make sure they get this Independence Day experience; long car rides, busy parking areas, throngs of people smooshing into parks and harbors… you know the drill. Continue reading
My Most “Crush”ing and Embarrassing Moment | Jenny From the Blog
Didn’t we all have adolescent obsessions that bordered on stalking or was that just me? This story will make your embarrassing moments seem way less embarrassing! It’s that bad, I’ve never spoken of it.
As you may have noticed from some of my posts, I have a flair for the dramatic. I recall an experience of such exaggerated intensity with my first crush. For the sake of the blog and the fact that some of my readers will know him, I’ll call him Eric, Eric Axel. This pseudonym is not exactly cryptic, it‘s about 2 letters off from his actual name. Look, I pursued him like an obsessed stalker I’m sure it’s no surprise to him.
This was old school stalking I’m referring to: no technology, no cell phone, or FB, or twitter, or my space. I’m talking about the kind of stalking that took time and effort and premeditation, something to tell your grandchildren about.
So, I’m gonna rip off the Band-Aid, that is this repressed memory, and let the healing begin. I was in the 7th grade and I was in love. “Love” love. Continue reading
Happy Meals May Start Making Children Sad -I’m Happy About it
Ever feel coerced into buying a Happy Meal so your child can get the toy? Well, Santa Clara County , California is the first to vote in favor of banning toys from children’s meals that don’t meet certain nutritional standards. They’re taking a stand against childhood obesity, and I applaud them for that.
This may sound crazy, but I think banning toys from kids’ meals will not only help obese children, but also help parents like me. I gotta admit, I’m a sucker for kids getting a prize with the meal. Continue reading
How to Stop Nagging -Ask Jenny From the Blog
In The Suburban Jungle’s newest segment: Ask Jenny From the Blog, I answer important marriage and parenting questions with honesty, and wit. Please do not hold me responsible for tantrums or divorce.
Recently a friend asked, “How do I stop nagging my husband?” I used the decade of marriage as a basis for my answer and gave it to her straight, “You don’t. You just learn to nag more efficiently.” The definition of nagging is to ask or criticize someone repetitively, to the point of being bothersome. Well, if they learned the first time you said it, you would be a brilliant wife and he would be husband of the year. Let me impart a truth I have discovered after a 10 years of nagging. You have to train a husband, which is not unlike training a puppy. Except that a husband takes much much longer. If you saw my 6 month old puppy actually chewing the wall, this truth could send you running for the hills.
The key is to open the lines of communication and reward rather than reprimand. I know that sounds cheesy and Dr. Philee, but it is something you may not realize until you’ve wasted much time trying to mold your man through bitter seething complaints and snide remarks.
I am still training my husband… everyday. If I had known when I was first married what I know now, I think I would be giving much less correction, and much more Snausages. I remember the conversation that started a new path to less nagging. It was not so long ago. I said, “there has to be some word, some signal that I can give to tell you that I am about to complain and possibly correct something you’ve done. The signal would imply that what I am about to say may be critical and will most definitely annoy the crap out of you. I know that, but I must get it off my chest if I am to remain happy. I need you to hear me without sneering, ignoring, focusing on a mindless commercial or diverting your attention towards the kids.
Seems easy right, asking someone to listen and absorb when alerted to do so? Well, men are stubborn creatures. So, to make it fair, I agreed that the signal could be whatever he chose, as long as he agreed to open his ears and keeps his eyes from rolling. He decided I should say, “I suck and you are awesome.” Please, is that the best you can do? In return for your full attention, I would have said, “I’m a psycho bitching wife who doesn’t deserve such a strapping specimen of a man, while flashing you and doing a jig, but we’ll just go with your suggestion.”
This is your chance to set some ground rules and have some fun while doing it. Pick a signal that is totally disarming and let him know that the only person who hates nagging more than he does is you. Most importantly, when he does a good job, don’t forget the praise… and the Snausages.
Please send questions to [email protected]
Disclaimer- Jenny is not a trained professional! Though you may find her brilliant and insightful, she has been called odd and insane. Please keep that in mind when following any of her advice. Also, no animals were harmed in the writing of this piece (in case you were wondering.)