We remember to teach our kids their A,B,C's, but sometimes we forget to teach them manners. No, we're not raising a bunch of rude kids, but maybe a couple of lessons slipped by us. Perhaps we taught them to keep their elbows off the table, but have gotten lax teaching them how to address adults. Maybe we've done an excellent job teaching them to say "please" and "thank you," but have slipped a bit when it comes to talking with your mouth full. Over at Babble, one mom remembers the day she realized she hadn't taught her son to give up his seat on the bus for senior citizens. Sitting with her six-year-old son on a crowded bus, this mom noticed a tired-looking elderly woman, carrying grocery bags get on board. When the mom suggested they give the woman their seats, her son complained. Loudly. She explained to him that it was the right thing to do. Then, he rather vocally noted that no one else had offered their seats. From that day on, she vowed not to let this particular lesson slide again. Now, four years later, they were riding the subway when an elderly person got on board. This time, her son hopped up and said “Ma’am, would you like to sit down?” Job well done, mom. Have you ever realized you've somehow neglected teaching your kids a bit of manners that you value?
Dad charged with child endangerment -- for letting his kids play alone
Sending your kids to the park for a couple of hours on a Saturday used to be an average Saturday. Now, letting two kids go to the park alone for a couple of hours is enough to get a parent charged with two counts of child endangerment. The Chartiers Valley Patch reports that one dad, who left his six-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son alone at a neighborhood park on a Saturday, was charged with child endangerment for leaving them to play while he ran errands. After a game of tennis at the park, the dad left the kids to play while he went to buy snacks and take a shower at a local gym. As he was driving back to the park, he got a call from police. A woman had noticed the kids playing un-chaperoned on the swings and slide for a while and called the cops. Do you think he was irresponsible to leave the kids alone or have we gotten too over-protective in general?
Tina Fey's mommy's day off
Being a mom is the best job in the world. It's also the hardest job. Even the most loving and dedicated mom needs a little time to herself now and then. Sometimes, getting that time alone requires a little creativity. The ever-hilarious Tina Fey is nothing, if not creative. As the Huffington Post shared, on a recent appearance on Jimmy Fallon, Tina explained how she recently carved out a couple of hours for herself. After having gotten some painful dental work done, she called the office and told them she was in pain and would be working from home. Next, she called home and told them she was needed at work. Then, she bought herself a bag of frozen peas to help with the pain of the dental work and a big piece of cake and took herself to the movies. Holding the peas in one hand and feeding herself with the other, Tina managed to get a couple of hours all to herself. But, proving that your mom-side is never too far away, Fey went and saw Friends With Kids. Have you ever had to exercise a little creativity in order to sneak a bit of time for yourself?
Moms come clean about messy house guilt
Are you a working mom who feels guilty that her house isn't as clean as it should be? Are you a working mom who feels judged for her untidy abode? If so, you're not alone -- not by any means. A new survey by Working Mother magazine shows that, even while an overwhelming majority of working moms find themselves to be the one to clean and tidy at night, most of them still feel guilt and judgment for not doing the job well enough. Yup, 73 percent of moms spend their "free" time at night tidying up, but 68 percent feel guilty that it's still not clean enough. 56 percent of working moms even believe that cleanliness is next to good motherliness. Maybe, now that we've all fessed up to being a bit messy, we can all stop feeling guilty about it. Instead, let's take a page from Tina Fey's handbook, blow off the unrewarding housework and go see a movie, instead.
Mom's taxi service
Moms and cab drivers both spend enormous parts of their days shuttling people where they need to go. Cab drivers get paid for their services. Moms however, are the ones to pay -- not only for the car, gas and insurance, but, chances are, also for whatever activity they're driving their passengers to. According to the Daily Telegraph, a third of British parents report spending between 10 and 49 hours per month driving their kids around. Two percent report spending 50 hours or more on taxi services. Do you ever feel like you should paint your car yellow and just call yourself the taxi driver that you are or have you figured out a way around all of the driving?
Dana Macario is a TODAY Moms contributor and Seattle mom to two sleep-depriving toddlers. Once properly caffeinated, she also blogs at www.18years2life.com.