Do you ever PWT (Parent While Texting)? A lot has been made recently of families unplugging and taking a break from all of the technological distractions that surround us. But are we beating ourselves up too much? Are we being unrealistic (and helicopter-parent-ish) in thinking we need to give our children nothing but our undivided attention? Previous generations certainly didn't seem to feel guilty about taking the occasional break from their kids. Some argue that a little distraction is good for both parents and kids. So go ahead, tune them out for a minute and post a status update.
It's March, which means spring break is right around the corner for most parents. Most of the nation has slogged it out this winter in terrible weather and people are desperate for an escape, but the "are we there yets?" and the "but he keeps touching mes," can wear down the most adventurous of moms.As in so much of parenting, preparation is king when traveling with kids of any age.
The old Virginia Slims ad campaign is true - "You've Come a Long Way, Baby." The White House recently released a comprehensive report on the status of American women and it turns out that today's mothers are older and more educated than previous generations. Of course, the more things change, the more they stay the same, because while women are now more likely to have a higher education than men are, they still only earn 75 cents to the dollar that men earn.
So, if the wedding date was... and the birth of the first child was... Ohh! Shotgun weddings are as old as time itself -- surely they predate shotguns, at least -- but every year that goes by, so goes a little of the stigma attached to the practice. However, even today, some feel a bit of shame or uneasiness when they find themselves expecting before they've tripped down the aisle. One engaged woman, who was well into her wedding planning, discovered she was pregnant and would be quite far along at the time of her nuptials, shares some of the mixed feelings she experienced as a preggo-bride.