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    Lyn Lomasi

    Lyn Lomasi

  • Parenting Guru: What I Never Want to Tell My Child

    Death is a fact of life - a very harsh one. We don't want our children to experience pain. But none of us have the power to say when this kind of pain comes and when it doesn't.

  • Parenting Guru: Messy Kids are Happy Kids

    Kids make messes. Why? Because it's fun. The clean-up isn't so great at times. But making a good mess can be quite entertaining. My kids seem to have mastered the art of mess-making from an early age.The most messy time of all had to be when one of my kids was two years old and the other was just si

  • Parenting Guru: I'm not like other moms - Are you?

    When other moms are dishing out the latest gossip, making date night plans, and getting excited over the latest fashions for moms and kids, I can't help but feel out of place. The things I want to discuss seem so different and I am often way out of touch with what everyone else is interested in. I'm

  • Parenting Guru: A glimpse at our summer

    As the summer draws to an end, it's great to go back through the pictures we took and reflect on the fun times. My kids and I are the outdoorsy type, so we spent a fair amount of our summer exploring nature trails and having equally exciting outdoor adventures. This fun snapshot provides a very accu

  • Parenting Guru: Five places I want my kids to see

    Every parent has those places they treasure and want to share with their kids, as well as places they've never been but want to experience the magic as a family. As I sit and think, the five places I want my kids to see the most are a fair mix of both.Niagara Falls in New York and Canada - If you've

  • How to Teach Kids to Care for Pets

    "Please, Mommy. Pleeeeaaaase! He's soooo cuuute!!" If your kids are begging you to get a pet, think first before making that purchase. Many pets are bought on an impulse, which is sometimes not a good thing. Before you bring an animal into your home, be sure you teach your kids how to care for pets.

  • Yummy! Healthy snacks kids will actually eat

    "Yummy!" If your kids are not saying that when you feed them healthy snacks, read on for some of my healthy snack suggestions. Healthy does not have to lead to the kids turning up their noses.

  • Zany homeschool days and how to cope

    Need some help coping with those crazy days when the kids just don't want to focus? Trust me, we all have those days throughout the years of homeschooling. Here are some of my best coping methods for all the zany days.Take a break. Sometimes the kids really need a break. Maybe you're the one who nee

  • Parenting Guru: Reflections on my last year as a homeschool teacher

    This school year is one I am really trying to treasure. As it is nearing the end and summer is right around the corner, it's hard to believe this will be my last year as a homeschool teacher.Have my kids grown up? No. That's what makes it so difficult. I know full well that no one will have the same

  • Parenting Guru: Fun family activities for Mother's Day

    Mother's Day means lots of love and family time. But sometimes it's hard to figure out what to do together. My kids and I often spend the day doing fun activities. In fact, our whole family usually joins in because we have an interesting tradition.Mother's Day happens to be near my birthday. So our

  • Parenting Guru: Why I prefer not to have gifts on Mother's Day

    Those who know me well will tell you right off I am not into material things in the least bit. That same spirit flows into all holidays, including Mother's Day. Of course I will accept the gifts my children make or buy. However, I am always at a loss for words when they ask me what I want. My poor k

  • Parenting Guru: 10 little things I love about having a house full of kids

    Love may not be the first thing some envision when they hear how many kids are in my house. How in the world do you avoid chaos with four kids? That must be a nightmare!

  • User post: Best Pottytraining Tips for Boys and Girls

    As a seasoned parent and former nanny, I've dealt with potty training many times before. I've also written about it numerous times. Here is a compilation of some of the best potty training tips for boys and girls that I wrote for Associated Content from Yahoo!Best Potty Training Books for Kids Potty

  • Parenting Guru: Manage holiday insanity with a focus on family

    Shopping, food preparation, gift wrapping, deal hunting, and so much more! Holidays can be so insanely stressful. But they don't have to be.Manage holiday insanity by forgetting about all the to-do lists and just enjoying the season. That's the one thing we do every year that's consistently helpful

  • Parenting Guru: Family means everything and the rest is subjective

    Sitting in my mom and her soulmate's newly purchased house surrounded by them, my kids, my brother, and the pets, you couldn't help but notice the happiness. Part of it is of course the excitement over Mom's new house and part of it may be the fact that we get to see each other this Thanksgiving and

  • User post: Does a recent Toyota Ad have a strange message about kids?

    There's no question that marketers often use kids as strategic value in advertising. But has one of Toyota's ads for the new 2011 Highlander gone too far?I have to admit that I get a kick out of Toyota's "Swagger Wagon" commercials. However, as you can see, the above video is a bit different. In thi

  • User post: How to Tell Your Child 'No' to Having a Pet

    She's begging you for the hundredth time today with that sweet look on her face and you can't bear to say no. But you know you have no choice right now. How do you tell your child you are not getting a pet? This can be especially difficult if she's had her eye on a specific pet and fallen in love al

  • User post: Turning family outings into teachable moments

    As a homeschool teacher, I often come up with creative ways to teach the kids. In fact, my system evolves around seizing the moment and teaching kids through nature, play, and everyday life. Of course, we utilize books and materials as well. But honestly, many of the best lessons have come from life

  • Should establishments be allowed to ban all kids?

    Most of us have been there before. You're sitting down to enjoy a nice meal on your night out and somebody's kid is hollering at the top of their lungs about something or other. Or, on the flip side, it's your own child causing the disturbance. What's a parent to do? What is a bystander to do? What

  • Shine Parenting Guru: A different type of family holiday

    Lots of hugging, some gift exchanging, plates of food, cakes and assorted treats, and so much more! Is this Christmas I'm describing? No, but it's another holiday that our family treasures even more. Mother's Day and my birthday are combined celebrations in my family for several reasons.