Search Results for: blog how humiliating

Somewhere in the Strict Zone

Time outs don’t work with my kid. Sorry, Supernanny. I understand the method behind the discipline technique and follow the directives explicitly; unfortunately, sitting in a chair and allowing my child to simply think about her poor behavior doesn’t yield positive results. So, what’s a parent to do? Ramp up the punishment? I am by no means a permissive parent, but I’m not a super strict one either. I’m somewhere in the strict zone hoping not to tip the scales too far in either direction. However, I am more concerned about entering the overly strict zone. I don’t want to … Continue reading →

Beware of Catfishing

Are you familiar with catfishing?  If you are a parent, then you need to be.  And no, this isn’t a lesson on fishing for catfish, nor is it a recap of what I recently saw on “Duck Dynasty.” Catfishing is when someone takes on a false identity online and ropes some unsuspecting person into a relationship.  Probably the most familiar story of recent is the linebacker from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Manti Te’o. It’s been all over the news.  How he apparently was in a relationship with a young woman online and she died from cancer.  Turns out she … Continue reading →

Stuck in a Rut

There have been many times throughout my life that I have found myself feeling stagnant. I had goals and I was working hard, but I didn’t feel like it was moving forward in my life. There wasn’t anything I could do to speed up the process, which caused me to feel completely helpless to get my life exactly where I wanted it to be. This feeling of stagnation can often cause depression, especially when you can’t do anything about it. I felt like I was doing everything I could to move forward after my divorce, but without my education I … Continue reading →

Flying the Not-So Friendly Skies

What is it with families and flying these days? And by flying I mean getting booted from airplanes. Barely a day goes by anymore without some innocent clan getting the heave-ho from a commercial flight due to a perceived threat made by a child. However, the latest incident doesn’t involve a screaming baby, a chatty toddler or a hungry infant; rather, a California family claims they were kicked off an American Airlines flight simply because their 16-year-old son has Down syndrome. Joan and Robert Vanderhorst, of Bakersfield, California, are irate by what they are calling “pure discrimination.” “It’s defamation,” Robert … Continue reading →

Middle School Can Be Brutal

Middle school can be just brutal. And the funny thing is I always thought it was worse for girls. But my daughter is about to officially end her middle school years in just a couple of weeks. Although it hasn’t been problem-free, it has certainly been much better for her than it has been for my boys. I tend to think it is the fact she stayed in a K-8 school, while my boys went to middle schools. I could be wrong but all I know is that I will be glad when the next two years are over with. … Continue reading →

Sadistic Narcissism: A Different Edge to Narcissism

So far in the many articles written on Narcissistic Personality Disorder (see links below), we have concentrated on the typical form of this particular disorder. But in rarer cases, some sufferers of this disorder have an added comorbidity: the addition of a sadistic streak in their personality. This form of sadism is quite different from the DSM-IV-TR category for Sexual Sadism. The latter involves gaining sexual pleasure from the suffering of others. Where there exists a sadistic tendency coupled with narcissism, the sufferer of this form of illness carries all the tendencies and diagnostic qualities of narcissistic personality disorder, but … Continue reading →

Mom Robs Bank for Kids

Well, something like that. How many times have you considered robbing a bank in order to score some fast cash? Most of us joke about committing the federal offense at some time or another, especially during tough economic times. Of course, a joke is just that; something to laugh about. I’m sure most people don’t actually make serious plans to carry out the risky and illegal job. That goes double for parents. After all, parents are supposed to be role models for their kids and what kind of example are you setting if you are rotting in a jail cell … Continue reading →

Pregnant and in Prison

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Have you ever wondered what would happen if a woman was pregnant and had to go to jail for a long time? I would hope none of my readers would ever face such a situation, but it does happen. Unfortunately, most stories do not have good endings. As I poured through dozens of accounts of incarcerated women and their pregnancies, I realized that childbirth is not a time of joy and excitement for many imprisoned women, instead, the experience is tainted with fear and the dread of leaving their babies, possibly forever. In 1994, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reported … Continue reading →

Mr. Reading Rainbow’s Radical Message to Parents

Oh no, he didn’t. Levar Burton, host of the now canceled PBS children’s series “Reading Rainbow,” didn’t just tell legions of parents: “I couldn’t care less whether kids learn to read.” Oh yes, he did. But, that’s not all the 26-year veteran of the popular kid’s show got off his chest during a recent public statement. Burton also told his loyal fans (or at least the ones who can read): “May that godforsaken show burn in hell.” That was before the former “Roots” star let this doozy rip: “Look, Reading Rainbow was a television program. That should tell you something … Continue reading →

Weight a Minute: Go Up a Size Without Gaining an Ounce!

Wow, that sounds like fun! Let’s all go up a size in our clothing without gaining any weight. That’s exactly what has happened with many major clothing retailers. They have taken the sizes and shifted them a little bit. Where 18-20W used to be 1X, it’s now 2X. Where 22-24W used to be 2X, it’s now 3X. Where 26-28W used to be 3X, it’s now 4X. That’s right—I’m now a whole X bigger without lifting a finger. It’s humiliating enough to be a plus-sized woman without having this extra pressure. It’s really hard to walk into the store and find … Continue reading →