Robyn Margulis
Send Robyn email at: Margulisblog@yahoo.com
- This mom knows when to pick her battles
- It was a lovely afternoon. I was heading down the expressway toward Atlantic City. My kids, ages 14 and 11, were playing their favorite travel game where they tally up the number of cars they see in their chosen color. Laughter filled the …
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- Raising teens in the 'sexting' age
- A new bill has been proposed in New Jersey that would allow teens who are accused of "sexting" to avoid criminal prosecution. Sexting is a new age term that is primarily used to describe sending nude or partially-nude photos via text messa…
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- Time flies when you're raising babies
- Today, a colleague (and friend) brought her newborn son in to the office to show him off. A swarm of women, and even some of the men, converged on this beaming mom and dad as they gushed over their tiny bundle of joy. As I went on to gush …
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- The real reality of being a teen mom
- Disturbing news out of Memphis, Tenn.: Since the school year started, there have been 90 students who reported being pregnant or have given birth. That is roughly 15 to 20 percent of the female population of the school. Considering we are …
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- I'm no tiger mom
- A new parenting controversy is brewing. Recently several media outlets including The Press profiled a new book, "Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mother" by Amy Chua. The book is an account of Chua's parenting style which focuses on rearing succes…
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- A Jersey Shore Mom on 'Jersey Shore'
- When MTV first came out with their reality show "Jersey Shore," it didn't take long for the criticisms and controversy to rain down. Italian American groups protested what they saw as a negative portrayal of Italians with the show focusing…
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- Reading, writing and PC control freaks
- Schools have rules. This is understandable and necessary. Certainly we would not want our kids attending school with a bunch of hooligans who are permitted to run amok. Obviously this would not bode well for the educational process. Rules …
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- Un-decking the halls with a case of the sniffles
- The halls are decked, but there's no more singing. Fa-la-la-la-la-ing has been replaced by sighing as I look around at all the holiday stuff that needs to be broken down, wrapped up, and stored away until next year. In response to my moani…
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- Starting fresh and making changes are a good thing
- It's a new year. Time to reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly of the year we are leaving behind. And if the previous year brought more bad and ugly than good, chances are you are looking forward to throwing out your old calendar.
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- Family traditions and celebrating the holidays
- There are many wonderful things about the holiday; but for me, the best part of Christmas is getting together with family and celebrating traditions.
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- Lessons learned after her daughter's concussion
- After four months and five days, my daughter finally received medical clearance from her doctor following a concussion. The original diagnosis, mild traumatic brain injury, came after she hit her head on the ice during figure skating pract…
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- Saying goodbye to a faithful family friend
- I had a completely different topic in mind to write about today, but recent events would cause me to shift gears a little.
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- The problems of parenting a picky eater
- My son has always been a terrible eater. Even when he was a baby, if it was good for him, he would spit it out. Despite my best efforts to get him to eat a variety of good foods, my stubborn child would starve before putting certain things…
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- Finding inspiration in young man's story
- Kids today don't realize how good they have it. Thankfully, most kids don't know what it's like to go hungry or to not have a roof over their heads. I try to remind my kids, though, that there are children just like them all over the world…
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- Holidays stress me out!
- If you are anything like me, you are stressed. If you are anything like me, the calendar change from November to December causes little beads of sweat to appear on your brow. It is that time of the year. Tis' the season, to be frazzled.
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- Where, oh where have our sweet babies gone?
- I think I have figured out why we are an overpopulated society. It took me awhile, but I get it now.
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- When it comes to the new pedestrian law, people are either confused or stupid
- This week, I witnessed three people nearly get run down by cars in two separate incidents. In both instances, the pedestrians walked blindly and boldly into intersections. I don't know whether to blame ignorance, arrogance, or stupidity.
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- Giving thanks for things big and small
- Well it's that time of year. Time for over-indulgence and family gatherings. It's also the time of year that we think about and acknowledge that for which we are thankful.
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- Are your kids stressed out? They probably are
- Are you stressed out? Are your kids stressed out? Are you contributing to your kids' stress? The American Psychological Association (APA) suggests all of the above in their recently released 2010 Stress in America survey report.
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- Can body image be passed down from moms to daughters?
- Does your body rock? When it comes to body image, it seems that most people think they could do better. They think they could look better if only they lost a few pounds or if some miracle pill would help them get thin.
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- Are you a good parent, or a bad parent? C'mon, be honest
- Are you a bad parent? Chances are most folks reading this will either simply scoff at the question, or they will answer with a resounding "no" (with the exception of my friend Karin, who responded to the question asking "Where should I sta…
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- Of Happy Meals and the politicians that hate them
- Since I recently advocated legislation that would require schools to initiate anti-bullying programs and dating violence education my readers may, understandably, suspect that I am pro-government intrusion. However, that is not the case. T…
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- The steps needed to curb bullying
- Recently I have written about bullying, how technology has made it easier, and how its prevalence is apparent.
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- Have fun and try not to be a 'pooper'
- Halloween. A holiday that is sure to turn little ones into giddy ghouls and big ones into partying fools.
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- A birthday letter to the little girl she loves
- Dear Daughter,
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- Same parents, two totally different kids
- Someone please explain to me how two children born to the same parents can be so different. I challenge any geneticist to provide me with an explanation.
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- Marking one year as the mother of a teen
- This week will mark one year since I officially became the mom of a teen. My daughter will celebrate her 14th birthday in five days. I will celebrate a year of survival.
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- Bullying seems to be getting worse
- There has always been bullying. But not only has technology contributed to the means by which kids bully and harass each other, the sheer number of stories related to bullying reported by the national media suggests that the problem is soa…
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- When is it okay to...?
- I heard about a survey done by Parenting.com where 4,000 parents were asked at which age parents felt comfortable allowing their kids certain freedoms and new experiences. I checked out the results of the survey to see whether my husband a…
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- Off in search of medicine, not gratitude
- As I started the car one winter morning, the digital clock came to life to confirm what I was feeling. I should have been in bed with Z's dancing over my head. But instead, I was heading bleary-eyed to a 24 hour pharmacy at 4:30 a.m. I nee…
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- Teaching teens about dating violence
- In a recent blog about song lyrics, I expressed my concern about how a popular Eminem song could send the wrong message to teen fans about domestic violence. Shortly thereafter I learned of a newly proposed bi-partisan bill that, if passed…
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- Reflecting on a senseless campus tragedy
- In my last blog, I warned of how the Internet can be used by others to bully, harass, intimidate and humiliate. This week the news came that Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers University student took his own life by jumping off of the George Washin…
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- Teens and Facebook: What parents need to be aware
- Is your teen on Facebook? Do you worry about your teen's safety while online? Do you wonder who sees her information, or who she is "friending" or instant messaging? Do you wonder what your teen's "friends" are saying to him, or about him,…
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- She learns that with age, comes vanity
- It's funny how things change when kids hit 6th grade. That's about the time that kids start really noticing each other. And, consequently they start caring about their appearance.
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- Her kids, their music and her responsibility as a mom
- Music and teens go hand in hand. I remember how important music was to me when I was younger. I was fortunate enough to have a record store within walking distance of my house growing up. At least a couple of times per week, I was buying 9…
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- The need to childproof cabinets continues into teen years
- As the parent of kids ages 11 and 13, I recently embarked on the years that I have dreaded since the day my first child was born: The teen years - the do or die years. Your kids either turn out good, or they turn out bad; which way often d…
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- It's not always easy being the good villager
- It takes a village to raise a child. We have all heard this axiom before. Perhaps we've agreed in some way or another with the premise of this truism, but I wonder if most people have ever really given it any deep, meaningful thought as to…
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- On life and the need to make lemonade
- After complaining in my previous article about the end of summer causing me angst, I admitted that writing about it turned out to be therapeutic. Suddenly I was focusing on the positive of the pleasant things to come rather than the doldru…
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- The colors of fall might replace the end-of-summer blues
- The calendar lies. It says there are 2 ½ weeks left before autumn begins, yet everyone knows the unofficial end of summer is upon us.
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- As a parent, nothing hurts more than seeing your child in pain
- I am getting old. That is a reality. As such, I have had plenty of years to experience various types of medical tests. Some are quick and easy, others, not so much.
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- She doesn't want to hear the three words parents dread most
- Ah, those three little words. Three little words that illicit such emotion. Words that have the ability to evoke a physical response, including an increase in blood pressure; perhaps a palpitation in the chest.
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- The debate over the teen driver decal
- The state is taking another look at Kyleigh's Law, which went into effect May 1 and requires identifying decals on the license plates of cars operated by probationary drivers. I don't intend to give my opinion on whether or not the law sho…
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- A knock on the head and an important lesson
- During a recent training session, my daughter, a competitive figure skater, fell while executing a spin and hit the back of her head on the ice. She was only about 30 minutes into a three-hour training session. She left the ice, rested for…
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- A baseball fan is now a baseball mom
- Anyone who is enamored with the game that is known as America's Pastime knows the familiar feelings that go along with it: A sort of giddy anticipation at the start of spring training, and the tremendous excitement of the fall playoffs.
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- Raising a teen in uncensored times
- One day recently, my 13-year-old daughter and I were watching television when we saw a preview for the show "Bachelor Pad," a racier spinoff of The Bachelor. I could tell by the preview that it was not a show my daughter would be permitted…
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- Scenes of sibling rivalry and a sense of deja vu
- When I was born, my older brother was 11 months old. I always told my mother that I knew I was a "mistake" because no sane person would plan to get pregnant when her first born was a measly 3 months old. Expectedly, my mother denied it. My…
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- Some best friends are there forever
- I was about my daughter's age when I found my best friend. We met in 7th grade chorus and hit it off immediately. Pretty soon, we were inseparable. Get-togethers after school and sleepovers on the weekends were common. In school, we tried …
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- For this mom, worrying is part of the job
- My name is Robyn Margulis, and I am a perpetual worrier. If there are 12-step meetings for this problem, I probably need them. At the same time, I will not apologize. This is who I am.
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- Are the tween years too early to worry about going bald?
- "Mommy, how come you don't write about me in your blog?" This question makes me laugh every time it's asked by my 11-year-old son. He wants to be famous, he tells me. My daughter, who dislikes being written about, seems to, nonetheless, en…
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- The life of a figure skating mom
- This blog is dedicated to moms and dads who devote their time, bank accounts and unending support to their children's activities; and to their extended families and friends, without whom, the moms and dads would be in bankruptcy, or a rubb…
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- Mind your manners at the beach and the pool
- The lazy days of summer are upon us. So is a major heat wave. What better to do than lounge by the pool or spend the day at the beach?
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- The state of mother-daughter relationship
- Several media outlets reported recently that Bristol Palin, 19-year-old daughter to former vice-presidential candidate and ex-Alaska governor Sarah Palin, reunited with the father of her 18-month-old son. In fact, it was reported that she …
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- Teen girls and sleepovers go hand in hand
- "What is the deal with sleepovers?"
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- This mom's embracing 'uncool'
- Sitting on the sidewalk watching the 4th of July parade, we were handed small American flags to wave, compliments of a few local politicians. Good thing, since I was woefully unprepared for the stars-and-stripes occasion.
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