Helena Hewlett
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On the article A Sneek Peek: Bigfoot Hosts Fifth Annual Open House
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On the article Moms Talk: The Bad Behavior of Other Parents' Children
Helena Hewlett
5:58 am on Sunday, May 22, 2011
ReplySharon and Michelle, thanks for your comments! I appreciate your feedback, it's always good to hear from other mommies with experience. Michelle, I think the "walking on eggshells" part is not so much with the kids as it is with the parents. Like you, I have no problem talking to other people's kids. My husband often, in fact, calls me "the playground nazi." Not a very "nice" term, but nevertheless. I do implement rules in other areas, and you're completely right - this is part of why I wrote my article. Why, oh why, do I have so much trouble doing it in my own home? This should be the place where I am MOST comfortable with setting limits, boundaries, rules, expectations, etc. The rules are mine, as it is MY home. Although in the case above I did speak to the children a few times and in the case of the one who drew on my paving stones...I'd say "yelled" or "spoke sternly" would be much more accurate, I did not feel like I was taking charge to the full degree, and that was mainly due to the fact that I did not want to have horrible conficts with the parents. I hesitated to speak to the parents or get angry, because I knew the consequences would be far worse than just a little disagreement or misunderstanding. This particular group of people is super sensitive about their children, and let's face it...I think we all are to a degree. It's not easy being told, "Hey, your kid is being a brat right now." But I agree that there is a certain standard for behavior. Thanks again!
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On the article Moms Talk: Healing a Child's Broken Heart
Helena Hewlett
9:25 pm on Tuesday, April 19, 2011
ReplyMarsha, this is such a tricky one b/c you're right - there really is no "textbook" answer for healing a broken heart. For ANY age, but particularly for our sweet little ones. If there is anything in the world that can make me cry or absolutely break MY heart, it is seeing my son sad. He is a tenderheart himself, and a very sensitive little guy. His little feelings often get hurt, and watching that is so hard. I know that as he gets older, it will only get harder. Sometimes I think that the only thing we can do is hold our little ones, just like you did for your sweetie. Sometimes a hug can do a LOT more than talking until we're blue in the face. Explaining things, especially to youngsters, doesn't always take away their pain, and when they don't understand it makes it even more challenging. When their little hearts are hurt or broken, just make sure they know that YOU love them no matter what. I think you did exactly what you could do, and even if you felt like you weren't helping, it was the best thing you could do. Keep hugging and loving on her!
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On the article Moms Talk: What Should You Do If Your Child is Exposed to Pornography?
Helena Hewlett
9:14 pm on Tuesday, April 19, 2011
ReplyOh boy. This is such a scary topic for me, having two boys of my own. I've often thought about the topic, and wondered how I would handle it. I'm not sure what I would have done in your situation, I almost think I would have called the mother, but that brings up a weird confrontation type of thing, so it's awkward. My boys are only (almost 3) and 9 months, so I won't have to worry about this for awhile, but you have brought up such an important point that this comes up so much earlier than expected. And how do we possibly plan for it?? I think it's a good idea to tell our children about what pornography is before they are exposed to it, because odds are...whether we like it or not...and no matter how much we try to protect them from it. I have already thought about things like filtering software on our home computers, etc., but that is only here in our own home. It doesn't protect my children from images in their friends' homes, at school, etc. So I do think preparing them is a great idea and just letting them know what it is (even though it might be an awkward conversation) will be much less awkward than having one later on. Good luck it continuing to deal with these sorts of situations!!
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On the article Hazelwood Resident Recognized Nationally for Volunteerism
Helena Hewlett
6:39 pm on Tuesday, April 5, 2011
ReplyJoni, thanks for your comment!! I was so honored to speak with Lisa. She is such a gem :) Definitely very deserving of this award, I agree!
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On the article Kelly's Donuts Is A Bright Spot in Hazelwood
Helena Hewlett
7:33 am on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
ReplyOh, I should NOT have read this first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. That photo of the donuts with the tall glass of (assumingly) cold milk was just too much for me to handle! :) Love your food shots! Thanks for your reviews, I always enjoy reading them. I also appreciate when you tag the places or have a photo of the outside of the storefront. It's nice to put a "name with a face" and usually I say, "I've passed that place a million times!" and make the connection. Thanks again for your reviews, Stephanie.
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On the article Dealing with Stranger Danger
Helena Hewlett
9:43 am on Monday, March 21, 2011
Oh, Candace! That is really creepy, I agree. Some people are just being nice, and in a perfect world, we would probably trust people and be okay with it. We might not be freaked out when strangers touched our kids. I think most of the time it's probably harmless, but we have to be careful, and we do have to protect our kids. Better to be safe than sorry, as they say. It's sad that it has to be that way. I'm one that looks up registered sex offenders too...that's the extreme I go to. But I'm a protective mama bear! :) I'm sorry you had that experience with the lady following you into the two stores with your son...hopefully it was just coincidence, like you said. I would have felt very uncomfortable with that too. I probably would have just left and come back another time. Now, I have to confess that once I was at a playground once and did pick up another person's child after the little girl had fallen and hurt herself and no one was coming to her rescue. I kept saying, "Where's your mommy or daddy?" and she was looking all over but we couldn't see anyone. So finally I felt so bad for the poor little thing that I scooped her up and tried to comfort her. Later her mom did show up. She'd been off in the parking lot getting something from the car. But anyway, that was sort of an exception to the rule, and hopefully the lady did not think I was creepy :)
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On the article Moms Talk: Discipline Doesn't Mean I Don't Love You
Helena Hewlett
3:17 pm on Tuesday, March 15, 2011
ReplyMarsha, it is defnitely a challenge. I really think that by disciplining our children, we are in fact showing them that we love them. Disciplining them shows them that we care about their well-being, and want what is best for them (even if they might not see that). I feel that it's important to express that love to them during every step of the discipline process. For instance, with my son, if I have to discipline him I always explain that what he is doing is unsafe or could hurt him. After his time out, etc., I always tell him that I love him and give him a hug. But your son is older. I think Candace is right, that he probably understands at his age. He may be rebelling in some way, and this is not your fault. I would say consistency is the key in this instance. Have you spoken with his teachers to try to get to the bottom of the problem with his grades? I wonder if they have any observations. That might be helpful. Good luck, and keep on loving him just like you are! You're being a great mama :)
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On the article Moms Talk: Dealing With School Bus Bullies
Helena Hewlett
10:19 am on Monday, March 7, 2011
ReplyAngela, reading your article was so tough because my boys are still so little, and I know that inevitably they will be bullied when they are older (even as young as your little guy, who is only 7). My 2-year-old has been "bullied" a few times on playgrounds, and in those situations I was able to intervene and speak with the mother directly. But schools and buses are a whole new world, aren't they? I can imagine how difficult it would be to hear that your son was being bullied and to feel helpless. I definitely can relate to that protective "mama bear" instinct...I feel like I'd probably be tempted to go get on the bus and speak to that child myself (but of course I would fight that urge). Kudos to you for being smart and going to the school, and I'm so glad to hear that they responded and took care of the situation!! I wondered how this bully handled the situation after he was called to the office. Did he bother your son any more? I know that some kids might be even MORE upset after getting in trouble and might resort to other means of bullying because of their anger. I hope that this child did not. Good job taking care of your baby bear and teaching him what to do next time! Hope that there isn't a "next time" anytime soon!
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On the article Moms Talk: Organizing the Chaos of Toys in Abundance
Helena Hewlett
2:44 pm on Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Marsha, I love that idea!! I think it's incredibly important to teach our children the importance of saving money, and what a perfect way to incorporate that with being frugal and non-materialistic. I sort of have a rule that when we get new toys, we have to get rid of other toys (so essentially we are replacing them). My son is not old enough to really grasp this concept yet, but I'm hoping he'll catch on soon. Right now I can just sort of go through his toys and he doesn't even notice or care. But I really love your approach. It also helps kids learn that things must be earned, rather than being handed to them on a silver platter. Thanks for the tip!!
Helena Hewlett
8:55 am on Thursday, June 9, 2011
James, sorry you missed it. Be sure to check out our calendar of events. This lists all upcoming events in Hazelwood that we are aware of. It's great to check it out each morning and take note of which events you might like to attend! Hope it helps in the future! :)