Parenting Sucks: All I Want For the Holidays Is My Retirement Account Intact

Dear Joanne,

This year we have less money to spend on gifts this year for our kids and we don’t want to disappoint them. What can we do?

Hallie

Dear Hallie,

What started out as little trinkets from the Three Wise Men has evolved…

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Parenting Sucks: How to Deal with Visitors after Having a Baby

BY JOANNE KIMES

Dear Joanne,

I’m going to deliver my second child in a few weeks and I’m already worried about how to deal with the crowds of friends and family who want to see the new baby. When my first was…

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Parenting Sucks: Surviving Holiday Travel

BY JOANNE KIMES

Dear Joanne,

Now that Halloween is over, I’m already dreading the holidays. Each year we visit my family during Thanksgiving, and my husband’s family for Christmas. With two kids under the age of 5, the stress of traveling takes…

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Parenting Sucks: Middle School Transition

BY JOANNE KIMES

I want to take a break from my normal question/answer format to focus on something much more important: me and my struggles. Me, plus countless other parents who are still dealing with the hell of transitioning to middle…

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Parenting Sucks: Taming homework struggles

BY JOANNE KIMES

Dear Joanne,

Now that school is back in full gear, we’re back to having homework struggles. Both of my kids are in elementary school and if it’s this bad now, I can only imagine what’s in store for me…

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Parenting Sucks: Over Scheduling Our Children

BY JOANNE KIMES

Dear Joanne,

Now that school’s back in full swing, it’s a madhouse at our house. Between school, after school lessons, sports, and dealing with homework, we can’t find time to even sit down together as a family for dinner.…

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Parenting Sucks: Discipline Advice

BY JOANNE KIMES

Dear Joanne,

My five year-old son won’t listen to me. If he misbehaves, I threaten to punish him, but he won’t stop and keeps doing it anyway. No matter how many times I warn him, he doesn’t seem to…

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Parenting Sucks!: Bonding as a Step-Parent

Dear Joanne,

I recently married a man with a ten-year old daughter and I’m having a hard time bonding with her. I know she’s going through a lot of adjustments (as am I!) but I really want to make our relationship…

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Parenting Sucks!: Getting a head start on chores

BY JOANNE KIMES

Dear Joanne,

I struggle everyday to get my kids to do their chores. Any suggestions?

Lyndsay

Dear Lyndsay,

Getting kids to do their chores is like getting medicine out its childproof container: totally infuriating!  But there are some tricks of the trade.

1.  …

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Parenting Sucks!: Picky Eaters

BY JOANNE KIMES

Dear Joanne,

My five year old is so picky about eating. I thought he’d grow out of it by now, but he hasn’t. Any ideas?

Cheryl

Dear Cheryl,

Yes I do! I too have a picky eater and I know first hand…

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