Category Archives: Reality check

Who’s the Child Here?

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

My 8-year-old was watching the “American Idol” finale in my bedroom when I walked in to put away some clothes. “Can you please leave?” she asked. Apparently she planned to dance around, and my presence was inhibiting. I refused: “It’s … Continue reading →

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Sluts on Parade

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

No one has ever made me feel like a conservative old crank–except for my 16-year-old daughter. While it’s true that I’ve inched rightwards after decades of aging, experience and paying taxes, I have never actually voted for a Republican–though I … Continue reading →

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Nightmare at the American Girl Doll Store

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

I very nearly made it through parenthood without ever setting foot in an American Girl Doll store. My mother took my oldest daughter when she was 5 or 6, indulging her with a tea-party lunch and matching blue silk pajamas … Continue reading →

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Spray Painting the Grave

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

We were driving past a cemetery when my eight-year-old asked, “Why are some stones big and fancy and others tiny?” I told her that some people were important, or rich, or maybe their families really missed them and wanted everyone … Continue reading →

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Why My Kids Will Never Play Carnegie Hall

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

Ever since Amy Chua’s explosive book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother  came out, I have been thinking a lot about what kind of parent I am, and whether it’s my fault that none of my kids excels at anything in … Continue reading →

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No Writing on the Wall

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

I learned a valuable lesson this week: do not, under any circumstances, post a message on your teenager’s Facebook wall, especially if you think you are being a little bit funny. There’s only one exception: once a year, you may, … Continue reading →

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More Popsicles, Please

Posted on April 3, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

Postscript: Today’s New York Times reports not only that scientists found no correlation between dyes and hyperactivity in most children, but that food without coloring isn’t any fun. And for my 8-year-old, fun is pretty much the key ingredient of life. I … Continue reading →

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It’s Grandma! Hide the Froot Loops.

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

When I got out of the shower, there was a message from my mother. “Call me when you get a chance,” she said, serious-sounding. “I want to talk to you about something.” I felt a twinge of foreboding. So I … Continue reading →

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Bring Back the Talent Show

Posted on March 27, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

I made the mistake of seeing the Broadway production of “Billy Elliot” while helping my eight-year-old plan her act for the annual elementary school Variety Show. No matter how self-righteously I  deride those theater parents for pushing their children too … Continue reading →

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The Co-Ed Sleepover

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

My 16-year-old was in a van heading home from Johns Island, SC, where she’d been on a school-sponsored house-building trip when the first text came in:  could her friend, who I’ll call Taylor, sleep over the night they got home? They wanted … Continue reading →

Posted in Cranky mommy blogger, Kids, Parenting, Reality check | Tagged , , | 5 Comments