If a grandparent were to suggest baby names to one or both soon-to-be parents, is the grandparent interfering? Why is suggesting nice girl or boy names as possible options out of excitement and anticipation of the coming baby considered an interference in the parents lives? As a grandmother of three and soon-to-be grandma of two more grandchildren, hearing about the baby names being discussed as possibilities is fun and exciting. I haven’t made a single suggestion for any baby names and I’m not going to.

Baby names for our upcoming grandchildren is one of the many things being planned and considered, even though there is still plenty of time for the baby’s parents to make their final selection of their favorite baby names for either a boy baby or girl baby. Some of the girl names that have been mentioned are beautiful, feminine and “soft” sounding, perfect baby names for girls, while names for boy babies are a bit more challenging for the parents to pick even one they both like.

As I’ve said before, choosing a grandparent name or nickname for “Grandpa” and I is really no big deal. I would happily accept the moniker of “Grandma” if that is the name my grandchildren ultimately choose to call me, and Grandpa doesn’t care either. But when it comes to parents choosing baby names, that is an area where friends, in-laws and grandparents can often get themselves into trouble.

Based on the message boards, blog articles and comments, as well as grandparent forums and online polls about grandparents interfering in the decision-making process for baby names that I’ve seen, it is clear to me that some grandparents have stepped over the very fine line between making simple suggestions about baby names to rude and disrespectful behaviors. On the other hand, there have also been many cases where hyper-sensitivity on the part of one parent (usually the daughter-in-law) creates a full-blown war over baby name suggestions, based on the kinds of email I receive regularly about so-called interfering grandparents or mother-in-laws.

Oh the stories I could tell of grandparents, mother-in-laws and father-in-laws making a few harmless baby names suggestions of boy or girl names they really liked and the baby’s parents subsequent reactions would be shocking to readers. Sure, there are boy and girl baby names chosen by celebrities that might fall into the category of “weird”, “odd”, or downright crazy names celeb’s choose to name their children. Whereas, some parents might think naming their baby Apple, Camera, Puma, Chastity, Sailor, Suri, Banjo, Free, Dweezil, Moon Unit or Diva Muffin are just unique baby names that no one else has.

There are online websites that list the most popular baby names for any given year, but you can bet that if a grandparent were to suggest any of those baby names for girls or boys, there will be parents who become upset at the mere suggestion. So much thought goes into choosing a name for a baby, including the various meanings and unique spellings of names under consideration, that it would be best for grandparents and the relationships with their adult children to keep their ideas to themselves unless asked directly.

Even if/when the parents-to-be ask for advice or want ideas for baby names, tread very lightly and carefully so any names you may suggest does not come across as telling the parents what names they must choose for their own child. I named my children, you named your babies, so take a step back and give the parents the space they deserve in naming their own child. If you, as the grandparent, don’t like or actually hate a baby name chosen, suck it up and deal with it. The choice of names is theirs, not yours.

If you hate a child’s first name but like their middle name best, calling the child by their middle name instead of their legal first name (the name chosen by the parents) will get grandparents or in-laws into trouble. The line between being helpful and interfering is extremely thin, and in some cases, being too sensitive to hearing input offered by grandparents or in-laws creates bigger problems than necessary.

If parents ask for baby name ideas, be prepared to hear the person’s favorite names. If you don’t want advice on names, don’t discuss baby names and don’t ask for suggestions from people. It is unfair to grandparents, in-laws, friends etc to discuss problems, concerns, worries or conflicts about baby names, child development or child behavior problems with people and then get upset and argue when thoughtful solutions are offered.

Some parents choose to keep the names they’ve chosen private until the baby is born in order to avoid problems and conflicts. When the announcement was made that a baby is on the way and we’re about to become grandparents again, the first-time parents were given a baby names book with over 100,000 names for boy and girls to choose the perfect name for their child. Not only does it help them in their efforts to find their favorite names to decide on, but it helps take the pressure off of grandparents wanting to suggest baby names that the parents may or may not like and being treated as interfering grandparents.

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When giving gifts for any occasion, it’s the thought that counts. Being a thoughtful gift giver means we have taken the time to carefully think about the gift recipient’s personal interests, needs, wants, likes and dislikes, in order to find an appropriate gift to give from the heart.

Being thoughtful is defined by personal qualities like being kind, giving, considerate, attentive, appreciative, helpful, caring, loving, and giving mindful thought towards the comfort and good of others. Kids learn the thought counts very early in life, and teachers appreciate thoughtful gifts from schoolchildren, so why are thoughtful gifts given such a bad rap?

“You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it’s a little thing, do something for others – something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it.” – Albert Schweitzer

It’s The Thought That Counts

There are many ways to be thoughtful and kind in our daily lives that have nothing to do with giving gifts to others for birthdays, Christmas, Hannukah, other holidays and special occasions. I personally enjoy sending special cards to people I love and care about, perhaps a “just because” or “thinking of you” card, always remembering to send Christmas, birthday or anniversary cards to those on our list.

Why send cards? Because I can and want to, and because it’s just one more way for me to show loved ones they are being thought of and cared for throughout the year. Being thoughtful and giving towards others does not only include close friends and family, but also our neighbors and complete strangers we’ve never met before, perhaps while performing random acts of kindness from a caring, giving, charitable heart.

Thoughtful gifts do not have to be expensive and gifts do not have to be for any specific occasion. Well thought out gifts show a person you’ve been thinking about them, how well you know them and want to buy a gift for them that they will like and genuinely appreciate, even if it’s a cheap gift.

When we think of others and kindly put them ahead of ourselves, we reduce our thoughts about ourselves and our own ego, especially if the giving act is done without expectations. When we accept gifts with genuine gratitude, regardless of whether we like the gift or not, we reduce thoughts about ourselves and our ego. This is a spiritual benefit of giving and receiving.

Whose thought counts? The quote “it’s the thought that counts” expresses the thought process and good heart condition of a thoughtful gift giver, but not necessarily that of the gift recipient. The idiom that acknowledges thoughtfulness and kindness on the part of a gift giver is far too often given a negative connotation.

“People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway. The biggest person with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest person with the smallest mind. Think big anyway. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. People really need help but may attack if you help them. Help people anyway. Give the world the best you have and you might get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.” – Dr. Kent M. Keith (The Paradoxical Commandments)

Practical or “safe” gifts can be misinterpreted as a sign of not caring about the person being gifted, or wrongly interpreted as being given purely out of obligation, rather than a desire to give nice gifts. Intentions are sometimes questioned, false assumptions and judgments are made as to why the gift is being given at all.

The Art of Receiving – Gift Etiquette

Receiving gifts properly in an art form, and it is a joy for people to give freely to others, but many are not comfortable with the etiquette for receiving a gift. There is an art to receiving gifts, compliments or money, and while most of us give quite easily, some feel especially uncomfortable or unworthy of receiving gifts. The psychology and science behind “it’s the thought that counts” and the art of receiving is discussed by Ode Magazine, explaining how receiving may be harder than giving for various reasons, but can lead to even greater personal and spiritual growth.

The receiver of gifts should always remember that an effort was made, no matter how big or small. It is good etiquette and good manners to accept a gift graciously and to say thank you. To choose the perfect gift that a gift receiver will enjoy and will be happy to receive, we have to tune into that person, carefully listen to what they have to say, and take notice of what they need or want for Christmas gifts or birthdays that are within the budget.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

Inconsiderate, negative attitudes on the part of a gift recipient might be expressed with words or implication that mean the gift(s) received “wasn’t at all what the person wanted from you; it’s cheap but okay and will do just fine; at least you tried; it’s better than nothing; the thought is appreciated but……”

Such negative responses are a clear sign of an unappreciative, inconsiderate person, who does not understand or care about the real meaning of it’s the thought that counts and what being a thoughtful, gracious receiver of gifts is all about. Be positive and giving towards others anyway, give from the heart and make it personal.

When receiving a gift, always say a heartfelt, sincere Thank You for the gift received. It doesn’t matter how large or small a gift is, how little a gift may cost; what is important is the feeling or thoughtfulness that the giver is expressing with his or her gift.

“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” – Mother Teresa

If someone buys a gift for you that you don’t like, but they did it out of love, that should still be acknowledged. No one should judge a gift based on the assumed value of the item or how much a gift costs, but appreciate the gift given that has thought and feeling behind it. If you’re given an inexpensive gift that someone put a lot of time, thought and work into, you should be just as appreciative as if the person gave you an expensive diamond ring.

“Giving whether it be of time, labor, affection, advice, gifts, or whatever, is one of life’s greatest pleasures.” – Rebecca Russell

With a little creativity and planning, coming up with ideas on how to be thoughtful about gift-giving and finding meaningful gifts for Christmas, birthdays or any occasion becomes easier. The best presents are always the ones that directly think of the recipient, heartfelt and genuine gift giving. That’s the real meaning behind it’s the thought that counts and what matters most.

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The Food Face Dinner Plate makes getting kids to eat healthy foods a fun game to play during dinner, lunch or any meal. Isn’t this a cute plate for kids? From what I’ve heard, Parents Magazine even did a write up on the food face plate as a fun activity, but I haven’t seen that article.

If you have problems getting your kid to try new foods, especially healthy stuff like vegetables, they will have fun eating their dinner on this food face plate. The food face ceramic dinner plate measures 8.5 inches in diameter, a perfect size and fun style if there ever was one, to get your picky eater to at least try different types of foods.

Who knows, maybe making eating a game for toddlers will help instill in young kids the importance of eating a healthy diet and getting them to try fruits or veggies they would normally refuse.

I may have to buy this dinner plate for my grandchildren, who aren’t quite toddlers yet since they’re less than two years old, but being able to make faces with their food might make things easier for the parents to get the tykes to eat their peas and carrots when the time comes. The Food Face Dinner Plate is sold by Perpetual Kid at a very low cost of $9.99 if you’re interested in buying the plate for your kids.

There are so many cookbooks for kids available now to help get picky eaters to enjoy healthy foods, especially since children can have a fun time helping prepare dinner with recipes found in their very own cookbook. I think I’ll order a couple sets of the food face dinner plate and a couple kid cookbooks too, and when they come over to Grandma’s house we’ll make a game out of it and do a taste test of different foods on their new plates.

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Tolstoy famously wrote “Happy families are all alike, every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Modern psychological science supports this wisdom in findings that extend back for decades and traverse the globe. My work has focused on trying to distill this research into 10 effective and time-efficient strategies that hectic parents can use to promote wellness, happiness and resilience in their children and themselves.

So, my wish for parents in 2012 is to practice these 10 strategies (each of which constitutes a chapter in my parenting book Working Parents, Thriving Families: 10 Strategies That Make a Difference). Here they are:

#1. Spend one hour a week with each child doing nothing but paying attention and saying what you like about your child, what he or she is doing or what he or she is saying. This special time is different from quality time (i.e., in quality time something else is usually holding my attention in addition to my child). What an apple a day is to a pediatrician, this hour a week of special time is to a child psychologist.

#2. Discover what your child excels at, help her or him to develop it and give her or him regular experiences with such, especially in public. All of us have talents that reside at the top of the bell curve, though they often go undiscovered or undeveloped. To discover and develop your child’s talents is a major gift. (By the way, these first two strategies go to the core of self-esteem formation.)

#3. Develop and support daily, weekly, seasonal and special occasion rituals. Such activities can serve as islands of stability in the torrential currents of our culture. Think of it from the perspective of your child: Kids may be shooting kids in school, planes may be crashing into buildings but we still have pizza night, or go to church on Sunday, or have a family meal or, (fill in the blank). These “we alwayses” are music to a parent’s ears.

#4. Further develop your child’s psychological muscle to do things when he or she doesn’t feel like it by developing an effective discipline plan. Try to avoid what doesn’t work (e.g, corporal punishment, harshness)–knowing that we are all capable of lapses and not being too hard on yourself for them–and to use what does work (e.g., setting specific age-appropriate expectations and linking them to outcomes desired by your child, using time-out). By the time he or she is an adult this “muscle” will likely predict his or her success across multiple vocational and interpersonal realms.

#5. Monitor well. Of course, this means establishing appropriate parent controls on the range of media devices to which your child has access. But, it also means limiting sedentary electronic pleasuring to two hours a day and, when she or he is out of your site, knowing where he or she is, who she or he is with, what they are doing and what responsible adult is in charge of monitoring.

#6. Remember that your child’s wellness depends upon your wellness and the wellness of your relationship with your significant other. Secure your oxygen mask first before securing your child’s (e.g., each chapter in the aforementioned book includes a strategy from the positive psychology literature for parents to promote their own wellness.)

#7. Promote harmony, collaboration and effective relationships with the other important adults in your child’s life. The more you do this the better your child will fair. This is the case with teachers, coaches, and, especially, exes (e.g., two things best predict adjustment to divorce: the number of changes the child experiences, with the fewer the better, and how well the parents get along).

#8. Make sure that your child’s health tripod (i.e., sleep, physical activity and diet) is strong. Make sure he or she gets recommended doses of sleep (1-3 years old: 12-14 hours, 3-5 years old: 11-13 hours, 5-12 years old: 10-11 hours, Teens: 8.5-9.25 hours), sweats and breathes hard an hour a day (or at least most days) and eats a balanced diet (e.g., low in refined/processed carbohydrates and junk food, lots of veggies, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, and quality fish). So many kinds of problems can go away, or be avoided to begin with, when this tripod is strong.

#9. Empower your child to make decisions that are developmentally appropriate and teach her or him how to respond adaptively to failure (e.g., crisis = pain + opportunity). We parents hurt worse when our kid hurts. This can sometimes cause us to make too many decisions for our kids and/or to try to protect our kids from the consequences of their choices.

#10. If your child is suffering from anything more than transient mental pain, treat it as you would more than transient dental pain, and seek out the services of a qualified mental health professional (most kids have such pain by adulthood but only a small minority get effective care). And, if you do, educate yourself regarding what differentiates pedestrian from quality care (lots of guidance is provided in my book).

We parents number among the most selfless beings in the universe. I hope you give yourself credit for that as you raise your progeny this year. And, if there is anything I can do to help you in your parenting mission, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Dr. David Palmiter is a psychology professor, practicing psychologist, President-Elect of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association and Public Education Coordinator for the American Psychological Association. He also has been married for 20+ years and has three children ranging in age from 11 to 16. His blog is at www.hecticparents.com, his Twitter moniker is @HelpingParents and his primary website is at www.helpingfamilies.com.

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Grandparent books for new grandparents or older, more-experienced grandma’s and grandpa’s, are books for and about grandparenting that every grandparent should read. Are you a new grandparent or a soon-to-be grandma or grandpa and need help choosing your new grandparent nickname?

Below you will find a list of grandparent books that deal with picking a grandparent name for yourself, books that discuss grandparent rights and visitation issues, as well as a great list of grandparent memory books that grandmother’s and grandfather’s can and need to create a long lasting history of memories for their children, grandchildren and ancestral genealogy records.

If you are a new grandma or grandpa and have ever said to yourself, “Don’t call me Grandma!”, you will love the first grandparent nickname book listed below. There are over 10,000 grandparent nicknames to choose from, nothing like the ridiculous grandparent names suggested online, that you’d surely be embarrassed and upset if your grandchild called you any of those names.

Grandparent Books – Grandparent Names/Nicknames

• You Can Call Me Hoppa! The Grandparents’ Guide to Choosing a Name that Fits by Lauren Charpio

• The New Grandparents Name Book by Lin Wellford and Skye Pifer

• The Big Book of Grandparents’ Names by Jeanmarie O’Keefe Moore

• A Grandparent’s Book by Milton Kamen

• Grand and Great: Grandparents and Grandchildren Share Their Stories of Love and Wisdom by Mark Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Amy Newmark

• 101 Ways to Spoil Your Grandchild by Vicki Lansky

• Long-Distance Grandparenting: Connecting With Your Grandchildren from Afar by Willma Willis Gore

• Teach Yourself Grandparenting by Lynn Chestermann

• The Ultimate Guide to Grandmas & Grandpas! by Sally Lloyd Jones

• Funny, You Don’t Look Like A Grandmother by Lois Wyse

• Grandma and Me by Karen Katz

• That’s What Grandparents Are For by Arlene Uslander and Freddie Levin

• Grandparents are Special by Trena Gologan

• The Grandparents’ Treasure Chest: A Journal of Memories to Share with Your Grandchildren by Edward Fays

• Chicken Soup for the Grandparent’s Soul: Stories to Open the Hearts and Rekindle the Spirits of Grandparents by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Meladee & Hanoch McCarty

• The Grandparent Guide: The Definitive Guide to Coping with the Challenges of Modern Grandparenting by Arthur Kornhaber

• Our Story by Editors of Readers Digest

• I Loved You Before You Were Born by Anne Bowen

• The Gifts of Being Grand by Marianne Richmond

• Welcome To Grandparenting by Rosemary Weis and Michelle Johnston

Grandparents Rights & Raising Grandchildren

• Grandparents as Parents: A Survival Guide for Raising a Second Family by Sylvie De Toledo

• Raising Our Children’s Children by Deborah Doucette-Dudman

• The Essential Grandparent: A Guide to Making a Difference by Lillian Carson

• Grandparenting in a Changing World by Eda J. Leshan

• Black Grandparents As Parents by Lenora Madison Poe

• Grandparents Rights, 4E (Grandparents’ Rights) by Traci Truly

• Grandparents’ Rights: What Every Grandparent Needs to Know by Patricia Slorah

• To Grandmother’s House We Go and Stay: Perspectives on Custodial Grandparents by Carole B. Cox

• Second Time Around: Help for Grandparents Who Raise Their Children’s Kids by Joan Callander

• To Grandma’s House, We–Stay: When You Have to Stop Spoiling Your Grandchildren and Start Raising Them by Bob Rowland and Sally Houtman

• The Extra Parent: How Grandparents Are Helping Out, Pitching In, and Raising Their Grandchildren by Elaine Denholtz

• When A Parent Goes To Jail: A Comprehensive Guide for Counseling Children of Incarcerated Parents by Rebecca M. Yaffe, and Lonnie F. Hoade

• Godly Grandparenting: A Christian Guide for Today’s Families by Ben E. Dickerson and Darrel R. Watkins

• Thou Shalt Not Whine: The Eleventh Commandment: What We Whine About, Why We Do It and How to Stop by January Jones

• When the Labels Don’t Fit: A New Approach to Raising a Challenging Child by Barbara Probst

Grandparent Memory Books – Personalized Memory Books

• Grandparents’ Memory Book: Did You Really Walk Five Miles to School? by Teri Harrison

• My Thoughts with Love: A Parent’s Keepsake Journal by Anne Geddes

• Memories for My Grandchild by Annie Decker and Nicole Stephenson

• Grandpa, Tell Me Your Memories by Kathleen Lasier

• Grandma, Tell Me Your Memories by Kathy Lasier

• Grandmother’s Treasures: Reflections and Remembrances by Lois Wyse

• Journal of Wisdom: Grandfather’s Thoughts on Life and Living by Penton Overseas Inc.

• To Our Children’s Children: Journal of Family Memories by Bob Greene

• The Story of a Lifetime: A Keepsake of Personal Memoirs by Steven and Pamela Pavuk

• Book of Us: A Journal of Your Love Story in 150 Questions by David and Kate Marshall

• The Book of Myself: A Do-It-Yourself Autobiography In 201 Questions by Carl and David Marshall

• Grandmother Remembers: A Written Heirloom for My Grandchild by Judith Levy

• Grandfather Remembers: Memories for My Grandchild by Judith Levy

• Dad Remembers: Memories for My Child by Judith Levy

• The Mommy Journal: Letters To Your Child by Tracy Broy

• Grandparent’s Memory Book for Jewish Families by Various Authors

• Christmas Memories: A Keepsake Book from the Heart of the Home by Susan Branch

• The Grandparent Book: A Keepsake Journal by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

• A Grandparent’s Legacy: Your Life Story in Your Own Words by Thomas Nelson

• The Grandmother Book: A Book About You for Your Grandchild by Andy Hilford and Susan Hilford

Grandparent memory books make a great Christmas gift for grandparents, or as a Birthday, Anniversary or “just because” gift for a grandmother or grandfather. If you are a parent yourself, remember to always keep a journal or scrapbook of notes and remembrances (with photos) for your children and grandchildren to remember you by when your time on Earth is done.

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Everyone who has a child, whether an adult child or a young one, has experienced “bad fashion” for their kid’s age group at one point or another. Some of it I, personally, don’t think is too bad, but some of it DEFINITELY needs to go!

I read an article on Yahoo! News that had fashion trends for kids that they thought should go this year. It ranged from Baby Bikinis, to “sexy” Halloween costumes, to Monster High’s clothesline, to a couple other things. Overall, 2011 had some really bad fashion trends for kids that just need to go away. There’s currently a heated debate going on, about the appropriateness of baby’s in bikinis. A lot of people find them cute and adorable and feel that people “need to lighten up”. There are just as many people arguing the opposite, that it IS inappropriate for a baby to wear a bikini because of perverted people and sex offenders.

If a child is in a backyard playing, then ok, but outside of that, I don’t think a BABY should be wearing a bikini. How long ago was it that a one-piece bathing suit was the cutest thing on a baby? It’s not easy to be the judge of what a child should wear, and what a child SHOULDN’T wear, but every parent has the right to determine for themselves what their kids and babies should be allowed to wear.

I came across the Monster High books when I was at a Border’s bookstore close to my home. I looked at the cover, flipped through a couple pages and put it back. Now, it’s this huge phenomenon that has become a television series, as well as having its own clothing line for kids, preteens and teenagers. The debate isn’t so much about the books themselves, just the message that they appear to be sending to young adults about self-esteem etc. While the show and clothes might be popular among kids, it’s definitely not as popular with adults. These dolls wear skimpy clothes, are super-loaded with tons of makeup, and are definitely something you should think twice about letting your kids wear.

Remember that t-shirt that said “I’m too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me”? There’s a whole line of clothes for both boys and girls which are just as appalling. One boy’s t-shirt says, “Buck Fuddy” while a girls t-shirt says, “I love the woody”. I haven’t seen any kids wearing those particular shirts, but just knowing that parents are actually buying them for their kids, is kind of scary. There are graphic t-shirts available that are cuter for both girls and boys, that aren’t so sexualized. I don’t see these kinds of t-shirts in the cheaper stores like Kohl’s or JCPenney, but they seem to appear more often in the more expensive stores like Hollister or Abercrombie.

Luckily I still have time before I have to start worrying about my daughter needing bras, but for those parents, who are worrying about it now, be careful of where you shop. Yes, both Abercrombie and Calvin Klein have bras for your 7 year old daughter that has lots of padding in them. Calvin Klein also has a kids “demi” bra with an underwire AND padding. Why would a child need that? Not even a preteen would need that much. Women don’t start worrying about getting a comfortably padded bra till they’re in high school sometime, and even later than that.

Low-rise jeans are back, and not just for wearing but also for huge discussion. Jeans are apparently getting lower and lower on the hips with each new generation. I remember being in middle school and needing new jeans. I found some cute jeans that I liked but my mom was reluctant to buy them for me because of how low she thought they were going to fall. What happened to that concern about clothes fitting properly on kids? I miss seeing parents waiting outside the dressing room to see how the clothes fit on their kids. Nowadays it seems like parents just give their kids money and let them choose their clothes for themselves.

Another fashion trend that I’ve seen in middle school kids, is tying the back of their t-shirts. If a t-shirt isn’t “tight” enough, or body fitted enough for a lot girls, they (for some reason) feel the need to tie the backs of their shirts to make it that much tighter. I don’t know why that is, as dumb as it looks, but all you have to do to make a shirt fit you better (if it’s been stretched from wearing) is run it through the dryer on high heat for a good 30 min; plus it makes it nice and toasty warm. The one fashion trend I’m glad that I haven’t seen is kids grabbing the bottom of their t-shirts and pulling them over the tops, to make a halter-like shirt/top.

As terrible as a lot of these fashion trends are, we all know there’s going to be some this year that are going to be even worse. I just hope it doesn’t get DRASTICALLY worse. Whatever the case may be, we have to make sure that our children are dressing appropriately for their age, whether they fight us over it or not. I’m not willing to sacrifice my child’s self-esteem and self-worth for a $10 t-shirt that their classmates might find will make them more popular.

Guest post written and submitted by Heather P. If you’re on Twitter, you can follow Heather P, and engage with her and fellow Hush Hush fans and Twilight book fans.

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