Today's Kids Are Worse Than Yesterday's

Parents, control your kids and stop getting mad at teachers for telling you that your child needs to be disciplined. The teacher is right, especially when they initiate contact for support. Why would a teacher reach out to you, if they in fact are causing the problem? They're asking for help. And don't get me wrong, I am all for backing up your child if in fact the teacher is mistreating them or being unfair, but you're doing your child a disservice when siding with them for bad behavior.

When teachers are unable to teach because a child is a non-stop distraction in class and coaches can't yell at your kid because he's too delicate and it hurts his feelings, then we have failed as parents and are creating the wimps of the world.  Students should not be able to curse out any adult or assault them without repercussion. And school administrations in the litigious country we live in should stop punishing teachers for defending themselves. No wonder there is such a shortage of them. At what point did today's kids become worse than yesterday's?

It's midnight, and 20 busloads of highschoolers are running through the halls of our hotel, jumping and bouncing above the heads of all other occupants. When I was an athlete, traveling was a privilege.  We were thrilled about the opportunity to leave town and stay overnight, so never would we want to ruin the opportunity by not following rules. If we even dreamed of leaving our rooms, let alone made a peep after curfew, coaches wreaked havoc on our butts, parents would be called, and we knew there would be severe punishment. Respect no longer seems to be a priority. Parents don't stand by authority rather their disrespectful kids' word. And although kids will be kids, they are kids and should respect adults, rules and regulations. At some point, every parent experiences the feeling of not knowing what to do when you've tried everything to encourage good behavior. Trying to punish children into good behavior does not always work, but you can require them to practice better behavior. Being a part of a sports team, band, or debate team, etc. is a privilege. Consequences used to encourage time-specific behavior helps change bad behaviors. Children crave structure, even though they deny it. Later in life - as I'm sure we as adults can attest - we appreciated the effective consequences and boundaries set by adults. Adults made us who we are today. Let's try to steer today's kids toward better behaviors by teaching them respect and disciplining their negative behaviors. After all, the time you spend with children when they are little, is the time they spend with you when you're old. Make it quality time.


-Leslie Osmond



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Bad Habit Baby

"Daddy, you're stupid." With both of our jaws dropped in disbelief behind the comment, my husband and I immediately scolded Layla for using these words. Where did she hear that? Neither of us even use the phrase especially when referring to other people.  Did she hear it at her daycare amongst the kids, or perhaps on television? Either way, this is one bad habit we don't want her picking up.

I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out which of the television programs she watches may use that phrase. But all of her shows are educational and provide life lessons. I cannot for the life of me imagine that Peppa Pig, Bubble Guppies, Little Einstein's, or Paw Patrol use such an expression. Then again, over the last week or so, she's picked up some interesting bad habits like shoving on the playground, being overly bossy and refusing to share, but that's just terrible twos behavior right?  So over the last few days, as our munchkin began repeating "I can't" for every request or command asked of her like a broken record, I was at a loss for words. Where is she learning this stuff? She's always been especially independent and head-strong, why on earth does she all of a sudden believe she can't do something? As the days progress, I try to ignore the bad behavior by redirecting her attention. Given she's determined when it comes to everyday tasks, I prefer her being assertive in her activities and around people, so there's no need to even give any more attention to the bad behavior.

Over the past week and a half or so as our daughter is waking up earlier and earlier, I found a few alternate cartoons to keep her preoccupied. I am not a morning person, so getting a few more Zzz's after Layla rises and shines at 6:00am is just what the doctor ordered. I prop her next to me with breakfast and cocoa, and as I slowly wake, I crack up laughing with her at Sponge Bob assaulting the octopus Squidward, and am amused as they verbally attack each other and another character argues about how she "can't" do something. HELLO Leslie!!! The lightbulb went off, because this is how Layla's learning the behavior, and it's all my fault! The irony of not realizing the garbage we watch as parents, and how our amusement at the behaviors in these shows, validates these bad behaviors to our children. If mommy thinks it's funny, then it must be okay. And while I do have a sick sense of humor and was always a fan of off-key shows, I now realize the err in my ways as it pertains to childrearing.  Kids are truly sponges, and while we can't stop them from absorbing all the filth in this world, we can surely steer them away from it and towards absorbing the good. No more SpongeBob for my munchkin...at least not until she's older and her brain has gone back to remembering the good habits.


-Leslie Osmond


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Hips Don't Lie: The Art of Belly Dancing & Birth

The history of belly dancing is an interesting one. My husband and I were watching a television program where diners ate at a restaurant with belly dancers. To their horror and disbelief, one of the women was dancing pregnant. As the diners were criticizing and talking amongst each other, my husband also commented to me in shock, until I explained that belly dancing was meant for this exact purpose.

Originating in the Middle East, belly dancing was practiced primarily in a woman's private quarters as a birth dance to help relieve and ease contractions. The pelvic-centered dance which is highly sexualized in modern-day, was actually used as a way to strengthen abdominal muscles, and as a bonding experience for women and girls. Belly dancing lessons began following a girl's first menstruation, to prepare her for future natural birthing experiences. During labor, belly dance movements help distract mothers from contraction pain, and would aid in directing the baby down the birth canal. While many people in today's day-and-age are unfamiliar with its origin, belly dancing is not only a natural form of art, but delivers life.

-Leslie Osmond

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You Better Say Something To Your Kids Before I Do

I've written and talked about this before, but was exceptionally annoyed last night while treating my daughter to some ice cream and fun at a local restaurant with play area. We occasionally frequent this site during the day which is comprised of stay-at-home moms and grandparents, a crowd drastically different than the one we experienced after 5pm. And while I understand that working parents find these restaurants convenient after work to quickly feed and keep kids entertained, that does not absolve you from supervising your children. Being too busy texting and Facebooking is not an acceptable excuse. Allowing your child to misbehave at the expense of others is not parenting. We are all tired. The last thing I want to do as a parent, is scold someone else's child and subsequently get into an argument because of it.

With that, I would like to say to the exhausted looking father of four, allowing his children (roughly ages 4-8) to kick and punch younger kids in the play area, put your phone down for two seconds and be a parent. Every adult in the restaurant is biting their tongue not to confront you or your children because it is not our place. But if being glued to your phone makes you too busy to notice, then someone should explain right and wrong to your kids. And I get that children usually work out issues amongst each other, but being outnumbered and standing up to four siblings makes it a bit difficult.

As we continued watching the foursome prevent our kids from sliding, Mr. Too Busy On His Phone had not looked up once despite two sets of parents commenting aloud about the behavior and his children hitting. The real problem is why should we have to punish our kids by leaving because one parent will not be a parent, and we are trying to avoid confrontation? Yes. I am that parent: the nosy observer.  It's called parenting, and I need to pay special attention, especially as my daughter goes through the "Mine" stage because she needs to share and give other kids the opportunity to play.  As Mr. Too Busy continued on his phone, his four kids would not share or let other children pass to go up and down the play area. They also blocked others from exiting the slide. I watched without saying anything, and noticed that his four-year-old boy in particular was the biggest aggressor. To all the parents' horror, he spit from the top of the play area to the bottom, and as the spit trickled down the side of the play wall, some of the parents could not take it anymore and left.  Just when I'd had enough of him pushing and trying to trip my two-year-old who is too oblivious to realize the boy was not playing tag, he punched her with all of his tiny force in her chest as she was moving past him. I jumped up in disbelief to enter the play area and reprimand the boy, but before I was able to get the door open, my little girl in true linebacker form, tackled the living mess out of him! I had to pull them apart as they were going blow for blow, and she certainly made it clear that she would not tolerate him hitting. I guess kids do work things out on their own! There's only so much a person can take, even little people. After separating the two, I sat Layla down to finish her food and advised the father that he may want to get off his phone and watch his kids. I am not judging him. Actually, I am. Say something to your kids before others have to.


-Leslie Osmond




Please visit our website ozzybaby.com

The Importance of Baby Talk

Communication with babies is critical for their development. And while they start off babbling and what appears to be gibberish, engaging in their way of talk is an excellent step in building the foundation to their speaking abilities for the future.

When I go to the grocery store and hear parents chatting with their toddlers, I always find it amusing how distinctly they manage to understand what their child is communicating, even when the children are not speaking in full sentences. Translating baby talk is something parents work to understand, because knowing our kids' wants and needs makes life easier. Chatting also takes practice and repetition. And while we may not always know what to chat with them about, reading is a great supplement. The importance of interacting and talking with babies is crucial enough to be linked to intellectual gaps among children. I was astounded to learn while volunteering the other day, that many of the children that come from homes where communication is irregular, accounts for nearly three million fewer words per year from birth to the age of three. And while genetic factors were taken into account during these studies and observations while in daycare, the bulk of the studies showed that environmental factors far outweigh genetic.

Everyone comes from a different walk of life, and therefore, demographic, socioeconomic backgrounds, etc. can make it difficult to spend as much time with your child as perhaps a stay-at-home parent. But keep in mind, talking is free. And while some children may not be afforded all of the monetary things parents would like to buy if the means were available, communication is priceless, as is a child's development. There should never be a shortage of communication when it comes to taking the little bit of time you may have, to aid a baby's development. I implore all parents reading this blog to take the time to engage with your children. Their future depends on it.


-Leslie Osmond

Please visit our website ozzybaby.com





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Forced Paternity Leave

Forcing men to take paternity leave makes the world a better place. After all, it takes two to tango, so it's only fair that both parents participate in what's traditionally a mother's duty, in an effort for fathers to experience and empathize with mothers, yet also build stronger bonds with children. Other countries do it. Why not the United States? Should we mandate paternity leave?

Some of you may be reading this and thinking, "On what planet is mandatory paternity leave going to happen?" Well, for several years, the country of Sweden requires fathers take 60 days leave following the birth of a child. Such efforts have encouraged equality at home and in the workplace, therefore paving the way for improvements in equal pay, work hours, benefits, housework and childcare. And while other countries like Belgium, France, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and Spain provide similar benefits, many companies in the United States (not to the same degree as these countries) also offer paternity leave.

My husband was fortunate to have a few weeks paid leave following the birth of our daughter.  He welcomed the time as a family effort in taking away some of my load, so that I could rest following birth. The leave also encouraged quality time which he spent bonding with our daughter. Daddy time is something my husband enjoys very much, and it is something he misses nowadays when all she wants to do is cling to mommy, and daddy yearns for a little snuggle time, like during her infancy. In my opinion, baby bonding within the first few months makes for better, happier dads. They gain instinct that would otherwise be foreign, and cherished memories. I still reminisce over the times our munchkin was just a few weeks old, and she'd only shower with her dad. Remembering her clutching him ever so tightly with those tiny fists, makes my heart melt. Daddy was her favorite, and she'll always be his little baby. After all, during those crucial weeks, he learned how to change her diaper in a flash, learned some of her likes and dislikes, and only he had that special way to rock her to sleep. Paternity leave is a necessity. I think it can also strengthen marriages. I mean, if the added stress of feeding, bathing, clothing, and providing for a child is there, what greater satisfaction and appreciation for one another, than allowing the other party a glimpse into having equal roles? If not for the parents, it is wonderful for the child. Perhaps this is something more companies in the US should consider, for the sake of productivity and a greater work-life balance.

-Leslie Osmond

Please visit our website ozzybaby.com

Take A Parental Time-Out

How do you stop yourself from laughing hysterically at your daughter, after you've just scolded her for being too loud, and she pouts her way back into her room with a balloon in tow, all while riding on the back of a toy dog that is blinking like a disco ball and singing the ABC's?!! You had to see it to truly grasp the scope of hilariousness. It was sheer comedy and took every ounce of my husband and I not to let her see us cracking up. Moments like these make me think of how as parents, we can get frustrated over the littlest thing after a long day, and our children's goofy moments place things back into perspective. Rather than blowing up, and pausing for a moment to take a parental time-out is a great way to calm before a storm.


Kids always want more of our attention. Our tolerance of their noise level, whining, crying, etc. is skewed in various situations. For instance, when we have guests, if we merely want a few minute of tv time or quiet, or we are at our wits end, parents are likelier to to get frustrated in the heat of the moment. I am sure all parents have had that moment where you are enjoying some much needed adult conversation, so you allow your child a little more freedom for the sake of get out of my face! Yes, you can have another piece of candy. Sure, watch another episode of your cartoon so I can finish viewing Dr. Oz. I am on the phone, if you continue to interrupt, we will not go outside and play. As these negotiations or bribes do not work in our favor, we end up raising our voices, getting frustrated -- the works. Parent-child relationships can be the most rewarding, and the most challenging. When love and anger meet head-on, it is important to be wise and control our emotions, even in moments of weakness. I am thankful for the reminders that make me laugh, such as my daughter leaving my room upset on the back a singing disco dog. Life is too short to lose patience, stress and lash out in anger. "Laugh a little louder. Smile a little bigger. Love a little deeper. And walk through life a little slower, enjoying more." -Unknown


-Leslie Osmond

Please visit our website ozzybaby.com




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