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During last July’s 5.8 earthquake, 3-year-old Bronwyn told her 1-year-old sister, “We’re going for a wiggle.” READ MORE
Editor's Note
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A recent survey duly noted that parental stress and sleepless nights increase when the kiddies go back to school. What it fails to address is that, as November opens, I'm still tired. And so are millions of parents who have figured out the schedule of getting the kids to school, making the soccer practices, and arriving early enough to warm up for the Saturday games. Sure, the back-to-school rush has dissipated, but we haven't stopped sweating. For example, I believe that parents read newspapers less not because they are so Internet-prone, but that they are, in fact, laid out on the floor, taking a cat nap before the next big event. "Give me five minutes," is the mantra. So the details of the survey, which follows, can be a primer for the whole year. One-quarter of parents feel additional stress and one-in-three parents report losing sleep during back-to-school time. A Harris Interactive survey points out that stress levels contribute to this particular malaise in parents. They worry about getting back into the school routine, financial concerns, and academic achievement. It's a "three-shift day involving office work, household chores and expanded child-care duties," reports Dr. Rafael Pelayo, assistant professor at Stanford University's Sleep Disorders Clinic. "Parents may feel there aren't enough hours in a day to take care of all these responsibilities, so parents may feel forced to stay up later and get up earlier. They may have problems sleeping once they're in bed as they think about all the work that needs to be juggled." Hey, in my household as August turned to September, this is exactly how my wife and I felt. And, as October turns to November, little has changed. Sure, the soccer and water polo seasons are wrapping up and we'll quietly plan for the two big holidays. But early spring is just around the corner. And summer isn't far behind. For more on the subject, please turn to the national kids day story in this issue's Family News. About this issue There is something for a parent of any age child in this issue. That's our goal every time you pick up this magazine. For example, Lisa Alvarez makes a startling revelation that a baby can be a role model in her First Years column. And Kimberly A. Porrazzo writes in Mother Knows that her family reflects more Ozzie and Harriet Nelson than Ozzie and Sharon Osbourne. Which is why she'll never be asked to sing at ballgames or host awards shows. What a shame. I don't know about Kimberly's singing abilities, but she would make an elegant host. And she's a fine mother. Elegance and motherhood are not words I come up with as I see and read about Sharon Osbourne. |
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