Tuesday Debate- The Obama Speech

Today is the big day. President Obama is giving a speech to the American School System. There has been a lot of hoo-ha about it. Should he? Should he not? Will he stay on subject? (His intention is to speak on work ethic, the value of education and diligence). Does he have the right to do this on a federal level or is this a state responsibility?

While Karen and I agree on some things, politics is certainly an interesting issue between us. One of us is completely okay with him speaking to the kids. The other of us has some reservations. What do you think is right? Should President Obama be given opportunity to speak into our children's lives? Is this completely a parental issue? A state issue?

You may leave your comments now. . . . (let's be civil, please).

Oooo, this is about to get interesting,

Melissa

Psst, this is Karen. Here's a link to the speech, which was supposed to have been up yesterday, but I forgot to check. http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/

Tuesday Debate-How many is too many?

We've all seen the headlines. As a culture, a lot of people are fascinated with families of multiples and large families. The Jolie-Pitts. The Octomom. John and Kate Gosselein. And how about that family with EIGHTEEN children? Wow. It's hard for me to teach a class of eighteen kids, let alone be on duty 24/7. What happens when one of them gets sick and infects the whole family?

So the question today is: how many is too many? And in the case of invitro fertilization, should and at what point should the doctor be held accountable (as in the case with Octomom who has 14 kids, raising them as a single parent).

Let the debate begin!

Melissa

Tuesday Debate- It's Time for Summer Camp!

I don't know about you, but by about mid-February, the area I live in starts planning for and advertising- SUMMER CAMP. I'm not even remotely close to being thawed from Winter's Chill, and they want to know what I'm going to do with my kid every day for those precious 11 weeks.  For us, summer is freedom to do whatever, whenever, however and with whomever we choose.  If we want to go to camp, so be it. But I cannot process all of that in the middle of February. There are, however, some parents who have their child's summer planned by the end of March. Wow! I marvel at their organizational skills.  But camp every week? 

So here's the debate: Summer camp- how much is too much? What are you doing with your kids for the summer?

Let the comments begin!

Melissa

Tuesday Debate- a day late!

I'm late. I know. I'm sorry. I'd like to say it won't ever happen again, but then we all know that would be a huge lie. Believe me, Karen will give me enough heck for all of you! :-)

So today's debate centers around drugs. Yes, I said it.  But what I'm talking about here is the kind that (at least for me) brought some semblance of sanity to the birthing process. Say it with me now . . .  epidural.

There are many women who will and many women who won't.  I made it perfectly clear to my husband and doctor that I WOULD be having the epidural despite my queasiness with needles. And then I heard it from all sides . . . why I should, why I shouldn't, what's going to happen to my baby if I do, what will happen to me if I don't. . . 

S0, pool's open, gang. Let the debate begin. . . to epidural or not?

Tune In Tuesday Debate- Nursing in Public

When I became pregnant with our first child, my husband immediately assumed a few things. assumed that of COURSE I would want to go through birth without any drugs (uhm, NO! Bring on the epidural at 3!), that I would want to home school (because I'm an educator- again, no, not for me) and that I would be delighted to nurse as oppose to formula feed. I remember looking at him in my state of sassiness, saying,"Tell you what, when the baby comes out, we will attach him or her to one of your dangling body parts and see how you feel about it."

When the time came, I did nurse both of my children for a bit. And it turned out to be a good experience for the most part. But there was always the issue of nursing while we were in public (again, wasn't for me. I hid in the bathroom). What do you think? Should women nurse in public? Let the debate begin!

Melissa

Tune-In Tuesday Debate

We are very curious about how other parents feel about a variety of topics, so we have begun our "Tune-In Tuesday Debate." Every Tuesday, we will pose a question to you and ask for your comments. Some might be silly, and some might be controversial. We'll try to keep politics and religion out of it!

Our first Tuesday Debate centers around parents, especially moms, who have multiples. When I was pregnant with my twins, you would not believe the questions I got, ranging from the direct ("Oh, twins, did you go through infertility treatments?") to the more indirect ("So, do twins run in your family?") Either way, I found it to be an invasion of my privacy and basically, none of their business!

So if you have twins, how do you feel about the questions you got? And by all means, share the funny ones with us! If you don't have twins, what do you feel is appropriate to ask an expecting mother? And why?

Who knows, maybe I'm looking at this all wrong. What do you think?

Karen