Trudging Through ‘Maintain’ Mode
Sometimes in life, you can’t help but feel beaten down. It seems that anything and everything can go wrong all at once. This week has been one of those for me as a homeowner. My dishwasher is dead, my refrigerator’s motor went caput, my carport started leaking, the check engine light on my car popped on days before my emissions test is due and my furnace has decided to only kick on when it feels like it.
On top of that, I have 60 papers needing grading that keep staring at me with the evil eye and several freelance assignment deadlines this month.
I’ve declared this week my ‘maintain’ week. I can’t possibly trudge forward with zestful energy; instead, I must go through the motions and ‘maintain’ to keep my sanity. Read more »
Coping With Divorce: Cultivating Your Child’s Feelings
Published February 2011: eHow Family & Relationships
Coping With Divorce: Cultivating Your Child’s Feelings
Creating a United Front When Separation Occurs
Article Excerpt:
Divorce is never easy for adults. The stress of separation, emotional turmoil and physical loss often takes its toll. The reality, though, is that while adults are learning to cope, children are often left feeling confused, abandoned and even guilty about the family situation. Read more »
Playground Dilemma: The Balance at Play
Published February 2011: eHow Family & Relationships
Playground Dilemma: The Balance at Play
Parents Can Guide Children to Benefits from Both Wireless and Wired Activities
Article Excerpt:
As a tech-savvy parent, Barack Levin is exposed to computers every day. The Atlanta-area stay-at-home dad and author of “The Diaper Chronicles: A stay at home dad’s quest for raising great kids” says he sees the disadvantages of living in a wired environment and decided not to allow his only child exposure to technology until he was 5. Even at that age, Levin sets limits. Read more »
Helping Kids With Their First Crush
Published February 2011: eHow Family & Relationships
Helping Kids With Their First Crush
Picking Up the Pieces When They Fall Head Over Heels
Article Excerpt:
When Terrina Picarello was in the eighth grade, she fell hard for a boy. Her summer crush was doomed to end — the boy went to a different school — but dealing with the heartbreak is something she remembers well. “I sat in my room and played the record ‘Endless Love’ over and over for days and cried and cried,” Picarello said. Read more »
Child Care When You Can’t Be There
Published February 2011: eHow Family & Relationships
Child Care When You Can’t Be There
What Parents Need to Know When Selecting a Daycare
Article Excerpt:
Julie Wells, a St. Louis mother of two, removed her son from a day care when staff members fed him snacks made from peanut products despite his peanut allergy.
“They knew about his allergy, and I even packed his own snacks,” Wells said. “But they were too lazy to get them out.”
Unfortunately, Wells’ story isn’t unique. Day care disasters can haunt even the most careful parents. Something to which Brandy Hamann can attest. Read more »
About Me
Three words to describe me? Passionate. Motivated. Curious. These traits help me as a college media adviser and instructor, freelance writer, and mom. This site, focused on writing, reflecting, and teaching, strives to tell the stories of the “average” person. From student journalism and higher education to parenting and freelance writing, you’ll find a mix of blogs with a hint of humor, sarcasm, and inspiration.
Feel free to browse my sample works including feature news, magazine, and web copywriting pieces from the past and present. Check back often for daily updates, blog entries, and additional stories. Feel free to contact me directly at shphilpott@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter. Comments are welcome!
