I consider myself to be a pretty even tempered person. I know what makes me happy and I know that if I’m in a funk, I’ll eventually snap out of it. But as my kids grow, and I grow as a mom, I’m learning that my mood seems to rise and fall with the happiness and achievements of my children.    Lately, I’ve been on a bit of an emotional roller coaster, and the trigger is potty training.  Just like childbirth itself, I seemed to have forgotten (or successfully blocked out) the gory details from the first time around. I know, I know -- my daughter won’t wear diapers to college, but she just might…

Once upon a time, February 14th was all about the two of us.  Now, Valentine’s Day is a family holiday -- and I love it more than ever.  With two little girls, most days are filled with hearts and lots of pink. Today it’s over the top. From the time we first met, my husband has been thoughtful (or at least put on a really good act) about making Valentine’s Day the momentous day that I think it is.  Now that he’s outnumbered 3 to 1, he knows his ladies, especially the little ones, expect him to deliver.  Luckily the dollar bins at Target and bags of pink M&M’s make that all pretty easy. By no …

Nothing takes the wind out of me and shakes me to the core like hearing about the loss of a child.  Recent news stories about televisions toppling over on children haunt me. Although the television in our family room is a newer, thinner model than the ones I have heard about, I was still very concerned. So I went looking for advice. Electronic stores were useless (Best Buy actually suggested I use tape to secure our 42-inch television to the entertainment center).  Then I found furniture straps on the website of Baby Solutions, a Highland Park-based childproofing company—the same company we …

Some people dream of starting a business. That was not the case with me. In fact, the thought never really crossed my mind. But, as my career progressed and my family grew, I reconsidered.  I wanted to broaden my skill set and to have a flexible schedule. So, I decided the time was right to start my own PR/communications business. There was a time when the idea of generating my own business leads seemed nearly impossible.  And then suddenly, I had one project and then another and before I knew it I had CLIENTS!  Professionally I have pushed myself and discovered new talents and weaknesses …

It’s the first official day of work and school in 2012 — a year that once seemed so futuristic and far away. But somehow, here we are. Two weeks of winter vacation that once loomed before me are now a memory and that little ache of post-break sadness is here. As I lay warm in my bed this morning enjoying my final moments of peace, I thought about the amazing two weeks my family and I enjoyed together that included holiday parties, a trip to California, New Year’s with our friends and lots of time loafing around the house completely ignoring the clock.  But when you are the parent of small …

With two little girls who love anything that comes wrapped in pretty paper, December is a time of overindulgence, to say the least.  I don’t know how it started but my 5-year-old actually has a Hanukah wish list. Turns out it’s good for giving grandparents direction on gift-giving and even better for me as a reward—OK, bribe—for excellent behavior. On that list were a variety of toys ranging from an American Girl doll to a glow stick. As far as I’m concerned, deliciously wrapped presents and super surprises should be part of every kid’s childhood. My husband and I had a great time strolling …

Most of us were raised to honor some very basic virtues, like “Don’t count other people’s money,” and, “Don’t judge a woman until you’ve walked a mile in her shoes.” Of course, the list goes on.  And yet, even though we may outwardly respect these points of social etiquette, we all know that silently we haven’t been so obedient. I hope I’m not alone here.  Even though I pride myself on being a very open-minded and tolerant person, I can be judgmental. Yes, I said it.  Please don’t judge me. Last week Redbook Magazine created a “No-Judgment Day” in an effort to stop mom-to-mom criticism and …

Sometimes when I hear myself talk I fear I’m becoming a person I dislike—the complainer, big talker and one-upper about her family’s jammed-packed, ridiculously busy schedule.  As though we were forced to sign up for all of these activities, volunteer to be room mother and plan the neighborhood block party, busy parents tend to talk a lot about all that’s on their to-do lists.  Let’s face it (and get over it!)…we’re all busy.  It’s called life. I learned long ago, though, that I am happier, more energized and generally more productive when I’m busy.  Appropriately filled days are actually …

Like all new parents, I could stare for hours on end at my little miracle in the weeks after my daughter was born.  All the while, though, I was secretly thinking about another small miracle I never thought we would reach: sleeping through the night.  My obsessive wondering about when my children will reach various childhood milestones began five and a half years ago and hasn’t stopped since. I know now that my kids won’t go to college with a pacifier, they eventually learned to feed themselves and, thankfully, they sleep on their own.  I still can only dream of the day when everyone in this …

I usually give people the benefit of the doubt.  If the smile I give a stranger isn’t returned, maybe it’s because that person is having a rough day.  If a fellow shopper pushes in front of me, perhaps she didn’t see me clearly standing in line.  But let’s get serious.  People, too many of them, are rude, inconsiderate, needlessly unhappy and downright nasty.  I’ve been thinking for some time about writing a column about all the complaining I hear from people about every topic under the sun.  And then, like a sign from the universe, a particularly nasty shopper at Bed, Bath and Beyond last …

Editor's Note: Each week, Northbrook Patch columnists Debby Shulman and Liz Abrams take turns taking about parenting from two different perspectives. Shulman has teenagers at Glenbrook North, while Abrams' daughter just entered kindergarten at Meadowbrook Elementary School. Both grew up in Northbrook themselves. Last week, Shulman wrote about the not-so-appropriate clothes (including "denim underpants") girls are wearing today. This week, Abrams talks about her role model as she makes the transition to working from home to be closer to her kids: her own mother.  One of the best parts about my…

It’s been several months since my consulting job in the city ended and I started working full-time from my home office. My shift from corporate hack to growing my own budding business has been eye opening in so many ways.  I started my own PR agency as a personal challenge to myself, but also because it was the best way for me to manage “the balancing act.”  The honest truth, though, is when the scale of life is tipping more towards family and kids, there are times when my world feels very small.  As I pulled up to Meadowbrook Elementary School last week during first day drop-off I was …

So here we are.  Summer is nearing its end and the first day of school is just a week away.  That familiar twinge of sadness has set in for me as we try to soak up the last few weeks of summertime and carefree schedule-less days.  Good-byes have been said at the last day of camp and my family’s annual summer getaway came and went faster, it seemed, than the time I spent packing for the trip. As I sorted through loads of sandy laundry and the pile of mail our neighbor collected while we were away, I came across the school calendar for my soon-to-be kindergartner. Suddenly it all became very …

It’s been so fascinating to watch my five-year-old daughter turn casual playmates into close friends.   Summer camp and the start of school traditionally bring opportunities for our kids to expand their social circles and deepen their existing friendships.  This is what we expect and hope for our children, and maybe even for ourselves. Watching her form bonds with her peers, and thinking about my own relationships in comparison, I realize how much about friendship changes as we grow up—and how much stays the same. As young adults we cheered for each other as we secured our first jobs, then …

When I was working full-time I was convinced that I was missing boisterous neighborhood get-togethers and crucial bonding time with other moms during the day. Not so much. If you’re like me and think the grass is always greener, listen up. Even in the summer sunshine it’s hard to stumble upon other moms and kids relaxing outside. Most of our meet-ups are planned events. Busy kids, working parents and the ease of digital communication have changed so much in our lives, including how we just hang out. I used to walk around our neighborhood or plant my kids at a park hoping to run into friends. …

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my kids’ lives in Northbrook compared to my own childhood here many years ago.  So many times I laugh at how time has stood still. More often, though, I marvel at the changes that have happened in this community. That’s my reaction to the event I’m planning to attend tonight, when I will have a chance to experience and celebrate diversity in a way that was not openly offered here when I was a teenager in the ’90s.  In honor of Pride Month, there will be a panel discussion at the Northbrook Public Library about the experiences of members of the LGBT …

Last week we had the chance to join the current and incoming Meadowbrook students and families at an evening party at school…and it was a party.  My daughter, who starts kindergarten there in the fall, took it really well. She carefully checked out the classrooms, inspecting the décor, room set-up and books on display.  She smiled shyly when she met the teachers and then made an energetic beeline back out to the playground.  It seems like the ice cream social is an annual event.   I’m not sure if it was the awesome summer weather, the kids dancing their pants off to the DJ’s blaring music or …

With summer coming, so does the ever popular parental exchange of who’s doing what and going where for camp, t-ball, swim lessons, safety town, you name it.  I’m not pointing fingers. I’m usually the first one to ask.  When you live in a community like Northbrook, with its rich offering of classes and summer programs that are nearby and usually well priced, it’s hard not to be tempted. I love that I can expose my children to so much—like dance, ice-skating, foreign languages and cooking, really, anything that interests them. With so much to choose from, it’s easy to think more is more. And …

The best part about writing this column is the chance to connect with local parents.  I was so interested to hear from other moms (and grandmas too!) after my last column about car seat safety.  What I found most fascinating is that many of the moms I heard from were NOT new parents. They, like me, are parents with two, even three children, trying to stay informed.  When it comes to car seats, for example, what you did for your first child is not the course you’ll take for your younger ones. But, the parents I know are not just talking about car seats.  They are concerned about safety in the …

By now you’ve probably heard the latest in the car seat/booster brouhaha. Last month the American Academy of Pediatrics announced new car seat safety guidelines. Parents are advised to keep their toddlers in rear-facing seats until age 2, or until they reach the max height and weight for the seat. Additionally, the report recommends that most kids ride in a booster seat until they are 4 feet 9 inches and are between 8-12 years old.  I’m not one to debate the AAP on this topic. When it comes to car seat safety, I listen carefully, do as I’m told and hope that other parents will too.  However, …