Topic: Child rearing

Is the Root of Evil in Our Society a Sense of Entitlement?

By Sue Freeman Culverhouse | June 3, 2015 |

Has it occurred to you that we are seeing more and more people who feel that whatever they want to do, whenever they want to do it, and to whomever they want to do it, is the way to go?

They have their thirty pieces of silver

Clarksville, TN – Whether it is some two-bit politician in Podunk who has an innocent hard-working person removed from her job for what he perceives is his right because he has the power, or a fat-cat CEO who has hundreds of people laid off while he collects multi-million dollar–or even billion dollar–perks with no qualms whatsoever, we see evil appearing to rule the day.

It could be a drug addict who thinks it’s okay to rob an elderly person to get money for a fix. It could be the director of a nursing home who allows aging bedridden patients to be neglected to increase profits.

Let’s face it. We have an abundance of evil-acting citizens in our midst.

What is their motivation for these horrible choices? Mainly, in my humble opinion, it’s a sense of entitlement. «Read the rest of this article»

Is a Sense of Entitlement the Root of Evil in Our Society?

By Sue Freeman Culverhouse | August 25, 2010 |

Has it occurred to you that we are seeing more and more people who feel that whatever they want to do, whenever they want to do it, and to whomever they want to do it, is the way to go?

They have their thirty pieces of silver

Whether it is some two-bit politician in Podunk who has an innocent hard-working person removed from her job for what he perceives is his right because he has the power, or a fat-cat CEO who has hundreds of people laid off while he collects multi-million dollar–or even billion dollar–perks with no qualms whatsoever, we see evil appearing to rule the day. It could be a drug addict who thinks it’s okay to rob an elderly person to get money for a fix. It could be the director of a nursing home who allows aging bedridden patients to be neglected to increase profits.

Let’s face it. We have an abundance of evil-acting citizens in our midst.

What is their motivation for these horrible choices? Mainly, in my humble opinion, it’s a sense of entitlement. «Read the rest of this article»

Early childhood development spans the ages.

By Beth Britton | March 19, 2010 |

Have you ever sat and watched as an elderly woman bounces a bright eye baby on her knee? Have you observed how she wraps her aged hands around the soft newness of the young hands and brings them together in a game of Pat-a-Cake? This timeless game of baby bonding has spanned generations and brought laughter to young and old.

The earliest mention was found in Thomas D’ Urfey’s play The Campaigners from 1698. In 1765 it was written in the following format for the  Nursery book Mother Goose Melody.

Patty Cake, Patty Cake,
Baker’s Man;
That I will Master,
As fast as I can;
Prick it and prick it,
And mark it with a T,
And there will be enough for Jacky and me.

Of course, each generation and each culture had its own version of this little rhyme making it their own. What your Grandmother may not have known was that she was teaching her infant important fine motor skills. When you take your baby’s hands and bring them together where they touch you are not only working the developing muscles in their arms but you are nurturing hand-eye coordination. «Read the rest of this article»

Peer support network for area mothers created

February 8, 2010 |

New web forum provides Clarksville mothers with a much needed peer support resource.

Blythe Belenky

Blythe Belenky was a member of TriangleMommies.com while living in Raleigh, NC,and felt completely lost without it when she moved to Tennessee.  She did not know how to find the answers to simple questions, such as what preschool is the best, where to get a haircut, which park will be the most fun, or where to buy the best produce.  In September 2009, she started ClarksvilleMommies.com to share her experiences and to offer other moms the advantages of a Mommies Network site and the ability to make friends.  It is wonderful resource for finding out about the area and finding friends, many of whom she knows will be life-long.

Members chat online in a private forum – discussing everything from the best photographers to the worst temper tantrums and all that lies between – and meet-up regularly at member-driven events around town.  Whether it’s a late night commiseration on a crying baby (there are 4AM posts to prove it), or a Mom’s Night Out, ClarksvilleMommies provides what local moms need, when and how they need it. «Read the rest of this article»

Transitioning to the role of a stay at home mom

By Sylvia Britton | November 7, 2009 |

More and more young women are choosing to leave the workplace and make a home for themselves, their husbands and children. While it may look like an easy move, it does have its challenges. I can’t possibly solve all your transition problems, but here are a few suggestions to help you make it as smooth as possible.

Transitioning from the workplace to staying at home with a child can sometimes be stressful and frustrating. You aren’t alone in your struggle if you are learning how to manage your days and fill your hours productively at home.  Here is a letter from a young mom who had lots of questions about her new role as full-time stay at home mom.

I am a new sahm  (Stay At Home Mom) after seven years of teaching. I want to continue being at home. I want for my home to be clean and comfortable, to have an idea of what I am doing each day, to build relationships with God, my husband, my new baby,and others, and to take care of myself. I never knew that being a sahm would be so overwhelming. Before I quit teaching I used to get up a certain time of day, know what I was doing that day , had a time period to complete my tasks, was around other adults, enjoyed coming home to relax and went to bed around the same time. Now I feel overwhelmed. I do not know what expectations I should have for myself every day. What things should I be cleaning daily? What things should I only do occasionally? During the time that I am not cleaning what should I be doing? I have a 5 month old daughter. I do not want to be so devoted to cleaning my house that I miss time with her. I also need time with other adults. Any suggestions?

«Read the rest of this article»

A Mother’s Baby

By Beth Britton | May 10, 2009 |

She pulled out of her purse a small, silver, Kodak easy share camera, like a proud Momma showing off her brag book. She turned it on and began to show me the most recent pictures of her children. There was her youngest daughter who is growing into such a stunning young girl, and there were pictures of laughter and silly moments between siblings on the couch. Then she got to the pictures of her oldest daughter who just turned eighteen-years-old last week. She had pictures of her in her poster-clad room surrounded by all the latest heart throbs, and pictures of her getting ready for her first real date. Then she came to a picture of this same daughter asleep on the couch with her hands curled up underneath her chin. This particular picture really took my breath away, because I had seen that sleeping face before. I had seen that face because it looked my little girl who turned the big 20-months-old last month. They look the same because they are related; the young sleeping beauty was my sister-in-law, and the proud Momma my Mother-in-law. I smiled as she showed me that last picture and said, “That’s your baby.” «Read the rest of this article»

The Pink Blanket

By Beth Britton | April 21, 2009 |

I still remember the first night I used the pink blanket. Elle-Girl was just a bit of a thing, barely two months old and was all wrinkly and fresh smelling from a nightly sponge bath. I laid her out on her changing table and rubbed her down with smooth lavender lotion. Next, I dressed her in new cotton pajamas and was ready to settle her down to sleep. On my way out of her bedroom, I picked a blanket off of the top of the neatly folded collection of baby blankets all given to us by family and friends before Elle-Girl was born.

This particular blanket was given to us by her Great-Grandmother.

The blanket was trimmed in pink satin and the blanket itself was of the softest flannel. It smelled of Ivory baby detergent and was so supple and flowy from never haven been used that it just enveloped our small little girl wrapping her in warmth and comfort. After nursing that night Elle-Girl drifted off into the deepest of sleep, (However, still not deep enough to sleep through the night) I decided that a child must have a blankie all their own to offer them years of comfort and I gave that particular blanket official “blankie rights”. «Read the rest of this article»

Beth Britton to pen column for Christian HomeKeeper network

March 17, 2009 |

Beth Britton with her daughter, "Elle-girl"

Beth Britton, a columnist for Clarksville Online,  has been asked to write a weekly column for the new site, Christian HomeKeeper Network.

“This website is a great place for women to go and be encouraged and to get to know other women with similar interests. I am excited to be joining with the other excellent writers in contributing to this site.”

— Beth Britton

In additions to her periodic essay on our site, you can read Beth’s  weekly postings at my personal on site blog http://christianhomekeeper.org/ravens-nest/ «Read the rest of this article»

The “play date…”

By Beth Britton | September 28, 2008 |

"Woman getting ready..."

Play dates are funny things.

The morning of, maybe even the night before you set about planning what you will wear. It’s kind of like when you were in high school and were going on a date with a guy, only difference is the debate over what you wear is now a little different.

As a teen you wanted to have it all together, smell nice, hair a certain way, and make- up just perfect.

As a mom on a play date, same thing, only this time you strive to not make it look like you have it all together.

You want to be approachable, right? You don’t want to give the impression that Gucci and pearls are the norm for you. Or maybe that’s just the impression you want to give, and if that’s the case then I think someone needs to tell you

• A. You’re not fooling anyone, and
• B. The rest of us are quietly fuming that you got to take a shower this morning! «Read the rest of this article»

Separation Anxiety: a real issue for toddlers

By Beth Britton | September 3, 2008 |

Elle girl and Elmo

Last night after a family dinner out at our favorite pre-baby restaurant, Old Chicago, we thought we would make an attempt to return to post-baby normalcy by going to a book store that we had not ventured into since before Elle-girl was born.

We never took a small baby to this particular book store because we didn’t want to be “those” parents of an obnoxiously loud toddler screaming its head off because it couldn’t get what it wanted, you know the type, the ones that people who don’t have children scoff at ?

We thought that now that our well mannered daughter was a bit older that we would try it. Not taking into consideration that it was 9 p.m. at night, and our toddler is usually curled up in her footie pajamas by this time any other night of the week.

It started off well. She seemed stunningly overwhelmed by the mass majority of her favorite thing in the whole wide world all around her, books!

She was all smiles and all whispers, just like planned! «Read the rest of this article»

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