Guest Blogger
Jennifer M. Koontz
Jennifer M. Koontz earned a B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She taught secondary Social Studies in Maryland before earning a J.D. from The Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University. Koontz has taught students of every age, from preschool through college. When she became a mother in 2005, she began to make observations about parenting and collect stories that were told to her by other parents. Now that she has been a teacher and a lawyer, she has decided to add "author" to the list.
When Your Centerpiece is Made of Play-Doh and the Dog Has Eaten Your Crayons: A Mother’s Perspective on Parenting, author Jennifer presents a lighthearted look at parenting. She covers a broad range of topics, from how to keep things in perspective on a daily basis to what our children wish we already knew. She shares her thoughts on how to raise kind, respectful children and how to treasure both the challenges and successes of parenthood.
In addition to writing, she enjoys traveling, swimming, and reading with her daughter. She loves crafts and remains hopeful that her daughter will join her one day at the craft table. Koontz currently resides in Pennsylvania with her family and is working on her next book.
Boredom is Banned: Part Five, Pay Them Off
Your kids are bored and you need help around the house. What now?
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Banning Boredom: Part Four, Hide
It’s summer and your kids are bored. What should you do? Hide. I knew you’d like this one. No, I don’t mean that you should run and hide when your children complain of being bored. Children love scavenger hunts, egg hunts, treasure hunts, and hide-and-seek.
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Banning Boredom: Part Three, Relish Reading
In my house, the word “boredom” is banned, as is the feeling of being bored. If you choose to follow my lead, let me warn you that several minutes after you ban the word “boredom,” they will likely come up with a synonym for it, just to heckle you. If that’s the case, here’s one [...]
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Boredom is Banned: Part Two, Seek Water
When your child declares that he is bored this summer, do what I did, and alert the residents of your home that “bored” (or any derivative thereof) is no longer a part of the English language. Not only is the word banned in our home, but the feeling is not allowed, either. What is allowed, [...]
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Boredom is Banned: Part One, Make a Plan
Summer is the season for barbeques, beaches, and boredom. Some of the most dreaded words a parent can hear are, “I’m bored. There’s nothing to do.” Despite having a toy closet packed with games and puzzles and a garage filled with bicycles and balls, children always seem to find a way to be bored. Here’s [...]
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Parenting Takes Practice
Your child wants to respect you. As a dad, you have the opportunity to shape a life, and for some dads, that’s a scary thought. Dads sell themselves short when they shy away from parenting. All parents need practice to parent well. Give yourself a chance to practice, and if you do it wrong, your [...]
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How to Be a Cool Dad
Haven’t you always wanted to be a “cool dad?” Regardless of whether you think so, you have it in you. You can do this. To be a “cool dad,” step away from the stereotypical dad role, and differentiate yourself from the other role models in your child’s life. That’s no small task, but remember that [...]
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A Play-Date with Dad
Sometimes grown-ups forget things, and not just where they left their cell phones or which remote works which machine. Grown-ups forget what it’s like to be a kid, and though we don’t like to admit it, it happens. As a dad, the relationship you form with your child when he or she is young will [...]
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The Beauty of Tag-Team Parenting
Two universal truths: (1) Children are needy. (2) Parents get tired. The most confident, satisfied parents seem to have found the way to deal with the two universal truths revealed above. When parents work as a team, anticipating the needs of the other, they offer their children consistency and they form a closer bond with [...]
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Don’t Worry, Daddy’s Here
Let’s face it, sometimes fathers feel a bit left out. They may feel a little unsure of their abilities in the parenting department, and moms, like many other species, can smell fear. Not only do we moms want to save a father from feeling bad, we also want to prevent as much fussing as possible, [...]
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