Any money received as gifts was hoarded away in a college fund, and everything I ever needed/wanted was given to me… or not. It was really up to my parents’ discretion or temperament at that very moment.

So when I started getting my weekly allowance in 7th grade, there had not been any talks prior to that point about managing money. Budgets. Planning ahead. Saving wisely. I suppose this was all something that I was expected to learn on my own, and I did… barely eventually. However, I’m still not very good at it.

So naturally, I want to  do a better job of sending my kids into the world with a firm understanding of how to earn, spend, save, and give wisely. The trouble is… HOW? Where to begin?

I found the answer with Virtual Piggy.

To get more information, visit Virtual Piggy.

Follow them on Twitter (@FollowPiggy), Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.

For an in-depth look at how Virtual Piggy can work for you, check out these videos as well:

If you had asked me a week ago if I plan to get my first grader a mobile phone this Christmas, I would have laughed. In fact, I think I did when my tech-savvy six-year-old sheepishly tried to slip one on his Christmas wish lists. Following the tragic school shooting last Friday and far too many others leading up to it, I may be willing to reconsider my stance.

I’m not the only one.

Technology has dramatically changed the way schools and organizations handle emergency plans. Remember calling trees? Yeah, no one else does either. We don’t need them. Schools can instantly send alerts via social media, email, and/or text to all of the parents at the same time. Once 911 is dialed from a school, a reverse 911 call can be sent to families informing them of the incident. Parents can jump into action right away, but why not empower their kids to mobilize or call for help, as well? It’s worth considering.

Cell phone usage among elementary kids has been on the rise recently. Cell phones are already commonplace among tweens and teens. Middle school seems to be the clear cut-off point for first phone-dom. However, children just starting school are not far behind. A YouthBeat survey from earlier this year reported that 13% children between the ages 6 and 10 already have their own phones.

Another study showed that 20 percent of third-graders have their own mobile device. By fifth grade, this number climbs to 39 percent. Clearly,  it’s not uncommon for elementary school students to have cell phones of their own. So perhaps it should be part of the wider dialogue on what can be done in an emergency.

Many schools allow middle school and high school students to carry cell phones with them in school, but have policies in place regarding their use. Ringers off during class, no texting or cheating, emergencies only, etc. As districts around the country reassess and update their security protocols over the coming weeks, I imagine the same allowances will be made for elementary students as well.

It make sense to support cell phones usage among kids as a safety measure. Children are savvy enough to use a smartphone before they can tie their shoes, which means they can be taught how to dial their parents for help or call 911 in an emergency. Likewise, parents can track their kids’ whereabouts with the GPS functionality and  monitor who else they text or call.

Mobile carriers and app developers have wised up to this trend and have begun offering services such as such as Safely Family Locator (available through AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile) and Drive Safe (available through Sprint). Of course, there’s also Safely Go (free in the Google Play Store), which limits distractions when you should be focused driving, studying, or spending time with your family.

The same YouthBeat study cited above also revealed that 35% of kids 6-10 years old with phones were able to access apps and 46% had full web access. This is worrisome, but not impossible to deal with…

My advice is to disable online access until safety, privacy, and rules are set in place, or until you feel your kids are responsible enough to handle being online on their own. Even then, you can closely monitor their online activity, set time and access limits, and see who they are calling/texting with  Safely Phone Controls (available through Sprint).

Other helpful resources for setting boundaries and guidelines for technology are AT&T Mobile Safety, which features age-appropriate tips, and Common Sense Media which has advice sections on all things digital specific to educators and parents.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Location Labs, the makers of Safely apps for families and publishers of “Safely Times” a monthly newsletter offering tips and resources for parenting in a digital age”. I was compensated for this post. All of the thoughts and opinions are my own. 

I, for one, have decided to shield my children from this horrific news in every way possible. They are already under enough stress and anxiety over our upcoming move and around school that there is absolutely no need to add to that. Furthermore, I don’t think that my children, ages 6 and 3, could properly process such horror and evil, especially as I struggle to cope with it myself.

I may discuss what happened with them later… Weeks from now?  Years from now? Just NOT now.

I’ve kept the televisions in the house strictly on kids’ programming, limited conversation with other adults, and have read instead of watched/listened to coverage. We live far enough away from Connecticut that I am fairly confident that no one else will be talking about it on the playground.

I refuse to believe that I’m “burying my head in the sand”. I’m simply making the best decision from my family in light of our situation and I respect the decision you have made in light of yours.

However, if you are still trying to decide if (and how) to address the Newtown school shooting with you children. Here are some wonderful insights on how from some of the most amazing bloggers/parents/educators and resources that will help you find the words (or not):

Kristen Howerton of Rage Against the Minivan offers five things to consider before talking to your kids about today’s tragedy

Here are some of the questions I’ve been asking myself today, and I thought I would write them out to help myself process, and also in the hopes that it can help some of you as you consider if and how you will talk to your kids… [read more]

TechSavvyMama- Leticia Barr give sensible advice on how to prepare for your kids’ questions in Sandy Hook School Tragedy: Helpful Tips for Talking to Your Kids

Here are some questions that might come up in your home and ways that I will address them- from the perspective of a parent and educator- with my family when we discuss what happened…[read more]

Jessica Gottlieb urges parents to let their innocent children stay that way for a bit longer in her post, Parenting Through Tragedy and a 24 Hour News Cycle

There will be debates about this, there will be stories about how to talk to your children in the wake of a tragedy. There will be debates about gun control and body armor. Surely it will devolve in to a political bit of mudslinging that everyone will find distasteful and then the nation will forget. Newtown Connecticut will remember but the rest of us will move into the holiday season and shop with aplomb… [read more]

Explaining the News to Out Kids from Common Sense Media offers differing advice on how to appropriately address the shootings based on your kids’ ages.

Shootings, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, end-of-the-world predictions — even local news reports of missing kids and area shootings — all of this can be upsetting news even for adults, much less kids. In our 24/7 news world, it’s become nearly impossible to shield kids from distressing current events…[read more]

Parenting coach, radio host, and registered nurse from the Bay Area, Rona Renner, did an interview on Bay- Area KQED Radio shortly after hearing about the brutal shooting in Newtown.

Around the Bay Area this evening, children are arriving home from school. And no doubt many are asking questions and voicing fears about today’s mass killing at a Connecticut elementary school. As a parent, what do you say? How do you talk about a tragedy no one can explain…[read more]

Slate’s Emily Yaffe put the question of  How To Talk to Your Kids About the School Shooting to  Dr. Alan E. Kazdin, director of the Yale Parenting Center.

But if your child has heard, wants to know what happened, or is worried something like this is going to happen at his or her school, Kazdin says to respond honestly but cryptically. Use simple, declarative, age-appropriate sentences, like “Someone came into a school and hurt some children. We don’t know why.” Then you can comfort your children… [read more]

There’s a quote from Mr. Rogers making its way around since the wake of Friday’s horrible school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut: ”Look for the helpers.”

When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day, especially in times of “disaster,” I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.

As more details about the victims and the survivors were revealed over the weekend, the snippets about heroic teachers and administrators have been the most moving. It is extraordinary that these women and men could put aside their own terror and fear to protect and comfort their students instead– calmly leading them to safety, barricading doors, holding them close, and praying, and in some cases, giving up their lives to warn and save others.

My sister and brother-in-law, both elementary school teachers, assured me that any teacher would have done the same thing. And, I know that’s true with all of my heart. Teachers all over the country already give their whole lives to their students in their tireless efforts, love, and dedication.

I don’t know a single person for whom this senseless and confusing tragedy did not hit a little “too close to home”. For me, it’s that my son is a first grader in a school “far, far away” from Connecticut, but in a classroom and school set up just like Sandy Hook. He even shared a birth date with one of the victims, Ana M. Marquez-Greene. A friend in the blogging world, Victoria Haller (@VDog), lost her nephew and our community has set-up a fund to help the family.

This could have happened anywhere and still can…

It is no small act of reliance and fortitude for students and teachers to walk into school this coming Monday morning.

Meanwhile, there are many differing, but valid reactions to Friday’s shootings among my friends with kids. Some accept it as a random act and prefer to move on, focus on their own lives, or refusing to live in fear. Others are advocating for stronger gun control, calling for better security in schools, etc.

I, for one, am simply grateful for the hope and trust that I have in my son’s school, not only to educate and shelter him during the day, but to protect him from evil and harm. It is no small act of faith that I will being taking my son to school in the morning. But it is because he has such a caring, loving, and amazing teacher that I will.

Join me on Monday, December 17, 2012 to take a moment to thank a teacher.

It can be as simple as writing a note or sending an email expressing your gratitude. You can offer a gesture of kindness like  flowers, a little treat, or gift. You can even offer your time and support by volunteering in the classroom or signing up for your local PTO.

However you want to express your appreciation is wonderful! Just do something.

If you work in media or have a blog, we ask that you join hundreds of bloggers throughout the US in recognizing Thank a Teacher Day 2012. Write a post or share this one on social media.

To include either image on your website, please copy and paste one of the following codes, or download the image:

Vertical image: 
<img src=”http://julieverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/thank-vert.gif” alt=”thank-vert” width=”405″ height=”731″ />

Horizontal image: 

<img src=”http://julieverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/thank-a-teacher.gif”>

Thank you to my dear friend, Julie Meyers Pron of Juliverse for creating these images and for starting something so positive and meaningful out of our shared pain, grief, and shock. Help us create a loving memory of those who gave their lives in Newtown, CT and honor of the hundreds of thousands of teachers who would not hesitate to do the same for your children.

Man, am I pissed that I got cut off so early today! And now… all I want is chocolate to make the frustration and anger subside. Why do I set up myself for failure?

We’re moving again in a few weeks, which means that my son has gone bat sh*t cray. This happens every time we move, but I had hoped that this time would be different.

Lesson learned. Hope is really denial wrapped up in a pretty package.

I’ve had very long conversations with both his teacher and the assistant principal. We’ve had stern talks at home to reinforce what’s been done at school, and I assume vice versa. There have been consequences, countdowns, and “positive reinforcement” thrown down. There’ve been rewards and… okay, fine, bribes to just please, please, please make it through the day.  But it’s just not working.

I am at a loss as to what to do next.

The problem is that there are only seven days… SEVEN… until Christmas break, the new house, and starting a new school. His current school is trying to help, but it’s tough since the situation is temporary.

We’ve worn out our welcome at my parents’ house and things have been super tense. Our life is chaos and spread out over hundreds of boxes- some with us, some on a truck which we do not know when to expect.

“Soon…” the moving company promises. “Soon…” I’ve dubbed them “All Excuses Moving”, which is a play on their real name…

Mike has been putting in more hours at work lately and even longer hours on the new house. I’ve been exhausted and quite frankly a little depressed and cranky over my (lack of) job search, but am trying to let it go so I can focus on packing.

But I don’t want to pack.

This is our sixth move in four years and I know… I KNOW… that change is so very hard on both of the kids. It always is.  It’s been hard on me too, so my heart breaks for my son.

I just want to wrap my arms around my precious baby boy and hold him close so I can shield him from all of this anxiety and confusion. Then, whisper very quietly and slowly in his ear that if he doesn’t cut the crap, I will grind up all of his Legos into a fine paste and use it to spackle shut the door to his new bedroom, where he will be locked up for so long that the neighbor kids will never learn his real name and just call him Rumpelstilskin.

AM. I. BEING. CLEAR?

Here is how it will work. We will ask the questions, then let you search the site for the answers and a chance to win some very fabulous prizes (listed below). I will even give you a little cheat… er, easy way to prep for the party.

Watch these two videos, sign up for Virtual Piggy service, and RSVP to our party below.

Virtual Piggy is a service that “empowers” kids to able to spend money online in a safe, secure, parent-approved way. The built-in parent dashboard allows moms and dads to set limits on how much the kids can spend, where there are allowed to spend it, and how often they are allow to go shopping per week/day/month. They can also use it to set allowances or offer rewards/punishments.

Kids, on the other hand, will love to use Virtual Piggy to create wishlists and set priority on the items that they really, REALLY want.  It also offers that little bit of freedom (in a safe, secure, and controlled environment) to learn about spending and saving, buying decisions, and charitable giving.

To learn more, join Splash Creative Media on Thursday 12/13 at 9-10 pm ET for the #VirtualPiggy Twitter Party

Follow hosts @CentsibleLife, @KikaRose, @GraceDuffy, and our special guest panelist, @RobynsWorld

Prizes:

Every 10-15 minutes or so, we will pick a winner based on whoever has answered the question. Our prizes will include:

• KNEX Firestorm Freefall Coaster (ARV $35)
• $25 Claire’s Gift Card (ARV $25)
• Blee Inara Gold Plated Tennis Bracelet (ARV $30)
• Virtual Piggy Exclusive Zing Revolution Exclusive One Direction skin (ARV varies)
• O’Neill Clothing (ARV up to $50)

How to be eligible to win:

Disclosure: I am Principal and Co-Founder of Splash Creative Media. Virtual Piggy is a client of ours, so I am being compensated for this post as well as co-hosting this Twitter Party. The thoughts and opinions shared above are my own.

The Tablet P had a clever little clam shell design, which made it perfectly compact and protected. It was just a tad aIwkward to use. Still, I would have loved to take home the Tablet P, if only to be able to carry around a “full-sized tablet” that only takes up half as much room in my handbag!

Well, it just happened to be my luck that I was instead able to bring home the (original) Sony Tablet S, which I have  loved using almost daily.  The hardware was a bit dated when it was finally released, but the rolled-magazine design and its unique functionality (like the built-in universal remote and Sony multimedia features) won me over.

I was very disappointed that neither the Tablet S nor the Tablet P were much of a success among other consumers…  But to Sony’s credit, the company took the criticism and underwhelming response to heart and redirected all of their efforts into the development of a completely revamped and amazing Sony tablet less than a year later.

Introducing the Xperia Tablet S 

As a member of the Sony Moms program, I was given an opportunity to introduce the Xperia Tablet S to my family and let it live with us for a while.  After a month or so of using the new tablet, I do not want give it back and neither do the children… and here is why:

Guest + Kid Modes

Sony is the first tablet maker to realize one very essential truth that parents have known all along…

The second you bring a tablet into your home, it ceases to become a “personal device”.  Your kids want play games. Your friend just wants to “check an email real quick”. Your spouse is probably eyeing it as we speak. This can’t just be my house, right?  

Sony’s smartest and most social addition to their line of tablets is the “Guest modes“. Essentially, you can set up a second, third, and fourth user modes for your device and  have FULL control over the apps, settings, and content that other users can access. This is ideal if you want to let someone use your tablet without worrying about what notifications will pop up, or whether they’ll read your email, Facebook, or bank account…

The tablet comes preset with a  ”Kid Mode” that is ready for you to load all the education apps and games that your kids love, but keeps little fingers out of the Google Play store or from using your credit card online.

Mode settings are password protected, so you can also be assured that no one else can… ahem…  undo the guest or kid access and find their way to YouTube. Again, is this only a problem at my house? 

Universal Remote

My life is a constant cycle of remotes and devices, especially as we’ve move around and traveled so much over the last year. Each place that we’ve landed has had a different set-up, provider, etc… add to that a mess of game consoles, DVD players, sound systems, etc.

The Xperia Tablet S has an integrated infrared universal remote that’s incredibly simple to set-up with almost any device. The tablet shows a bare-bones set of controls specific to whatever device you’re using. There are simple up-down-left-right buttons, number keys, and scrolls, but you can add buttons/controls and reorganize the layout anyway that you like!

The other big news with this feature for the Xperia Tablet S version of the remote app is “macros”. This means that you can set it up to do multiple things with one touch, like turn on your TV, set-top box, and stereo with a single touch. Very cool!

Multimedia Apps and a Gorgeous Display

On the other hand, the Xperia Tablet S also makes it possible to enjoy a wide range of media right on the tablet. Pre-installed with a bunch of app that feed into the Sony Entertainment Network Services, the tablet offers users access to their favorite songs, PlayStation games, movies, books, and TV shows, on demand and on all of their Sony devices.

Sony has always made quality televisions with stunning displays and beautiful colors for decades. Taking a note for their earlier strengths, Sony has included a sharper image than other tablets with deep blacks, richer colors, and spot-on resolution on the Xperia Tablet S. Viewing angles are both excellent and the built-in speakers are also louder than most. Truly a brilliant viewing experience!

——————————-

The Sony Xperia Tablet S is available now, starting at $399, and comes in 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB versions. Here are some of its Key Features:

Design

A thin and lightweight design uniquely inspired by a magazine folded back, which makes it easier to grip and more natural to carry. The edge created by the fold-over plastic flap at the top hides most of the device’s buttons and flap that covers a full SD card slot., but still allows the tablet to be slim (8.9mm at its thinnest point) and light (a puny 1.3 pounds).

Built-in Universal Remote

Control the living room with the built-in Universal IR remote with Macro Functionality.  Whether it’s your TV, Blu-ray Disc player, stereo or cable box, you can control all of them right from your tablet.  The Xperia Tablet’s built-in Universal IR remote not only controls your Sony products, but other brands as well.  Plus, you can program the remote to execute sequenced commands like, “Watch TV”, or “Play Music”.

Watch In Now

Introducing a new way to see what’s on TV now.  The “Watch Now” app provides an interactive, visual program guide, fueled by your personal preferences and trending information from social media feeds. Learn more about your favorite shows, or discover new shows that everyone’s talking about. Watch Now can even change the channel for you through the IR remote.

Kid and Guest Modes

Up to three separate individual modes, including a Kid Mode and a Guest Mode, allow personalized configurations for different users. Each mode can display different wallpaper, applications and widgets.  As the device “owner”, you can manage which applications and widgets are accessible by other users. (Great for parental controls and security!)

Splash Proof and Kitchen Safe

The Xperia Tablet’s completely Splash Proof design assures that your tablet is protected from all of the elements and makes it a perfect gift for the cook in your family (or whoever needs to distract the kids so that they can get dinner on the table…)

Access to the Sony Entertainment Network

With the Xperia Tablet, you get full access to the robust Sony Entertainment Network, where you can find all of your favorite music, PlayStation games, movies (even new releases), or countless other ways to entertain yourself.

For more details on the Sony Xperia Tablet S, please visit the Sony news and information site.

Disclaimer:  As a member of #SonyMoms program, I was sent  the new Sony Xperia Tablet S for the purpose of writing this review. I was not compensated  for the post nor did I get to keep the tablet… much to the dismay and sadness of my children. The (original) Sony Tablet S was given to me at an invitation-only Sony-sponsored Techlichious event at CES 2012 and was mine to keep. I was not otherwise compensated. All views and options are my own. 

This stroke of genius from my resourceful mother-in-law accomplished several things:

1. It makes for a good story to tell our children when they are just “ugh… too tiiiiired to cleeeeaaan up their tooooys…”

2. It made my husband and his brothers aware of what they already owned and what they did not need any more.

3. It cleared the way for the new stuff that they would be getting for Christmas, because of course there is ALWAYS more to want. Duh.

4. Putting the boys in charge of their own garage sale gave them a little extra pocket money to buy one another gifts.

5. I would imagine that selling items that were still in good, maybe even brand new condition, at a fraction of the retail price probably gave another family a chance to have a nice Christmas too.

While it probably will not be in my wheelhouse to hold a garage sale within the next four weeks, I do have one trick up my sleeve that my mother-in-law did not have all those years ago for de-cluttering, making room for the new, and earning a little cash this holiday season. It’s called eBay.

I’ve been buying and selling items on eBay since 1999. Mostly buying, since selling items online used to be such a hassle. You would have to research and list every single detail about your item. Take and upload multiple photos into eBay. Go back to your computer to watch how it’s doing and so forth…

The new eBay mobile app has made it as simple as scanning a bar code and snapping a few pics with a smartphone! Let me sh0w you how it works.

I’ve been meaning to sell our NABI tab for weeks. As the first full-featured Android tablet designed especially for kids down to the bright, protective rubber covering, the NABI tab was an instant hit in my household earlier this year. But once I ceded our iPad to the children, our little NABI lost a little of its sparkle. Sad face.

My kids have barely touched it, so I restored it to its factory settings and listed it on eBay this afternoon with my phone.

Available on iOS, Android, Blackberry, and Windows, finding the eBay mobile app to download was a breeze!  I logged into my eBay account and clicked the “Sell an item” icon.

From there, I was prompted to either scan the bar code for my item or do a search for it online to get the product details. Once I found the right model (apparently, a few more versions of the NABI tab have been released since we acquired ours), I was able to prefill my eBay listing with the details and photos directly from the manufacture’s site.

I was able to add a photo and more details about my actual device (optional), as well as set up pricing, payment, delivery, and dates for my sale, all on my phone. Within a few minutes, my listing was up and getting bids!

As I wrote this post, I realized that I had made an error in my listing. Oops! Fortunately, I was also able to remove the listing just as easily. I could have just edited it right on my phone, but I would prefer to re-list it  later once I’m able to verify the info in question After all, I have a flawless positive feedback rating to uphold!

With the eBay mobile app, you can browse, shop, sell, and manage all of your eBay activities no matter where you are! Download and try it today.

Why yes, I am guilty of getting my phone out to check the time and then completely forgetting to check the time. Et tu? 

It happens every single time. I reach for my phone and inevitably find a tweet, a text, or an email that demands an immediate response… and down I go into the rabbit hole. 5… 10… 15 minutes later, I try to pull away and get my head back to reality, but every ding, beep, or ring sucks me right back in.

I joke about having a tech addiction, but it’s more like a compulsion. I just can’t help myself!!

Even at times when I consciously make an effort to leave my phone in my handbag or just out of the way, the feeling that I’m “missing”  important messages or can’t be reaching in an emergency is a just as much of a distraction. With two young kids in separate schools and a husband who is commuting up to 2.5 hours each day, turning off my phone is NOT a option either.

I set aside “Monday Morning Status“, my weekly round-up of interesting sites and links from the web, to cover the ONE site that’s taken over my Internet today. STFU, Parents 

This site, which is short for Shut the F*ck Up, Parents, is billed as a “public service” blog providing a “guide for parents on what NOT to post about their kids” and “a place non-parents to vent about their TMI-related frustrations” through  submitting ”offending” over-the-top parenting posts from their Facebook feeds. But the truth is, there are just as many parents who comprise the site’s 1.5 million page views per month.

It’s “a reminder for moms to laugh at ourselves” says Mommyish contributor and parent, Lindsay Cross:

Plenty of moms and dads read the site, and they take comfort in knowing that they aren’t alone in being annoyed with oversharing, mommyjacking, and sanctimony from other parents.

Following over three years of anonymity, Blair Koenig, the site’s founder and creator, was just outed in a New York Post spread claiming that moms and dads despise it. The Daily Mail referrer to the site as “vicious”, “scathing and sarcastic”.  Both publications glaringly point out that Blair has the nerve to NOT HAVE KIDS OF HER OWN…

Because no one who has ever had kids has snarked the snark-snark outta the web. People, I beg you to look again. Sadly sites like this are nothing new and all of the attention directed towards STFU, Parents, the criticism (and praise) seems to be scattered.

Is there a reasonable expectation that any conversation on happening over social media (even a “personal page”) be private? 

If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, then you already know what my answer to this will be.  NO!

Does that mean that your “friends” should be taking screenshots of your posts and submitting them to another site where they will be publicly mocked and jeered? NO!

If your friends’ over-sharing bugs you that badly, it’s called “Hide”, “Unfollow Post”, and “Unfriend”. (Use liberally.) I don’t understand the need to publicly shame them on another site.

The site mocks the situation, not the people, and we have ALL have someone in our lives that doesn’t know where to draw the line… 

It’s true that Blair makes an effort to keep the anonymous submissions on this site anonymous by withholding faces, names, or any other identifying info. What is being mocked is the situation, not the person… I think the point she is trying to make is that you have to be mindful of what you put online.

As a blogger and social media obsessive mom, I take this to heart daily. I am carefully about what I post and have often chosen to protect my kids’ online reputations over the gratification of sharing something online. I maintain strict boundaries around my personal life and have long list things that I will never write about. I understand that there are certain things that NO ONE wants to hear. On the top of that list is my kids’ bathroom habits…

Is everyone like me? Of course not and thank goodness for that or else I would have gone insane with isolation in those early, early days of motherhood. I would never dismiss someone’s right to reach out to their community for support, even I may not feel comfortable reading about it.

So while I agree with her point, I’m not in support of her method. I definitely wouldn’t want any of  my Facebook posts slayed and torn apart on this site either.

Who does this childless person think she is telling parents what is and is not over-sharing? 

It was actually another parent who turned me on to this site shortly after it launched. While I haven’t exactly been a regular visitor over the years, I have referenced its existence from time to time when my own Facebook posts have gone a bit blubbery. As in, ”…and with that, please report me to, STFU, Parents…”  

Now, I wonder if that “friend” ever did? Hmmm… 

Blair Koenig is very nice. 

People who seem to know Blair personally have nothing but wonderful things to say about her. Apparently, she is very funny and likable. After watching her on The Today Show and The Ricki Lake Show, I get that. I couldn’t help but like her too… in spite of my misgivings about STFU, Parents.

On the other hand, I tend to like and find good in almost everyone, so take that for what its worth!

Watch the clips and decide for yourself: