Parenting experts profess that the secret to raising happy, well-adjusted kids is for married couples to make their relationship a priority. (Single parents have their own challenges). The traditional Jewish ideal of shelom bayit backs up the idea that a marriage based on mutual love and respect is the foundation for creating a spiritually enriching home for your children.

In other words, hire a babysitter or bribe the grandparents to give you and your spouse a break from the young ones now and then. Whether you catch a movie, peddle your bikes in the park, or recover the lost art of conversation, spouses need to reconnect with each other in order to be better parents.

In all honesty, I admire couples who actually stick to their commitment to spend time together, even when their children’s itineraries drag them in opposite directions sometimes. And until I figure out how to actually do that, I suggest another way for moms to maintain domestic bliss. (more…)

With the kitchen table as my laboratory, I like to experiment with my husband and children. Usually the scientific study involves a new recipe that I want to try on my family before I serve anything edible to a “real” guest. No matter how many times I attempt to make marinated flank steak, the meat is never edible and usually too tough to chew. On the other hand, whenever I get lucky and concoct something particularly tasty, such as a new twist on corn flake chicken, I can’t seem to duplicate the meal the same way again. This drives my taste testers crazy.

I have other tricks up my apron as well. (more…)

Every mother should own a dog, even if her child is allergic and has to sleep in a tent in the backyard. (I’m referring to the kid, of course, and not the canine living outdoors). If a mother’s love has no boundaries, then her need to nurture extends to the four-legged kind as well. My toy poodle Luci is an integral part of my family—more so than some of my blood relatives—and she poses for all of our holiday cards. Weighing less than a gallon milk jug, my fluffy apricot pup provides the kind of comfort, companionship and unconditional love that no one else comes close to. I can’t remember the last time my husband licked my face or my kids brought me the newspaper without expecting an allowance in return. (more…)