Anna Quindlen on Parenting, Patient Love for my Daughter, Playful Love for my Son, iTunes App Most Used

Famed author Anna Quindlen, in an interview shared her parenting insight:

Kids should have enough freedom on their own - once they know the rules.

I agree very much.

Kids are smart. You don't need to tell them often what to do. Plus, they pick up what you do. More is caught than taught. If there's one thing that should be stressed out to them again and again, like a broken recorder (this little kids won't have any clue what cassette tape recorders are!) are the rules, the virtues you hold dear.

A friend in her senior years sagely advised me, "Just remind them again and again."

Then I remembered. The stories my mother told me, told others, were repeated numerous times to drive her deepest values. And yes, I absorbed them. It worked! I got pissed hearing the story again and again. But looking back, my life echoed those wishes she repeated again, and again.



Anna Quindlen's Books

Got another parenting strategy now!

Patient love for my daughter
I love my kids, yet I don't know how to show it. I'm so interested with my work that I don't get to play with them often, not unlike when they were still toddlers.


Their maturing minds allow them to reason. They argue with me. I like it that I lose most of the times. My reasoning is often confusing - to the dismay of my husband.


One big challenge I face is overcoming myself when it comes with my daughter.

She's my Mini-Me alright. And we clash personalities.

Because of this, she gets grumpier. I see myself in her more. I fight back with anger, it doesn't work. The two persons I see are both unpleasant in my eyes. Got to draw back and reflect.

Got to be patient with my daughter. Bite my tongue when I don't have something good to say. Never let myself snap in front of her.

Yes, God has been teaching me patience all throughout these years. I don't want to fail at the cost of my daughter.

Playful love for my son
Thinking about my 4-year old son, I would suggest having kids when you're older. The older you can, the better. Why? Three things:

1. Kids' inherent playfulness - foolishness at times, is refreshing for my age.
2. Rough play is a free workout session. Or better yet, a kid serves as a giant plush toy that's so fun to hug tightly. There's a Filipino term that loses its meaning when translated - gigil!
3. Their ideas are colorful!

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Most used iTunes App for Work from Home Moms

• Email - Okay, this comes installed. I LOVE how Apple's Gmail and Yahoo may get instantly pushed notifications on my phone. Saves me a lot of in-front-of-the-computer time! Too bad Google Hosted App Emails for businesses have trimmed to five (5) free accounts maximum. I still know of an account with 200+ allowed users.
• 1Password - Computer and 1Password on my phone work together. I don't let my PC remember my passwords for security reasons.
• Kindle - Got Kindle, I'm solved! There are lots of classic books that are free, and bestsellers are cheaper in Kindle than the actual book. Choose your device and download one now!
• TuneIn Radio - My kids don't know radio as an individual device. For them, radio is car radio or music playing. Why not, we listen through the Internet. Local stations are there, along with all the world's radio stations. Talk about choices!