David Gandy is Dandy and my choice for Christian Grey

I have been a busy girl lately, I am going to hesitantly admit that I succumbed to pressure to read 50 Shades Of Grey. That's right! This self professed anti-romance novel reader has fallen in love with the story of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, so much so that after reading the trilogy I longed for another book that was similar to Grey.

That search led me to Bared To You and Reflected In You by Sylvia Day. Again, for the most part I fell in love with the characters, especially Gideon Cross. Once I was done with that spicey bit of Mommy Porn, I found myself reading Gabriel's Inferno and Gabriel's Rapture by Sylvain Raynard. I adored the story of Gabriel and Julia just as much as that of Christian and Ana.

It came as a very very big surprise to me that I would enjoy books like 50 Shades, but I think it was just what this desperate housewife needed to put a pep...uh hum...in her step! Now that I have admitted in a very public forum that I have read Mommy Porn, I am now going to admit something else that is a tad embarrassing, I have also been mentally casting the movie of 50 Shades Of Grey.
From my searches on the web I have seen many suggestions for who should play Christian Grey, and honestly most of the men just don't cut the mustard. When it comes to overall looks and handsome swagger Matt Bomer, would certainly make a good choice and he is a decent actor. Matt's best quality is his eyes, they are captivating. He is very handsome and rocks a suit, but for me he is just a tad too soft.

My perfect Christian Grey would be much more macho looking, but still have an air of sophistication. I am not a fan of Ian Somerhalder, sure he is OK looking but lacks that edge that Christian has.
Ryan Gosling is another that has been suggested for the part, while he could certainly play Christian very well without a doubt, he just does not have the looks. Chaning Tatum....um no, not doing it for me either. Henry Cavill is also a good choice, but I see him more as Gideon Cross.

But, I do love...and I mean love...the kind of love that if he showed up at my door I'd run off into the sunset with him kind of love...Joe Manganiello. He is so sexy, but sadly I don't think he would have the polish or charm to pull the role off, plus he might be just a tad too beef cake for the part.

So while I was searching the web for the best man for the job I encountered David Gandy. For those of you who are not familiar with the name, you may know him as the man in the white pants from the Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue adds....yeah....that guy! I did a little more looking into him and am now obsessed with the British born super model. I have had restless nights thinking about this man! He is the perfect man. He is tall, has a muscular athletic build, piercing blue eyes, perfect lips, and even a little scar near his eye that puts him over the top in sexiness. While Gandy really is not an actor, and I doubt that he would even be able to pull off Christian Grey, I certainly picture his gorgeous face and body when I read 50 Shades...again for the 4th time!

The Dolce and Gabbana add that made David Gandy famous.

David Gandy is the most famous male supermodel....check out those eyes....

David Gandy would look smoking hot as Christian Grey, imagine him misusing the company airplane

Those eyes...those cheek bones....oh and he has a sexy accent too!

What can I say about this.....

If David Gandy can't fill Christians shoes I would nominate him to play Gideon Cross of the Bared To You novel or even better as the sexy professor Gabriel Emerson from Gabriel's Inferno. If he is not interested in those roles he could be my new boyfriend....just a thought....fantasy....what was I saying.....need to take a cold shower now!

Bad Attitude

Well hello readers, it has been a while. I come to you today with a confession, not an apology. I am lazy, and if I recall I may have wrote another blog entry at one point stating the same fact!

I took an unplanned leave from the world of blogging and photography. Why you may ask? Well, because my heart has just not been into it. I am lazy. Seems like way to much work for little to no payoff. I have lost my mojo.

It would be less humiliating to come up with a tonne of excuses and lame reasons for my disappearing act, some of which are completely valid, while others are full of shit. I could post meaningless mindless mumble jumble as I have more frequently than I care to admit. I could re post other peoples work as a way to get content into my blog, but I am even too lazy to do that! I have tried getting this blog mobile so that when I am away from the computer I can share morsels of wisdom, but I didn't bother to do anything with all of those apps that I purchased.

I could tell you a tall tale about how I was abducted by alien pirates and forced into cooking and cleaning for them. While that is not far from the truth, I must let it be known that my family are not aliens nor pirates. Being a full time stay at home Mom kept me very busy for many years, but the kids are getting older now and are in school full time. They don't keep me away from my "work" unless it is March Break or summer vacation.

I would like to tell you that I live in a 20 room mansion that requires all of my time to keep it clean and running smoothly. But lets face it, if I were wealthy enough to live in a mansion, time is not what would keep me away from blogging. If I am that rich, I wouldn't give two craps about sharing anything with the common folk ;)

2011 and so far 2012 have been fantastic. We were blessed to take a few really nice vacations all of which I could brag about here, but then that would just be bragging. Maybe the odd person out there would like to hear about my adventures in Italy or how when we went to Puerto Vallarta over Christmas we went swimming with dolphins. Sure they were great vacations and I have wonderful stories to tell, but I think my family and friends would rather hear about it, not the reader.

Perhaps I could share the fact that I was sucked in by all of the hype over the book 50 Shades of Grey, and much to my surprise I actually enjoyed the series. I know, shocking! I don't like romance novels, give me a good murder mystery any day, but there was just something that captivated me with the books. Do you really want to hear about how I found myself become hot and bothered by those books? No...I didn't think so!

As I sit here writing this, I realize that it does sound like an apology, a lame one at that. But let me assure you it is not. Honestly, I am sure that readers don't care if they ever see anything in this blog again. I don't share content that is going to change lives. I share stories about my life, interests and the things that make me go Hmmmm. That's it. I blog about my views and opinions, right or wrong, I don't care, they are my opinions. I may come off sounding surly in this entry, and that is fine by me, I am surly. I have often been called a bitch even by the people who love me the most.

I hope that getting this off my chest will inspire me to share more of my pissy attitude with you, sooner rather than later. Perhaps next time you check in I will have written 3 posts! Fancy that! So until next time, bugger off!

Why Some People Should Not Be Parents

It is no secret  that parenting is a tough job. I would like to think that many of us who chose to become parents did not go into it blindly and expect it to be a cake walk, to smell like a bed of roses. Quite frankly it is often like walking on egg shells and reeks of shit! But if you are a good parent (not perfect...perfect parents do not exist and don't let anyone tell you otherwise) you know there will be challenges and you opt to make decisions that are in the best interest of your kids. You feed them a healthy diet, you provide them with all the necessities of life. Discipline is difficult but you do it because you know it will help your child to grow and become a responsible adult. You love you kids unconditionally. They are your world, your light, your everything. You would do anything (within reason) for your children. You do not abuse them physically or emotionally. You shower them with attention and affection. These actions and choices make you a good parent. Sure we often catch ourselves making poor parenting choices, but being the good person that  you are, you make sure it doesn't happen again. Your a good parent.

Then you watch the news and stumble through blogs and social media and are astounded that there are a large number of people out there that are just Horrible parents. Period. Too many to mention, too many to dwell on. From the idiot Mom who leaves her sleeping infant in the car seat while she goes shopping for 3 hours in sweltering heat, to the Dad who beats his toddler to the point that he suffers severe brain damage. There are way too many of these horror stories floating around out there. Which brings me to my next examples of poor parenting ( or just plain dumb ass people ). We have all seen photos like this on the internet. But I thought I would share a few with you anyway, just to drive home the point that some people are just crappy parents.

I am sure that the parents who took some of these photos thought it was cute or funny that the kid was playing with a bong or guns. Its all right to smoke a giant doobie while your kid sits on your shoulders...isn't it? It was funny putting the baby in the microwave. NOT! I firmly believe that people need to be licensed to have children.

10 Secrets of Super Happy Couples......Really?

I have a subscription to Women's Health magazine. Every month I like to torture myself with useless information about losing weight, eating healthy and having great sex. Seriously, every single article is the same over every issue, just worded differently! Yet still I read this rag hoping to learn something new. I wait for that light bulb moment when I can say "That I can do!".

The latest issue of Women's Health magazine had an article in it that just rubbed me the wrong way. I could not help but read it and actually laugh out load all while belittling its author. No offense lady, but really....really? The article is 10 Secrets of Super Happy Couples.

Naturally being a married woman I read this article and immediately formed my own opinions. Join me in rehashing this morsel of stupidity and tell me your opinions!

1. Pretend You Just Met - "Whether you've been together for six months or six years, spend some time each day acting as if you just started dating".  My opinion: the dating days were not all that fun.  Why would I want to revisit them? They were filled with uncertainty and neediness and heart break. Sure the very first few months of a new relationship may be wrought with sexual tension and exploration, but that quickly fades then you find you really don't like that guy. If you do stay and decide you like him then that is awesome!  I was much happier and confident in my relationship after time passed. I figured that if he could tolerate me for this long , he must be a keeper. Then I relaxed and could be myself!

2. Limit Chick Flicks - "Romantic comedies can set up unreasonable expectations, which may lead to unnecessary suffering," says Sean Patrick Hatt, Ph.D., a psychologist in Seattle.  My opinion: No shit batman! Seriously who the hell calls  up a guy she just started dating to come over only to subject him to these sappy movies. If you think that you are feeding him ideas about how to be romantic and a good man, you are not. You would be better off showing  him super hero movies! If you are trying to get him in the mood rent porn. Chick flicks are just lame.

3. Be Beauty to His Beast - "Coupling up with an average Joe (with a beer belly) may be the key to long-term love"....My opinion:  Was I just told to find an ugly guy? Most men are average Joe's they just come in different shapes and sizes.  It shouldn't  matter if he looks like Brad Pitt and you look like a junkie street walking whore! If he likes you and you look like him all is good. Don't lower your expectations just because you thing you have a better chance at keeping a guy.

4. Control the Boozing - "Partyers may be more likely to have commitment issues to begin with, and once they couple up their bonds may be unstable."  My opinion:  I can actually agree with this. Back in my dating days I had a few booze fueled relationships that inevitably went nowhere. Looking back I realize that not one occasion went by where booze was not involved with some of these guys. I never had a chance to see the sober guy, maybe he would not have been so much fun, maybe he would not have slept with my friend if we weren't all drunk!

5. Hold a Grudge - "Provided that your partner is able to bounce back from spats, you'll experience greater satisfaction, even if you tend to stay P.O.'d".  My opinion: I just don't get this one. Seems rather conflicting from what most of us have been told about keeping relationships happy. "Never go to bed mad" we've been told. Isn't a grudge  just an extension of anger. So which is it, settle the dispute and let things go or hang on to it and poison the relationship. I guess it all depends on what the spat was about in the first place. If he left the cap off the toothpaste again...get over it. If  he gambled away the money for your mortgage hold a grudge!

6. Tweet Responsibly - "Avid tweeters tend to have shorter relationships".  My opinion: Another point that I  agree with (which came as a big surprise to me as I never agree with this stuff). Nothing pisses me off more that trying to hold a conversation with a person all while they keep glancing at their iPhone or ask me to wait while they quickly Tweet! My blood just boils. Another thing that I commonly see is that women often Tweet about their partner and sometimes they make their man look like total douche bags....just sayin'.

7. Don't Win an Oscar - "A Best Actress winner is 63 percent more likely to have her marriage end before her category mates do".  My opinion: WTF! Are you serious! If a man does not have enough self worth, self respect and self assurance to have a woman who may earn more money and be more successful than he is, then clearly that powerful woman should not be with that loser. This tidbit while at the very end says to "Encourage and celebrate each other's successes, big and small" is completely correct, it also dangerously implies that as a woman you should strive for mediocrity if you want to keep a man!


8. Burn Bras Together - "Women whose male partner is a feminist report better relationship quality". My opinion:  I am a touch old fashioned. I like my man to be a touch boarish. I don't want to be treated like crap, but I don't want him to be a  feminist pussy who's afraid to speak his mind for fear of offending the feminist me. I have no problem with a woman fighting for equality and rites, but when a feminist starts taking it to the extreme like bitching about terms such as "fireman" or "man hole cover" I don't respect them. Even worse is the wimpy guy standing right behind her agreeing with her stupidity. I think it should be a two way street, he should respect you as a woman and you should respect him as a man.
 
9. Nurture you friends Relationship - "Some people may see another's divorce as permission to change their own life,"  My opinion: Stay out of other peoples business. If your best friends marriage is on the rocks be supportive of her, but don't try to mend it! Just turn all of your good intentions onto your own relationship because that is the only one that matters. Often we become so wrapped up in other peoples problems that we neglect our own relationships.

10. Twist the Sheets at Least Once a Week- "Couples who like each other end up in bed more often."  My opinion: Oh how nice would that be. In order for this to happen though I would have to wake at 2 am and jump him. Sure sex is important to keeping a marriage strong and happy. But sometimes our expectations just do not meet the reality that is our life. Many couples find it difficult to make time for nookie when they have kids always buzzing around, work and household obligations to meet.  Often exhaustion trying to meet those needs sets in. Sometimes sacrificing 30 minutes of pleasure for 30  minutes of extra sleep is just way more appealing.

What are your secrets to staying a happy couple?

Wishing Summer Would End

I wish summer would end! I know what you are thinking, is this woman nuts? Well, yes, yes I am! Having my two cute but tiresome kids at home all to myself all summer is exhausting! Oh and the heat....holy cannoli!

Living here in Canada, where we have long cold winters, all I can do is whine about how freaking cold it is outside and how I long for warm summer days. But my love affair with the summer season comes to a bitter end usually by the time the first heat wave hits! Sadly, this summer has been nothing but a heat wave!

Like much of North America this has been one heck of a hot and humid summer so far. Nearly everyday is 29 or 30 then you factor in the humidity and you are close to 40! Humidity is not my friend! I am one of those gals who had the kind of  hair that looks like I stuck my tongue in a light socket while holding a fork into another socket at the same time. My poor daughter is also cursed with humidity hating hair. Then there is that almost oppressive air that comes with hot humid days, you know the days where a person with pretty good lungs even struggles to breath.

Bitching about the heat, humidity, dying grass and plants aside, I have also run out of ideas for entertaining my kids. I used up just about every activity and excursion in my arsenal. I even went camping and to Myrtle Beach! Two trips I really never wanted to do! If I had my way I would be sitting somewhere in the Amalfi Coast sipping Limoncello and watching attractive Italian men walk by.

As the final weeks of the kids summer vacation are coming to an end, I find that bit of excitement bubbling up inside me again. I no longer feel like a burnt out old hag who has seen way too many years. I feel somewhat rejuvenated! I started back to school shopping! While the cheap money pincher in me wants to save money, the trapped Mom in me wants to get all the things the kids need to go back to school. Never before has a pencil case looked so darned appealing! The smell of crayons is intoxicating, the sad look on my eldest childs face as he realizes that his summer fun is drawing to an end is priceless!!! Cruel, nah, just happy. I am happy to finally get a little bit of myself back when September arrives. Do I want cold weather, hell no! But I surely do not want to live in Hades either. I am a fall girl! I love the autumn. The cooler air, colors of the trees, pumpkins and the harvest...all of it. Bring on Autumn!!!

Summer School In Session

It is that time of year again where I am over joyed to have my babies home with me for 2 months. Of course that joy very quickly subsides to merely happy to see their dirty faces to down right annoyance by the middle of the first month!

One of the most difficult things a stay at home parent can do is try to entertain their children for the summer months all while trying to maintain some independance and sanity. I assure you this is no easy feat. This is the time of year when video games and television become a parents best friend. I remember when I was a kid, my mother just shoved us out the door and we only came into eat. We did not watch t.v. all day or nag our Mom to take us to indoor playgrounds or amusement parks, that stuff just did  not exist when I was a kid. While I would love to shove them outside for the day, lets face it times  have changed. I just won't let my 7 and 5 year old kids play outside without me be right out there with them. I try my best, but there is only so much water play, sidewalk chalk, scraped knee's and bugs that this old fart can handle.

One of the other challenges that parents face during the summer with their kids is keeping them educated. It is very easy for a young child to forget many important things that they learned during the school year fresh in their minds. This summer I am spending a great deal of time on the continuing education of my kids. My son who will be going into grade 2 is now reading on his own, but he is lazy. He would rather have me sit with him and sound words out for him than do it on his own. My daughter will be going into senior kindergarten and just started early reading programs at school. So far I have taken them to the bookstore to buy several books, each for their reading level and some story books as well. I found this neat little DIY book publisher kit at Chapters. It comes complete with 2 hard cover books that the child can write their own story in and do their own illustrations. My son loves to make up his own stories so I bought two of these kits. I have gone onto several websites looking for teaching tools to share with my kids over the summer. So far my favorite site has been The Teachers Corner . My son thinks that if he is not in school that he should not have to do homework....tough, I say. Then of course he says "Well you don't learn new things, you don't go to school". You know what he is right! I have not been in school for about 15 years now! I have taken a few courses here and there, but nothing too exciting.
 

So I made a deal with my son ( or perhaps the devil) that if he read 20 new books this summer that I would also learn to try to speak Italian, something I have wanted to do for the longest time. I purchased the Rosetta Stone Totale program and like my son have started working diligently at it.  The bonus with this program is that my children are drawn to it. They like to hear the Italian words spoken and they love the photos uses in the program. It just may be that my kids will learn some Italian this summer too! My son will be rewarded with a new Wii video game, and upon my completion of  Rosetta Stone, I will be traveling to Italy next summer hopefully armed with enough Italian for small conversation!

Who says summer vacation is just about beach days, bike riding, video games and television! It can also be a great opportunity to learn something new!

If I Had Super Powers

The 2010 fall television season has brought a new show that I have been enjoying quite a bit. I don't know what it is about the show that I like so much, I assume it is because I have always had a soft spot for Michael Chiklis, or that I like Julie Benz because she was on my favorite show Dexter. Or maybe because I wish I had super powers like the Powell family! But ABC's No Ordinary Family has become one of my guilty pleasures this year.

Generally speaking I do not enjoy shows about superheros but this one is done in such a light hearted manner that it appealed to me. The fact that this was an ordinary family until they were in a plane crash and came out unscathed with super powers really appeals to me. I wonder which super power I would like to have. Would I be greedy and want a whole array of powers? You bet your sweet ass I would! Here is my greedy list of super powers that I would like to have and why!

1. Telepathy -  ability to read the thoughts of and/or mentally communicate with someone. Like "Matt Parkman" of Heroes and "Daphne Powell" of No Ordinary Family,  I would want this power the most. I think being able to know what people are thinking could provide you with the most pwere. Just think about what you could do with this. You suspect your husband is cheating on you...read his mind, you will get the truth and be able to use the knowledge to  your advantage!

2. Mind Control - the ability to alter the perceptions of others; the general ability to control others actions with the mind. This would be super cool! Just imagine, your tired after a long day of doing nothing (after all you already used this power earlier in the day..) and you would like a nice meal cooked and served to you. All you have to do is plant the idea in your spouses mind, control them, have them do your bidding! Awesome I say!

3. Super Speed - ability to move faster than the speed of light! Really how useful would that be. Just think of all the things you could accomplish in a day and still have time to read peoples minds and control them. Damn! That would be really amazing! Oh how I wish I was like "Stephanie Powell" of No Ordinary Family or the Silver Surfer!

4. Omniscient - the ability to know everything and anything. Wow! Again this comes in handy when you are trying to control your husbands mind! Just a thought.

 

5. And last but not least Accelerated Healing - the ability to heal rapidly from injuries, illness and possibly slow the aging process! Hell yes! When your busy trying to rule the world with your mind control you don't have time to waste on being ill! And lets face it, the slower you age, the longer you will be able to rule the world!!


I am sure you agree that having  these powers would make me one heck of a super Mom! Or maybe like one of my personal favorite cartoon characters of all The Brain - I would be best equipped to RULE THE WORLD!! I'm just sayin'.

Who Said Moms Aren't Sexy!? - It Just Takes 5 Minutes!

by Aurelia Williams


Whether you are a stay at home mom, work at home mom or a mom
that works outside of the home, between running the kids to and
from activities, making dinner, and doing loads of laundry, few
moms have time to pamper themselves. Suddenly, its been six
weeks since you've shaved your legs, your hair has absolutely no
style, and you feel as desirable as a cockroach at the dinner
table. There's just no way you can take time for yourself,
especially enough time to make yourself feel sexy and alive
again, right? Well, you may not be able to spend a week at the
spa, but there are plenty of five minute tricks that can make
you look good. After all, sometimes, knowing that you look good
is the key to feeling great.



If you haven't been able to make it to your stylist for a while,
chances are your hair is getting long and kind of limp. However,
there are hair styles that are sleek and sophisticated and only
take a few minutes to do. Try styling your hair so that it is in
a French roll or a French braid. You won't believe how knowing
that your hair looks spectacular will make you feel.



So, your hair is done, but you still feel a little blah. Are you
wearing a housedress or a set of ratty pajamas? Just because you
can dress down doesn't always mean you should. Instead, look for
easy care separates that go with everything. Make sure you pick
up a few simple accessories, like a matching bracelet and
earrings, too. No matter how hectic your day is, you will feel
like you can handle things if you look put together.



Of course, most women agree that there are few experiences that
are more romantic and relaxing than soaking in the tub
surrounded by scented candles. However, busy moms know that the
second they slide into the tub, there are several children
pounding frantically on the door because they want mommy to help
them and daddy just won't do. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy
a hot shower using your favorite scented bath and shower gel,
though. After you step out of the shower, use a lotion with the
same scent. You'll smell fantastic for hours, whether you're
sorting laundry or taking a moment to flirt with your man.



Finally, even if you only have five minutes to spare, make sure
you squeeze some exercise into the day. Exercising not only
tones your body and helps you look great, but it releases
endorphins that make you feel great, too.


Source: http://www.PopularArticles.com/article38887.html

Family Fun - Arts and Craft for the Kids...and You!

Family Fun - Children's Activities - Arts and Crafts

by TK Healey


Family Fun - Children's Activities - Arts and Crafts



What are some fun ways to spend time together when the weather
outside is dreary? There are all kinds of inexpensive ways to
spend time with your kids. Reading a story to your young child
is a wonderful experience. Listening to music and dancing
together is also fun. Another fun activity is building forts
with blankets and moving furniture together. Then bring in a
flashlight and read a book to your child.



Play dough is also a nice creative way to spend time together.
Roll it, mold it and create great works of art. It's safe and
can be used over and over again. You can make your own play
dough and make different colors. Here is a great play dough
recipe I have used many times with my own kids.



4 cups flour



1 cup salt



4 cups water



4 tablespoons oil



1/2 cup cream of tartar food coloring (use this to create the
colors of your choice)



Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan. Cook and stir over
low/medium heat until play dough is completely formed and no
longer sticky. Allow to cool slightly before storing in an air
tight container or zip lock bag.



Shaving cream art is also fun and easy. Using a vinyl table
cloth or plastic placemats just spray some shaving cream on and
let them use like finger paint. I would recommend using the
sensitive skin brand of shaving cream. Another great favorite is
collages. You just need construction paper, some magazines,
elmer's glue and safety scissors. Have the children cut out
pictures of interest to them and glue them all over the
construction paper. Once their project dries hang proudly on
your fridge.



Make a dreary day into a fun and exciting day with your child.






Source: http://www.PopularArticles.com/article10632.html

A Child's 10 Commandments To Parents

This year the Ontario government introduced the full day  kindergarten program. Across the province about 600 schools are offering this new play based learning program to children entering junior and senior kindergarten. In the past the school that my children attend the program was daily for half day, which was perfectly fine for me and my little man (who is now in grade 1). I was torn about whether Gaby should attend full time JK in the fall. I felt she wasn't ready, that she was too young. Basically it all boiled down to this mother having a hard time letting go of her youngest child. I honestly felt as though the government was robbing me of my precious time with my daughter. I chose to be a SAHM so I could spend more time with my kids, then when the government designated our school as a full time kindergarten facility I was heartbroken.

Now that we are a couple of weeks into the new school year and my little angel seems to be getting along just fine I am slowly accepting the fact that my home is quiet and child free for 9 hours a day! What also made me feel better about handing my last born child over to the education system was this little paper that Gaby brought home from school the other day. I read it and tears welled up in my eyes but my heart filled with pride that my little girl is growing up and becoming a lovely, intelligent young lady.

A Child's 10 Commandments To Parents

1. Please don't expect Perfection. My hands are small. Whenever I make a bed, draw a picture or throw a ball it may not be perfect. My legs are short; please slow down so that I can keep up with you.

2. Let me Explore safely. My eyes have not seen the world as yours have; don't restrict me unnecessarily.

3. I am only little for a short time. Housework will always be there. Make time for me.

4. Explain things to me. Take time to explain things to me about this wonderful world and do so willingly.

5. My feelings are Tender. Please be sensitive to my needs; don't nag me all day long. Treat me as you would like to be treated. I will learn how to treat people from your example.

6. I am a special gift from God. Please treasure me a God intended you to do. Hold me accountable for my actions, give me guidelines to live by and discipline me in a loving manner.

7. Encourage me so I may grow. Please go easy on the criticism; remember, you can criticize the things I do without criticizing me.

8. Please, give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself. Permit me to fail, so that I can learn from my mistakes. Then, someday, I will be prepared to make the kind of decisions life requires me to make.

9. Please don't do things over for me. Somehow that makes me feel that my efforts don't quite measure up to your expectations. I know it's hard, but please don't try to compare me with my brother or sister or other children.

10. Please love me unconditionally as I love you without any strings attached.