ASK MOM
ASK MOM offers parents and caretakers two perspectives on today’s child-rearing issues--one from a mom with grown children, the other from a mom raising small children. If you're looking for creative solutions, or your mom isn't around to ask, drop in!THE ISSUE: I’ve...
by Mary Follin and Kristi Crosson ASK MOM offers parents and caretakers two perspectives on today’s child-rearing issues--one from a mom with grown children, the other from a mom raising small children. If you're looking for creative solutions, or your mom isn't...
Am I Raising a Bully?by Mary Follin and Kristi CrossonRead more ASK MOM advice. THE PROBLEM: My oldest son (11 yo) is mean to his younger brother and sister. He calls each of them a derogatory nickname and constantly makes fun of them. He even shoves them a little...
Daughter assumes the worst, turning into negative personby Mary Follin and Erika Guerrero THE PROBLEM: I am worried about my daughter (15 yo), who always expects the worst. She has a long list of things she’s sure isn’t going to happen, like getting invited to a...
My Daughter Repulses Other Kidsby Mary Follin and Kristi CrossonRead more ASK MOM advice. THE PROBLEM: My daughter is desperate for a friend—even ONE friend would do—but every time another child pays attention to her (which is rare), my daughter does something to make...
Spoiled daughter turns nose up at gifts, makes mom feel bad in front of family by Mary Follin and Erika GuerreroRead in Fredericksburg Parent & Family MagazineTHE PROBLEM: After this gift-giving season, I can see I need to do something about my daughter’s...
Afraid My Baby Will Grow Up Like Meby Mary Follin and Kristi CrossonRead more ASK MOM advice. THE PROBLEM: My childhood was the kind you want to forget. (Abuse, neglect, you name it.) I’ve been able to escape it, and by some miracle, I married a nice guy who treats me...
Mom over-praises daughter, daughter craves approvalby Mary Follin and Erika GuerreroRead on Fredericksburg Parent & Family magazine THE PROBLEM: I’ve always been one to praise my daughter. I love her for who she is, and I want her to love herself, too. But I’m...
Son gets frustrated and cusses at momby Mary Follin and Erika Guerrero THE PROBLEM: My son gets frustrated soooo easily. He’s eleven, but he’s always been like this. He gets impatient if he doesn’t know how to do something right away, and throws what I call a...
Daughter won’t accept ‘no,’ harasses momby Mary Follin and Erika GuerreroRead on Fredericksburg Parent & Family magazine THE PROBLEM: My eight-year-old daughter won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Every time I don’t give her what she wants, she starts negotiating...
ASK MOM wins parenting media association award!
So you’re ready to write that novel. It’s been festering in the back of your mind for weeks—or years—and something about this moment is making you say “It’s time.” Short of a professor who threatens you with an ‘F’ if you don’t turn it in, how do you make sure you get...
Let's say your main character is a kid who rode on your school bus when you were eight years old. Or, your main character is you when you were eight years old. But now you’re all grown up and this guy or gal is only in your head. Good character development gets these...
A lot of people have one inside of them. A novel, I mean. They think about it, they tell people about it—they might even sit down and write a few pages. But why do so few actually finish writing a novel? For starters, it’s a big job. And when you have a lot of other...
Perhaps there was an element of ‘luck’ to the record-breaking popularity of the bespectacled, black-haired boy dreamed up by children’s book author J.K. Rowling. After all, a lot of events had to fall magically in place before one small publisher finally decided to...
If you are interested in teaching your child to read, I'm pleased to announce a new resource for you: Can I Teach My Child to Read? A Parent's Guide. This free guide discusses the joys of working with your child at home, why phonics matters and tips on how to make it...
You may be aware that some educators are at odds over which approach is more effective—phonics based reading or sight-reading (memorizing whole words at a time). Schools seem to focus more on one or the other, and many parents are left to wonder if their child didn’t...
If you are a fiction writer, chances are, you spend a lot of time in solitary confinement. When everybody else is at the mall on a lazy Saturday afternoon, you’re hunched over your computer, typing. When your spouse is running a “Mad Men” marathon on Netflix, you’re...
Celebrities who make it big in one way (say, making movies) are often gifted writers, artists, vocalists, and instrumentalists. Not fair, I know. But that’s just how it is. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that famous people have written some terrific books for...
Mary is the author of TEACH YOUR CHILD TO READ and ETHYR, winner of the Moonbeam Children's Book Award and the Gertrude Warner Book Award. She is mom to two grown sons and enjoys sharing her more seasoned perspective with parents of younger children.
Erika Guerrero is a freelance hair and makeup artist, Erika K. Beauty, single-mama to one amazing boy, and author of She’s Not Shaken, a blog offering hope and encouragement to women in all walks of life.
Suzanne Johnson, mother of five children and grandmother of eight, is an illustrator, book cover designer, and author of the Realms of Edenocht series.
ETHYR
M.P. Follin
Gertrude Warner Book Award
Moonbeam Children's Book Award
An adventure for kids ages 8-12— especially if they like video games!