As you all know this blog titled Parents “R” Us is all about the experiences, insights, advice, and little things that people who are not parents probably wouldn’t understand. This blog is also for any parent married or single to read, so that they will realize that they are not alone out there, and someone definitely understands the insanity that is called family. So today I am going to talk about my favorite subject my own insanity, lol.

I have to tell ya I love being a dad or Poppi as my kids call me. I also love my wife to pieces and I am grateful every single day that she has accepted my kids as her own and that my kids have adopted her as one of their own and I am grateful for their acceptance as well as hers.

The two kids ages 16 and 15 respectively I am talking about are from a previous relationship that went on and off for approximately 19 years and ended very badly for their mother. We meaning the kids and I are lucky that my wife was there to help pick up the pieces, because there is no telling where we might have wound up without her love or support.

It is really amazing that my wife would choose to become a mom to kids already in their teens, but she is equal to the task. It is equally amazing that someone as young and beautiful as she is would choose to wed a man of my age. I am 45 years old and she is 28 years old a difference of 17 years.

The greatest lesson I have learned from this experience is that age doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter that my wife is only 12 years older than my son, or that my daughter is only 13 years younger than my wife. The 17 years difference in age doesn’t matter between the two of us either. What does matter is that the fountain of love is bottomless and that love itself is ageless.

If you are a single parent you should pay special attention to this. If you are interested in someone and you are older or younger than they are, or your kids are closer in age to that person than you are, it doesn’t matter unless the both of you or all of you make age an impassable barrier. If you are a married couple with a great difference in age then you already know or should know what I am saying.

The keys to making any relationship work is love, trust, and respect for the boundaries that your family must live within. This is very important for maintaining the integrity of the family unit and will result in the mutual respect of every member of the family for the other members of the family.

Father and Mother must always be united, never divided in order to maintain their authority so the kids know that the answers will always be the same no matter who they ask. Parents must always respect the individuality of their children, never treat one with more difference than the other, and never love one of them less than the other.

One piece of advice for the husbands out there though, Mothers Day is coming up and she deserves something nice for all that she does for you guys so make sure it either smells pretty, shines nicely, looks sexy, tastes sinfully delicious, or all of the above and you guys know what I mean.

That is all I have to talk about for today, but I am sure I will have something else to talk about very soon. Have an awesome day my friends and CIAO4NOW!!!!!

Today on Parents “R” Us we are going to talk about the family pet. Most families have one, whether it’s a dog, cat, parakeet, or hamster etc etc etc. As you all know these animals over time come to be viewed as members of the family and loved by everyone in the house. However this should not exempt your pet from having a few rules that they must live by. Here are a few rules we have found are useful when dealing with pets, especially with dogs, which I prefer.

1) Bedrooms are off limits particularly mine and all bedrooms at bedtime. Your animals do not need to sleep in your bed; they should have one of their own.
2) No pets in the kitchen or dining room at meal times. They are your pets not people and do not have a place at the dinner table.
3) Do not feed your pet food from your dinner table; they should eat their own food. Besides which your pet might get sick from eating the wrong thing, people food is not designed for pets.
4) Whether or not your pet is an indoor or outdoor pet or both get them in the habit of using the outdoors rather than your floors for bathroom breaks. If your pet is an indoor pet you still need to make sure they get plenty of yard time.
5) Show them as much affection as they require, because they will lavish affection upon you. If you are a good master to your pet they will love you unconditionally and expect the same in return.
6) Never ever under any circumstances abuse your pet. You may have to punish them occasionally until they learn the rules, but excessively beating or verbally abusing your pet is a bad thing and could cause them to turn on you, so be very sure you are ready for a pet.

Under normal circumstances your pets will be with you all of their lives and deserve your love and respect. Like I said they become a part of your family over time and will be there through the best and the worst your lives will encounter. They will be happy or sad as you are, because they will sense how you are and what emotions you’re experiencing.

I hope this is helpful to all of you who are pet owners as well as readers of this blog. Have an awesome day and CIAO4NOW!!!!!

Hello all of you out there I guess you all know that this will be my first blog here. I am a parent and have been one for more than twenty years. I have sons and daughters and one of them is even a special needs teen. As a result I have a little bit of experience as a parent.

I will tell you that even after two decades as a parent you will most likely still learn something new everyday in the arena of parenting, because I do. This leads me to today’s topic, which is aptly titled "Whose Castle Is It Anyway".

The Castle Law is something that needs to be established early and firmly within the family unit. The first thing that you need to teach the child or children as the case may be, is that they are the child, and that you are the parent or.

One way to do this is to let them have their opinion but to let them know that you have the final word. This is especially helpful with teens as they feel the need to be heard, and you can delegate responsibility to them depending on the intelligence of their input making them feel more involved in the decision making process.

The second thing you need to teach your kids as soon as possible is what is and isn’t out of bounds in the house. Some examples of out of bounds areas are your bedroom, office, and kitchen except for getting a drink. For you dads out there the garage is your domain, LOL. You need to let them know that permission is required for them to enter these places and for good reason to.

You and your spouse may have things of a personal nature in your bedroom that they need have no knowledge of. In the office you keep the things you need to run your household and if your spouse is a work at home mom or you work at home you make your livelihood there. The kitchen is mentioned, because if you let them they will ruin their appetites and the meal you made might be a waste. In the garage there may be things kept or stored there that could hurt them. Of course all the family areas are open to all members of the family.

Chores are a good way to establish your authority and a way to reward them on a performance basis. With chores assigned to each child or teen you can delegate some of the more mundane or unessential tasks to them and attach an allowance or reward to the completion of those tasks. This will teach them the value of a dollar as well as give them some idea of what it might cost to run your household, as well teach them the axiom of “The Buck Stops Here”.

Let them know you love them even when they mess up. Also let them know that if they break the rules you set or doing something they know better than to do that there will be consequences, but that you still love them and no less than before they screwed up. Kids make mistakes, but you are responsible for them and for their actions, but they need to know that all of their actions good or bad have some sort of effect good or bad on those they share their lives with.

Lastly be there for them no matter what. Be there for the good and the bad that happens in their lives. You should be their first and last choice of who to turn to when they need someone or something. Believe it or not your kids want to talk to you and tell you what is wrong or right in their lives, but you need to be willing to listen and they need to know it or they won’t turn to you and you will have no idea what is going on.

To all of you parents out there if you do these simple things and do them right not only will the house be a home to a family but it will certainly be your castle to rule and your rule will be accepted without question and with the love and respect of all who dwell there. What I am saying is to be compassionate, kind, caring, understanding, and firm. This has worked for me for more than two decades.

Have a great evening and a wonderful weekend, CIAO4NOW!!!!!