Parenting is so often a fly-by the seat of your pants adventure; it’s the most important job in the world and yet, there is no experience necessary — you are always kind of winging it, no matter how old your kids may be.
We don’t have all the answers all the time, which is why I often find myself reaching out to other moms because they get it. They understand completely when you say, “Help! I need your advice! What would you do?”
This is the premise behind a new E-book I have co-written with my friend, Janet Wong, a former lawyer and now an author for children and teens who has 26 books to her credit and visits schools all over the world. As smart as she is, and as much as she loves her own teenage son, he has the power to exasperate and push all her buttons. And anybody who has read about my three children growing up in this column knows they can do exactly the same thing with me. My fellow moms have been my salvation many times in my life with their helpful perspective and timely advice.
For our new book, “The Mom Quiz: Teen Edition,” we scanned today’s headlines as well as our own lives to present 15 sticky parenting situations (SPS) about everything from cheating and bullying to eating disorders and drinking, followed by four possible answers that are intended to make moms think, talk, and take a stand.
Our goal is to help moms tackle some extreme “what if” scenarios — before they become problems in their own families and schools. We would like to make “SPS” a new piece of text lingo blazing into cyberspace so moms everywhere would feel free to holler out to their friends, “OMG, SOS, SPS alert!”
We want moms to discuss these questions with their friends at home, on the sidelines at soccer, or in the waiting room. Better yet, use our E-book as an excuse to throw a party and find out what your friends think about some of the hot button parenting topics of today.
In this book, there are no right or wrong answers, only provocative questions and choices that are intended to encourage discussion and raise the bar on the level of awareness on some of today’s most pressing parenting issues.
Our kids face timeless teen issues like peer pressure and drinking, but we live in complex, confusing times that raise issues we never could have imagined. Headlines like the Penn State child abuse case and the SAT cheating scandal on Long Island make you realize that it’s not enough to talk to kids about these issues. You have to start with the parents because they are the most profound influence on their children, their sense of self, and their place in the world, and what is right and wrong.
We’ve partnered “The Mom Quiz” book with our new blog, which you will find at www.themomquiz.blogspot.com. Each month will feature a new SPS from “The Mom Quiz” book, along with a new SPS suggested by readers, an opportunity to vote on the best answer, and results. Our first question involves gay bullying, a timely issue given the suicide of Tyler Clementi at Rutgers last year and the upcoming trial of the West Windsor Plainsboro High School North graduate charged in the case.
We figured the E-book format is perfect for today’s busy mom and at 99 cents, the price is right. Download it to your cell phone, iPad, Kindle, or Nook. And if you don’t have an E-reader, don’t worry. Our website points you to a link where you can download the free Kindle app, so you can read our E-book on a regular computer. It will make a perfect last-minute holiday gift for the mom — or anyone else in your life.
One more thing: “The Mom Quiz” is not intended to be a “diss” on dads. We understand that when it comes to parenting, a united approach is best. But on a day-to-day basis, it is most often the mom who is the frontline parent and the lightning rod on the most immediate and pressing issues that may require a quick decision. And let’s face it — moms are more likely to ask other moms for advice than dads, some of whom are still reluctant to ask for directions much less parenting advice.
“The Mom Quiz: Teen Edition” is the first in a series of E-books addressed at parents of children at all levels. The Tween edition is scheduled for release in February followed by a version for parents of younger children in April.
We want you to read our E-book and go out to our blog, www.themomquiz.blogspot.com, to cast your vote on the current SPS and post a comment. We invite you to join what we hope will be a lively and provocative discussion on some of the most intriguing parenting questions we face today. If you have any questions feel free to E-mail us at info@themomquiz.com.
