Must read of the week: The Guilt-Trip Casserole in the New York Times.

There's some good news here. Come back to our blog during the week and we'll share it with you. In the meantime, pat yourself on the back if you are eating dinner with your kids in front of the TV. It's better than you think!!

Read our Strategies for Suffering from Mommy Guilt on the A Wild Ride Website.

The first three days of high school behind him, my son seems to take the days in stride. But then the year is young.

As my son begins this new school year at a new school with new (and old) friends, I want to publicly proclaim a few promises. This year:

• I promise not to nag.
• I will not check the school website for anything other than your lunch money balance.
• I will believe you when you say you have it handled.
• I will not doubt your ability to read the book the night before the test.
• I will trust that you will give me all mandatory documents several days prior to the deadline.
• I will forgive you for staying up late to finish your homework even though you kept me up half the night.
• I will reflect back on my own high school years remembering my own dread, anxiety, and embarrassment over my lack of friends and feel relieved that you have numerous friends and social opportunities.
• I will understand when the social pressures of the day make you cranky.

These are my promises to you my son. What will you promise in return?

FRIENDSHIP STRATEGIES

Here it is -- September already. The "not-so-lazy daze" of summer is waning as we gear up for another school year. If you have a school-age child, her emotions may be all over the map; from anticipatory excitement to extreme dread.

This is true for pre-schoolers as well. This may be the first time your little guy has been away from his parents on a regular basis. A big change that may give the whole family the shivers.

The social scene at school, though it changes as children age, presents countless challenging situations: difficulty sharing, hurt feelings, bullying, teasing, competition, pressure to fit in.

To help your child (ren) work on making and keeping friends, I offer various strategies depending on the age of the child. Some of those strategies include:

For preschoolers:
1. Make sure your child's play dates are short, about 1-1 1/2 hours.
2. Listen in with a baby monitor so you can short circuit any conflicts that could quickly turn sour.

For school-age children:
1. Discuss how her behavior affects other kids and her friendships with them.
2. Share with them your own stories of friendship challenges when you were growing up.

Learning how to be a good friend and positively and collaboratively interact with others is a lifelong process. The more positive reinforcement you can give your child now, the better!

Check out my complete list of ideas by visiting Strategies. ~Mary

To learn more about Mary, visit Sound Parent Coaching.

Mary and I would like to welcome back blog writer Laura Minion from Autism All Around. Laura is a freelance writer, fitness instructor, and tutor. She's currently working on a book about Portsmouth, Ohio.

Laura's latest story appears on this month's A Wild Ride website. It's titled Bite Your Tongue -- Please! Read it and you will wonder if Laura is psychic. Isn't that exactly what happened to you just the other day!

We also are looking for new mom's (or dad's) stories to post on our website/blog. If you are interested in sharing your experiences, check out the Call for Submissions on our main site.

Every mother who does the best she can do is a hero!

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Does gasping for breath or holding your breath count? I think it should -- especially for mothers of challenging children!!!

What do you think? Send your comments to me.

Do Mother's Day wishes sent via text messaging considered acceptable by today's mothers?

Let us know what you think? Send comments to Elizabeth.

I can only please one person per day.

Today is not your day.

Tomorrow is not looking good either.

Guilt: the gift that keeps on giving. -- Erma Bombeck

Not traditionally a drinking holiday, but why the hell not!!

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
- Bill Cosby

"Things are going to get a lot worse before they get worse." -Lily Tomlin-

... is that someday is right now.

Photo by Mary Pohlmann

We know you can relate to this month's story on A Wild Ride titled Am I giving enough? by Robin Dowdy.

Robin is a parent, educator, business owner and coach and the owner of Shine Through Coaching in Seattle. You can reach her at: 425.941.0819 or robin.dowdy@gmail.com.

All across America, parents are receiving the school support they need through their child's IEP (Individualized Education Plan), or so we can only hope. I personally have never experienced an IEP but a large number of my parent friends have. The reviews are mixed. Some find them helpful. Most find them trying and counter-productive.

What is your experience?

If you are looking for information on IEP, the web offers some excellent resources including:

Terri Mauro's About.com Special Needs Children. Read her article titled Parental Input --Have Your Say.

Joan Celebi's Special Needs Parent Blog. On her site Joan lists her six favorite IEP resources.

Another resource is school psychologist's Erin King's 7 Things Parents Should Know Prior to Going to an IEP Meeting.