Hi friends – here’s this week’s column – college kids expecting good grades just for showing up? Read all about it.

My column

I hope you tune into the radio show “It Takes a Parent” this week when I have lots of fun things in the “heartbeat” part of the show, and I get to talk to Peter Picard of TRU, a Chicago based youth-research firm, on what young people think of marriage, and why. Really interesting stuff! More on that later.

Cheers – Betsy Hart

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Well, at camp Kanakuk, anyway.

I hope you tune into “It Takes a Parent” this Sunday at noon, AM1160/WYLL Chicago. There’s lots to talk about in the Heart Beat part of the show, including people who think, in the wake of news reports about larger families (New York Times) that we ought to go to a “one child” policy in the United States – give me a break!

Then my main guest will be Will Cunningham, director of K’Kaui Family Camp for Kanakuk Kamps (Branson, Missouri) who will talk about why camp, and then which camp, might be great for your kids this summer. And are parents the ones who more and more getting “homesick” for the kids at camp, not vice versa? Such were the news reports last summer – we’ll talk about that.

I love Kanakuk – which is where my kids have been “Kampers” for years – and I hope you check them out at kanakuk.com

If you miss the show live, check out it by Monday evening on here, or later in the week at www.nationalreview.com

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Hi friends, here’s this week’s column. The names have been changed to protect the innocent – and the not so innocent! Enjoy.

My column

Meanwhile, I hope you tune into “It Takes a Parent” this Sunday at noon, AM1160/WYLL Chicago. There’s lots to talk about in the Heart Beat part of the show, including people who think, in the wake of news reports about larger families (New York Times) that we ought to go to a “one child” policy (give me a break).

My main guest will be Will Cunningham, director of K’Kaui Family Camp for Kanakuk Kamps (Branson, Missouri) who will talk about why and which camp might be great for your kids. I love Kanakuk – where my kids have been “Kampers” for years – and I hope you check them out at kanakuk.com

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Hi Friends – I hope you get a chance to tune in today to “It Takes a Parent,” AM1160, WYLL radio, when I get to talk to Mike Nawrocki, one of the co-creators of the wonderful Veggie Tales franchise. If you are a parent or if you know a kid, you know all about Bob and Larry and the Christian message of the wildly successful Veggie Tales.

We’ll take about the several new projects the Big Idea company is working on (the first Veggie Tales Bible, for starters) why they came up with the idea for vegetables to tell Christian truths in the first place, and what’s the response to the criticism that the creators of the Veggie Tales “caved” to Hollywood in the making of their feature films “Jonah” and “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything”?

You’ll love this discussion, especially if you are a parent – or if you know a child!

Tune in to AM1160/WYLL radio noon central time today, or listen to wyll.com (streaming) or check back here to listen to the show by Monday via my website or on Friday at NationalReview.com

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Betsy

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Hi friends – Here’s this week’s column, more on my conversation with Dr. Helen Fisher just in time for Valentine’s Day!

My column

You and your Valentine can take her personality/match test, one of the few I’ve seen based on the hormones/chemicals which tend to be dominant in certain personality types, in her new book Why Him, Why Her? Or, take it here:

Dr. Fisher’s “Love and Chemistry” Test

(Sure, take it with a grain of salt, but it’s fun. According to Fisher’s lights, I’m a builder/explorer, while my beau is likely an explorer/negotiator – who knew?)

Finally, one interesting connection I didn’t have room to get into in my column, but which she and I talked about at some length, and touched on in my radio show (below) on the same topic: Fisher believes that antidepressants, which in essence suppress dopamine, the “love” chemical, can have a very negative impact on feelings of romantic love. Sure, people on antidepressants fall in love all the time, after all antidepressants are commonly used in our country. Yes, many people need them to live whole lives. Some people need them to live life at all. But the (possible) connection she makes between antidepressants and a lowered ability to fully experience romantic love is something to be aware of if you or your loved one are on antidepressants. You can read more here:

Love and Antidepressants – Not a Good Chemical Reaction?

Well, wherever you are this Valentine’s Day – I hope you have a happy one!

Thanks for stopping by – Betsy

P.S. – This week on “It Takes a Parent,” I talk to Mike Nawrocki, co-creator of Veggie Tales. I hope you’ll tune in at noon Chicago Time, AM1160 WYLL, or www.wyll.com

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Hey friends – You are definitely going to want to tune in to today’s radio show, “It Takes a Parent.” Just in time for Valentine’s Day, it’s all about the chemistry of love. I get to talk with Dr. Helen Fisher, noted anthropologist and expert on what our brains do when we are in the middle of that dopamine high called by its street name . . . romantic love. Below is a terrific (and very funny piece) on what our brains do when they are literally “high” on our partners.

Love Potions? It’s All in Your Head

Also, lots of hot items in the heart beat part of the show today, so – tune in at noon central time to AM1160/WYLL, streaming at www.wyll.com, or tomorrow here to hear the show or podcast later in the week on NationalReview.com.

(Oh, and please take a look at my several new and wonderful sponsors featured on my home page – Elite Fitness and Massage Envy of Western Springs, and Hanna Facial Cosmetic/Skinsational Medspa in Hinsdale. They are terrific!)

Thanks for stopping by – Betsy

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Hey friends, here’s this week’s column, “part two” on parents and the teen years. (At some point I hope to talk to Dr. Randolph about parenting during the teen years as a single parent!)

my column

Hey, I hope you’ll be sure to listen to this week’s radio show. On Sunday, in anticipation of Valentine’s Day next Saturday, I’ll be talking to one of the worlds’ for most anthropologists and experts on the “chemistry” of love, Dr. Helen Fisher. You are not going to want to miss this!

Have a great weekend – Betsy

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Hi friends – So I’ve been thinking all weekend about a great line I heard in a play Friday night. The play was “Italian American Reconciliation,” a comedy by John Patrick Shanley He wrote “Moonstruck,” which had its own terrific lines.

Anyway, in Reconciliation, an older woman is counseling a younger man on why he should marry his girlfriend. He protests that it would be full of its own trouble.

She responds, “in life, you get what you pay for – and trouble is the currency.”

Think about it – anything worth having, our kids, our marriages, our friendships – if we invest in them, they are going to cost us. There is inevitably going to be difficulty, trouble and, well, troubles. But the alternative is, well, not to live at all.

I’m not sure truer words were ever spoken! I hope they encourage you.

Have a great week!

Betsy

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Hi friends – I hope you got a chance to listen to “It Takes a Parent” radio today, when I talked to Karen Blumenthal, who writes the “Family Money” column for the Wall Street Journal. We talked about money saving tips in a tough time, focusing on her column in this week’s Journal, “In The Fight Against Bill Creep, Every Extra Fee is the Enemy.”

Karen Blumenthal on Bill Creep

I also welcomed a new sponsor, Elite Fitness of Western Springs! (That’s where I work out, and I love it!)

If you missed the show, it will be available in “real player” easy format here tomorrow, Monday, or Friday you can find it podcast on NationalReview.com

Thanks for the comments that some of you are having trouble listening to last week’s show. My webmaster says that will be fixed by tomorrow.

As always, thanks for stopping by.

Betsy

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