http://www.bakersfieldvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/8073 Friends! It's been so long since I've written something.&nbsp; I must blame my absence on Centennial baseball and substitute teaching.&nbsp; I haven't even been writing for money, much less for my beloved Northwest Voice.&nbsp; I've been so busy watching the Hawks and teaching the Lions that it doesn't seem like I've had a spare moment. I have several stories simmering in the potpourri pot of my mind.&nbsp; A couple of them are family related, another is pet-related.&nbsp; I actually just finished the pet story, as the NWV sent out an &quot;all-call&quot; for the goods on pets.&nbsp; I hope you enjoy reading it! There is another story in mind that I can't yet grasp.&nbsp; I've been thinking of it for a long time, but I'm having trouble corralling the subject matter.&nbsp; Young parents have often asked me how I did it, i.e., what magic I did parenting-wise to develop three relatively well-behaved and socially responsible children.&nbsp; First, never compliment or brag on your children because as soon as you do, they go and do something stupid, making you eat your words.&nbsp; Second, what should I say in an article of that nature that won't make me seem like I know it all?&nbsp; I don't--that's for sure.&nbsp; All I know is what&nbsp;worked for me when I had toddlers.&nbsp; Last, each time someone asks me the &quot;how'd you do it&quot; question, I've learned a valuable lesson: they don't really want to know.&nbsp; No matter the answer I give, if the tactic I express is different from what they currently employ, they tell me that my methods wont work on their children... that their kids are somehow different from everyone else's on the planet.&nbsp; We all have unique kids, but some methods of child rearing are universal. &nbsp;I could use some help finding the angle of this human-interest story.&nbsp; If you've an idea, I'd be glad to hear it. That's all for now.&nbsp; ~Dana Friends! It's been so long since I've written something.&nbsp; I must blame my absence on Centennial baseball and substitute teaching.&nbsp; I haven't even been writing for money, much less for my beloved Northwest Voice.&nbsp; I've been so busy watching the Hawks and teaching the Lions that it doesn't seem like I've had a spare moment. I have several stories simmering in the potpourri pot of my mind.&nbsp; A couple of them are family related, another is pet-related.&nbsp; I actually just finished the pet story, as the NWV sent out an &quot;all-call&quot; for the goods on pets.&nbsp; I hope you enjoy reading it! There is another story in mind that I can't yet grasp.&nbsp; I've been thinking of it for a long time, but I'm having trouble corralling the subject matter.&nbsp; Young parents have often asked me how I did it, i.e., what magic I did parenting-wise to develop three relatively well-behaved and socially responsible children.&nbsp; First, never compliment or brag on your children because as soon as you do, they go and do something stupid, making you eat your words.&nbsp; Second, what should I say in an article of that nature that won't make me seem like I know it all?&nbsp; I don't--that's for sure.&nbsp; All I know is what&nbsp;worked for me when I had toddlers.&nbsp; Last, each time someone asks me the &quot;how'd you do it&quot; question, I've learned a valuable lesson: they don't really want to know.&nbsp; No matter the answer I give, if the tactic I express is different from what they currently employ, they tell me that my methods wont work on their children... that their kids are somehow different from everyone else's on the planet.&nbsp; We all have unique kids, but some methods of child rearing are universal. &nbsp;I could use some help finding the angle of this human-interest story.&nbsp; If you've an idea, I'd be glad to hear it. That's all for now.&nbsp; ~Dana en-us Mon, 16 Apr 2007 18:05:23 PDT <p><font size="3">Dana,</font></p> <p><font size="3">An angle on your human-interest story...to be honest.&nbsp; Honest:&nbsp; adj.&nbsp; free from deception, truthful.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Unfortunately, when one asks another person a question, do they really want an honest answer?&nbsp;Who knows? &nbsp;All&nbsp;&nbsp;you can do is to be authentic and answer them from what&nbsp;you know and what has worked for you, just like you stated.&nbsp; If they want to learn from what you know, then they will, with trial and error I am sure, but&nbsp; how do we know what true success is unless we know what failure is? </font></p> <p><font size="3">Happy writing:0)</font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3">Tracy A. Simpson</font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3">&nbsp;</font></p> http://www.bakersfieldvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/8073/#c_80057 http://www.bakersfieldvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/8073/#c_80057 <p><font size="3">Dana,</font></p> <p><font size="3">An angle on your human-interest story...to be honest.&nbsp; Honest:&nbsp; adj.&nbsp; free from deception, truthful.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Unfortunately, when one asks another person a question, do they really want an honest answer?&nbsp;Who knows? &nbsp;All&nbsp;&nbsp;you can do is to be authentic and answer them from what&nbsp;you know and what has worked for you, just like you stated.&nbsp; If they want to learn from what you know, then they will, with trial and error I am sure, but&nbsp; how do we know what true success is unless we know what failure is? </font></p> <p><font size="3">Happy writing:0)</font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3">Tracy A. Simpson</font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3">&nbsp;</font></p>