I have a lot to say about parenting that I truly believe can be insightful and reinforcing for parents who are raising children today - a generation after I raised mine. In that interval, I saw from a professional perspective, thousands of other people's children grow up also - and I got to notice, firsthand, the milestones as well as the mistakes. From those experiences and outcomes, I developed definite tried-and-true views on how to raise strong, competent, caring, and contented children.

But I do have an admission. And, to borrow from the children's story, "Ruby's Hope" by Hannah Taylor, it is "Marla's Hope" that my experiences can help inform your parenting choices.

My dilemma is deciding how I can best communicate all this anecdotal knowledge. I am striving to find the right voice to convey both my conviction and my passion on the topics I write about. "Blogger" and "Baby Boomer" - both describing me! - generally just don't fit in the same sentence; especially for a former journalist and teacher who is trained to present all sides of a position objectively! How do I share what I've learned about what works and what doesn't in a voice that resonates - one that doesn't preach, that doesn't presume, and that doesn't get bogged down in jargon?

This is what I know for sure: We need to give kids permission to be kids; but let's also give parents permission to parent! Through the "bedtime story" parables, I hope to give courage and conviction to sound parenting techniques!

I really want to engage my readers. So give me your suggestions for how I can deliver the goods. Please, contact me - either leave a comment after a post or e-mail me directly at: blog@MarlaColeman.com.

Share your own best thinking here.  Let's suspend our assumptions and dialog. Let's make this a "place" where we get together to discuss how we can raise kids of character. Already, several posts have spurred comments from you that really help inform the discussion. I envision "Bedtime Stories for Parents" as a go-to place for judicious thinking when it comes to nurturing resilient, happy children.

(Note that you now can register on the blog's home page for automatic e-mail which will come to your inbox when I write a new post.)