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May 23, 2013

Can You Afford Another Child?

When weighing all the pros and cons of having more kids, does money play a role? For some of my friends, the costs of daycare, transportation, extra-curriculars, vacations and so on were just too much for them to have a second (or third) child.

It is expensive. Today's Parent reports that each child will cost you $240,000 until they reach the age of 18. And that doesn't include post-secondary education which is it's own financial headache.

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May 3, 2013

Steve Nash Allegedly Doesn't Want To Pay Child Support To Ex

Steve Nash, Canadian-born basketball hero and soccer aficionado, doesn't want to pay child support to his ex-wife and mother of his three kids.

SteveNash&Matteo
Steve Nash and youngest son Matteo

A judge ruled in 2010 that Nash didn't need to pay child support but his ex-wife is lobbying for a share in his large salary anyways. According to reports, Alejandra Nash has an income of 30-thousand a month, plus the 5-million that she received in the divorce. Steve says that he doesn't want to give her more money because he is concerned that she will spoil the kids with over-the-top luxuries.

The athlete already pays for many of the kids' expenses. He pays 90% of their school fees, extra-curriculars and medical fees, as well as 80% of the nanny's salary. According to this video, Alejandra signed a pre-nup where she waived her rights to child support and alimony.

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March 21, 2013

The Mommy Wars, Feminist Housewives And Other Figments Of My Imagination

Women, work, feminism, family -- these are all topics that keep cropping up lately. It started last year with articles by Anne-Marie Slaughter and Elisabeth Badinter, but it has jumped forward with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In and her suggestion that women should be more ambitious. The discussion (for the most part) has been nuanced and intelligent and has not pitted woman against woman.

But we wouldn't want that. 

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March 7, 2013

Is She A Bad Mom? Giuliana Rancic Puts Marriage Before Motherhood

Celebrity Giuliana Rancic says her marriage comes before motherhood.

She said that she puts husband Bill, over their 5-month-old Duke, even though he is the "cutest baby ever".

She told Us Weekly: "We're husband and wife, but we're also best friends, and it's funny because a lot of people, when they have kids, they put the baby first, and the marriage second," says the 37-year-old breast-cancer survivor. "That works for some people. For us, I find, we put our marriage first and our child second, because the best thing we can do for him is have a strong marriage."

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February 28, 2013

Moms Tackle The Big Issues

What are the big issues that moms face today?

Work-home life balance. Marriage. Finding time for yourself. Guilt.

All of these issues were tackled on the Today Show with three of their experts. I am going to be honest with you, I don't usually love expert panels. They are often too superficial and populated by women who seem to have it all. But I thought these women did a good job on touching on some of the issues that face us all. (And yes, they are beautiful and have lots and lots of kids and seem to have it all.)

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February 26, 2013

Ben Affleck Tells The Truth And Says Marriage Is Work

Ben Affleck didn't exactly show off his romantic side at the Oscars when he thanked his wife of "10 Christmases" Jennifer Garner for all her hard work on their marriage. 

He said, while stumbling over his words:  "It’s good, it is work, but it’s the best kind of work, and there’s no one I’d rather work with.”

Garner_affleck

The fact that Affleck didn't fall into schmoopy-doopyism's has some gossip columnists wondering if the Affleck-Garner marriage is in trouble. But I found it a refreshing break from the contrived "soulmate" kinds of thank-yous that generally take up the Oscar broadcast. 

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February 4, 2013

Men Who Do Housework In Hopes Of Sex May Be Disappointed

Men who are doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen in the hopes of getting lucky in the bedroom may be sorely disappointed.

A new study says that men who do some of the "pink" jobs around the house are getting less sex than those who are sticking to the blue category of household chores. The same goes for women who are straying from the female chores into the more male ones.

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January 28, 2013

Is It Healthy For Couples To Sleep In Separate Rooms?

I've been formulating a theory that the secret to a happy marriage (or at least my happy marriage) is going to bed at the same time. Not because of you-know-what, but because those few minutes in bed chatting about our day, telling funny stories and listing errands makes us feel connected. The fleeting moments without the TV or the kids around reminds us of who we are as people -- not just parents. 

All this to say, that I would never sleep in a separate room from my husband on a permanent basis (there are a few nights where it happens). Leah Rumack at Today's Parent disagrees.

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January 25, 2013

Don't Call Me A MILF

MILF. Popular definition: Mother I'd Like to F**k.

Nice language. The term was popularized by the American Pie movie series about the hot and available Stiffler's mom. 

Since then, "MILF", its softer cousin "Yummy Mummy", and the nastier "Cougar" have been creeping into our language to describe mothers who might think about sex once in a while. MILF doesn't describe every mother -- just those who are judged to be sexy, young-looking and desirable by a younger man.

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December 13, 2012

Sesame Street Addresses Divorce, Finally

My parents split when I was five. For the first years, I didn't know any other families who were divorced. I don't think I even knew the word "divorced".

I can't think of a TV character or book that provided a model for me. Those eventually came, but much later. Now divorce is much more common and my kids talk easily of their friends who shuffle between their mom's and dad's houses.

Sesame Street is one of the few constants linking my childhood to my kids, so imagine my surprise to know that they haven't really touched the divorce topic until now.

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Emma WavermanEmma Waverman

Emma Waverman writes five days a week about the chaos of modern family life here at MSN.ca. She is the co-author of the family cookbook Whining and Dining: Mealtime Survival for Picky Eaters and Families Who Love Them and is hoping to one day to finish her certification as a parenting coach. She lives with her three kids, ranging from tween to grade schooler, and husband in Toronto. Emma has written for a variety of national parenting and lifestyle magazines and papers. When she’s is not making typos, telling you what she thinks, and thinking about dinner - you can find her on Twitter at @emmawaverman. You can contact Emma at embracingchaos@hotmail.ca

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