Articles written by Deborah Nies

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About me - Deborah Nies

I am the Madison Tween Parenting Examiner on Examiner.com. I also write two of my own blogs. Wandering Wisconsin with Kids is devoted to exploring fun places to visit with children. My other personal blog examines the trials and joys in raising daughters.

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Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: My greatest accomplishments: 11 of 147

The Noble Art of Letting Things Slide or Anti-"Accomplishments" "Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone." - Lin Yutang I totally subscribe to the quote above, but some people would not be comfortable with the concept. I recognize that "leaving things undone" is an art. I...
Parenting & Pregnancy > Childhood Development Tips for raising successful children: 2 of 20

Parenting Unplugged My #1 tip for raising successful children is be there, be present, accounted for, and be your child's biggest cheerleader during their childhood. Nothing more says "I love you" to a child, than to be physically present every day. I was reminded of this when I was sitting at my daughter's piano lesson this...
Creative Writing > Memoirs Testimonies: Living with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): 2 of 19

I consider myself a creative person and I have often thought that to be a true artist or a creative soul, a little mental illness is required. (Think Van Gogh.) Additionally, I have always told people that I aspired to live a life in which others would ultimately label me as an eccentric. But, as time passes, I realize that ...
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: Weird travel stories: 8 of 70

Surgery at 35,000 feet in the Friendly Skies Last week we took our annual summer vacation. Our destination spot this trip was San Diego. Our flight at o'dark thirty from Madison to Chicago was uneventful, which is just how I prefer flights in the metal death tube to be. We boarded the plane in Chicago for our four-hour fligh...
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: On aging: 11 of 67

Safety's Overrated aka Being Safe in my Old Age Eleanor Roosevelt once challenged, "Do something every day that scares you." If you read newspapers or watch the television news reports, you probably think that the world is a pretty scary place. If you're a parent, you live in perpetual fear of child abductions, food tamperin...
Style & Beauty > Hair Styles Accepting your natural hair texture: 2 of 10

I Have Naturally Curly Hair It's taken a long time, but I have come to an understanding with my naturally curly hair. I AM Frieda, from the Charlie Brown gang, who told anyone who'd listen, "I have naturally curly hair." That's me, too. People ask me all the time, "Is your hair naturally curly? When I reply, "Yes, it is," I ...
Parenting & Pregnancy > Baby Developmental Stages Assessing "It takes a village to raise a child": 7 of 34

It Does Take a Village "You are a good mom." A few weeks after my Step Mom told me the above statement, I still find myself contemplating it. I do believe that I am a good Mom...I just wonder HOW I got to be one. I certainly did not learn it at my own birth mother's knee. For that is how I think of her - the woman who gave b...
Sports & Recreation > Sports & Recreation (Other) How sports can help develop life skills in children: 3 of 13

Being Olympian Raising a confident child means that sometimes you need to allow them to fail. Playing sports can teach good sportsmanship and develop self-confidence. My daughter has been a member of a swim team for 15 months. She is a good swimmer, but at her current rate, she will never be Dara Torres. But even though she ...
Creative Writing > Reflections Relections: Living in the moment: 1 of 4

Living Life like there's No Tomorrow "Brother. Cancer. Stage Four." With one phone call, those four words changed my friend's life forever. Instantaneously, those tiny words, strung together with gigantic meaning and far-reaching implications, irrevocably and sadly, transformed many lives. While I dilly-dally in the business...
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: My random acts of kindness: 1 of 3

My daughter was released from school early last Friday to begin the long Memorial Day weekend. We decided to take a road-trip to the local Amish community. Because it was her first visit, I spoke of the people's dress and manner. I told her that she could expect to see buggies pulled by horses, and an overall simpler way of ...