Devra Renner

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  1. iPod Therapy

    11/29/11 11:37am by Devra Renner
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    iPod Dance

    Are you someone who doesn't just listen to the music, the music is really the soundtrack of your life? That's me too! I remember when the Dateline Timeline questions would be posed and I always could nail the year by the music clue.  Seriously, my own life is a timeline set to music. And being this way meant I was Queen of the Mix-Tape throughout the 80's.   Read more >

  2. New Study on Working Mothers Misses the Truth Behind What Kids Eat

    3/3/11 2:00pm by Devra Renner
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    Working Mother

    Really? Wow. What sort of policy would that be? Would we have Congress mandate all parents need to be home by 5:30 pm in order to get dinner on the table? Or maybe we would lobby the Senate to put forth a bill requiring parents to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. I'm just going to say what I think most parents, if not people in general, are thinking, "Give me a break!" We need policies alright, but it's not the parents who need the help, it's our country. I'm not an economist, but it doesn't take an economist to know we're in a slump here. Money is tight. Fast food is cheap.  Read more >

  3. Clinton Kelly Interview: TLC's "What Not To Wear" Ambushes a Parenting Blogger

    3/1/11 6:29pm by Devra Renner
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    Clinton Kelly (image courtesy TLC)

    Amanda (aka Dumb Mom who writes the blog Parenting By Dummies had been nominated for a fashion intervention by her best friend. It was all going down at the Newseum. TLC's "What Not To Wear" had selected Amanda for an ambush style makeover (airing tonight). She was going to have to pack up her wardrobe, bring it to New York City, and shop by the rules set by style gurus Clinton Kelly and Stacy London. I was in on the secret -- and got to ask Clinton Kelly a few questions, to boot.  Read more >

  4. When a Peacenik Becomes a Military Spouse

    1/13/11 2:05pm by Devra Renner
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    Air Force

    As we began our military life, and me the wife of a Butter Bar, I recall lamenting at a squadron barbecue about how I might be "the only person who came from a Lefty upbringing." A Colonel's wife grinned big and said, "Oh Devra, every place you go, you will find you are not alone. You will find a great diversity in the military and the spouses. You will always find someone who is a lot like you."  Read more >

  5. Blogger Warned By Court to Stop Showing Kids: Should You Worry?

    11/29/10 6:00am by Devra Renner
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    Police Officer Taking Baby

    I've got my own ideas about what I am comfortable putting online in regard to my family, my friends and my job. What feels right to me, might feel wrong to someone else, or vice versa. However from time to time a situation blows up on the blogosphere and while that blogger's experience may not mirror mine or yours, it may cause us all to reflect on some things about it anyway. Such was the case when a mom in Georgia posted an update on her Facebook page stating she had to promise the Department of Family Services in her county she would stop blogging and vlogging about her children. Initially folks kind of freaked out, I mean, how many of us have blogged or vlogged about children?  Read more >

  6. Chelsea Clinton Got The Interfaith Ceremony I Didn't ... With My Rabbi

    11/11/10 7:18am by Devra Renner
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    Devra's Wedding

    She understood why I wanted it to be a different rabbi with the same name. You see, 20 years ago, I had asked Rabbi Ponet to co-officiate at my wedding, and he told me "No." But he did not do so harshly. In fact, he took me out for coffee at a local cafe bookstore in New Haven and there, at a back table, he explained to me why he would bless my wedding in the basement on High Street (what served as a small Hillel shul of sorts before the Slifka Center existed), attend my wedding, but not officiate at my wedding.  Read more >

  7. You Can Give Somebody a "Good Death" -- It's Okay to Talk About It

    7/31/10 7:07am by Devra Renner
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    Three gravestones

    In my family, death is woven into life, and the dying are inextricably linked to the living, but this isn't the case for every family. I've met lots of people who are uncomfortable when it comes to dealing with illness, death and talking about dying is a taboo. Or for others, it seems like it's such a long way off, why worry?  Read more >

  8. Putting the Oy in Decoy: Politician Suggests Police Pose as Jews To Fight Anti-Semitism in The Netherlands

    7/11/10 7:34am by Devra Renner
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    Jewish Man

    Using a decoy to nab the bad guy (or girl) is a lot like like fishing, you put your lure on the line, wait for the bite, and reel in your catch. Vice cops have been using the decoy method for years. It's nothing new for police to dress up as prostitutes and homeless people in order to fight crime in major metropolitan areas.  Yes, but is it good for the Jews?  Read more >

  9. Not Your Imagination: It Costs More for You to Raise Your Kids Than It Did for Your Parents to Raise You

    6/21/10 12:41pm by Devra Renner
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    Budget

    Unless you are homeschooling on a self-sufficient farm, it probably means the total expense of childrearing  is at 17 percent of your budget right now, as opposed to two percent in 1960.  Read more >

  10. RSVP HERE! DC Area Pre-BlogHer Meetup July 25th! (Please note new DATE!) 7PM La Tasca, Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA

    6/13/10 7:52pm by Devra Renner in Washington DC area Bloggers Comments (54)
    • Discussion

    I've updated the meetup so now this is the first post. Hope this won't be confusing, but I wanted to make sure everyone was aware the meet up will be at 7PM on July 25th at La Tasca in Arlington. The restaurant is metro accessible and they also validate parking.Here is the website for the restaurant: http://www.latascausa.com/site/locations/arlington-va/  The restaurant is giving us "Happy Hour" pricing for beverages, I'm checking on any discounts for food. Will update as I know more.When you arrive at La Tasca, please say you are with "BlogHer"  Read more >

Devra Renner

Full Name
Devra Renner
Member Since
July 2006
About Me: 

I am excited to be a Family CE at BlogHer! My primary blog is www.Parentopia.com/blog . I am an author of the award winning book "Mommy Guilt:Learn to Worry Less, Focus on What Matters Most and Raise Happier Kids"(AMACOM 2005) and the Spanish edition "Mama Culpable"(NORMA) My commentary has been featured in the New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, Babycenter, Parent Magazine, Forward Magazine, AdAge Magazine, ParentDish among others. I've been a Senior consultant for Zero To Three's Military Projects. I am co-founder of Parentopia, LLC a consultation and training firm. An experienced presenter, I speak at conferences and coduct workshops and seminars. I am on the professional advisory panel for PBS Frontline's Digital Nation and have been a featured expert on PBSParents.org. Currently I work as a school social worker in a large public school system. I've created an Anti-Bullying Curriculem based on Marshmallow PEEPs. I kid you not.

Location Tags: 

Washington DC

Employers: 

Zero To Three/Military Projects,BlogHer, Fairfax County Public Schools

School Tags: 

University of Arizona,Tucson,AZ, Grambling State Univeristy,Grambling LA

About Me Tags: 

Parenting,Politics,Women,Children,Guilt,Fathers,Mothers,Motherhood,Parenthood,Fatherhood,Parents

Causes Tags: 

health care,education,affordable day care,family issues,especially military families

Favorite Tags: 

Reading,Writing and I hate math.

Devra Renner's Followers

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