All the experts say moms should set aside time for themselves. Meanwhile, we moms - juggling three meals and two snacks a day, plus carpools, sports practices, library books, laundry, homework, housework and maybe even paying work occasionally - roll our eyes and check our schedules on our phones.

But last week it wasn’t only those nebulous “experts” who were after me. Both my dentist and my hair stylist noticed my lack of self-care showing up in their domains. It’s one thing to be scolded by a TV talking head and another to try to defend your crazy life to a person wielding sharp objects at very close range.

And they weren’t the only ones. Recently a professional contact invited me to take part in a 21-day self-care challenge starting today, Oct. 6. I was on the fence until Saturday, when the haircut sealed the deal.

It’s been celebrated on The Oprah Winfrey Show, spotlighted in Entertainment Weekly and now the criticially acclaimed and controversial documentary Waiting For “Superman” is making its debut in St. Louis.

As we all know, many public school systems across the country are in upheaval, threatening the success of today’s children. To put a face – or five faces, in this instance – to this troubling situation, Oscar-winning director Davis Guggenheim introduces viewers to a group of students whose opportunities for achievement are at a crossroads.

A couple of weeks ago my fellow blogger Sharon pondered the question of bullying. She was worried about her daughter, both her potential to be a victim and her potential to be influenced by the “alpha kids” at school. Most of us can relate to her dilemma – and the feelings of helplessness we struggle with as parents.

An interesting Canadian study released this past week looked at bullying from a group standpoint and found that it may be an extreme form of our natural desire for order within social settings. The kids who were victimized tended to be different and thus threaten the established hierarchy. That is, the “alpha kids” – fifth- and sixth-graders in this case – were protecting their status at the expense of the victimized children.

I don’t know about you, but it makes me crazy that the foods offered to my children at their respective schools often seem to undo all of my efforts to make sure they’re eating healthy at home. On any given day, either one of my older children could choose for lunch an order of French fries and a packaged brownie that has so many preservatives in it that I could set it aside and serve it to my future great-grandchildren.
 

I’ve always thought myself to be a pretty mellow sports fan. I love watching sports, I just don’t love it. Going to Busch Stadium for me is really an excuse to eat hot dogs and get a tan. I think the last time I really got passionate – and by passionate, I mean jumping on a table and knocking over a round of beers – over a game was the Illinois-Arizona Elite 8 matchup in 2005.

But when it’s your own kid, you become a fanatic.

As I sat in my lawn chair during my 4-year-old’s first soccer game, I knew I had to keep my emotions in check. While I cheered MJ and her teammates on, I eventually had to clamp my hand over my mouth to stop myself from playing sideline coach or admonishing the referee for failing to eject the dirty-playin’ preschooler who tripped my kid.

To ensure I remain the supportive – not obnoxious – parent in the stands, I turned to Dr. David Shields via e-mail to get his insights on what makes a good sports parent. Shields is an expert in healthy competition – he’s an associate professor in the College of Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, author of True Competition: A Guide to Pursuing Excellence in Sports & Society and founder of TrueCompetition.Org, a nonprofit dedicated to providing the insights, skills and approaches necessary to reclaim competition as a place of excellence, ethics and enjoyment.