Maya Hope's Mom
Diana Dull Akers is a Parenting Guru for Yahoo Shine where she enjoys sharing observations and lessons learned raising her adopted daughter, Maya, age 4. A self-defined late bloomer to love, marriage, housing purchases and parenting, Diana enjoys writing from her life-over-50 vantage point.
Diana developed her sociological imagination while earning her PhD in Sociology from the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC). After teaching Sociology and Gender Studies for several years, she has since worked as an applied sociologist and researcher for a California based social and behavioral science research firm.
Diana s formal areas of expertise include social and behavioral aspects of health and prevention, families, aging, sexual health and social psychology.
In other areas, Diana relishes being a not-so-closeted foodie, inspired by a two-year stint in a humble culinary program in the early 1980s. She maintains her love for cooking, baking, the Food Network and scrutinizing restaurants in obsessive detail. These days she s busy showing her daughter how to roll snickerdoodles and integrating her garden s bounty into Italian family recipes.
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Diana developed her sociological imagination while earning her PhD in Sociology from the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC). After teaching Sociology and Gender Studies for several years, she has since worked as an applied sociologist and researcher for a California based social and behavioral science research firm.
Diana s formal areas of expertise include social and behavioral aspects of health and prevention, families, aging, sexual health and social psychology.
In other areas, Diana relishes being a not-so-closeted foodie, inspired by a two-year stint in a humble culinary program in the early 1980s. She maintains her love for cooking, baking, the Food Network and scrutinizing restaurants in obsessive detail. These days she s busy showing her daughter how to roll snickerdoodles and integrating her garden s bounty into Italian family recipes.
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Education/Experience
PhD, Sociology (1995)Interests
Parenting, family, adoption, life over 50, sociology, sexual health issues, aging, health and prevention, cooking, baking, food/restaurant trends, planning budget-friendly family activities, vacations and kid partiesMotto
Never be afraid to ask questions or share fledgling ideas.Affiliations
Yahoo Shine Parenting GuruFavorites
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Displaying Results 1 - 49 (of 49) for All Content
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Parenting Guru: Then and Now - 5 Things My Parents Did that I Will AvoidIn every generation, parents pass on love and set examples for children. The author explores how, as an adult, she has weighed certain examples her parent set and opted not to repeat them with her own child. -
Parenting Guru: When Putting Our Needs Second is DumbWhen a cancer scare follows a long deferred medical screening appointment, this mom realizes the faulty logic of always putting our kids' needs first. -
Parenting Guru: New Year's Resolutions from a Diabetic MommyAfter needing to start insulin injections, this diabetic mother reflects on obstacles and progress on the path towards healthier living. -
Parenting Guru: Seeking simple joys in 2013Post the hustle-bustle of the holidays, a New Years day family beach walks reminds the author that the simple joys are the memories that sustain families throughout the year. -
Parenting Guru: Teaching children gratitude versus guiltCan we teach our kids lessons about gratitude without a message that we should feel guilty for what we have? The author explores her childhood lessons about gratitude and considers how to instill a sense of gratitude in her daughter as well. -
Parenting Guru: Halloween costume repeat - Vampira meets MeridaA mommy wants her daughter in a unique Halloween costume each year; her daughter wants to repeat a favorite. Creative compromises add up to fun and unique costumes. -
Parenting Guru: The joy of the 5-minute clubhouseAfter her daughter asks her a poignant question, this mom sets out to put a smile on her child's face by creating a five-minute clubhouse that they can play in together. -
Can 5 year olds and 79 year olds enjoy the same outing?How do you plan a day trip for an energetic 5 year old and her 79-year-old grandmother so that everyone's needs and interests are met? This author found a unique San Francisco-based land and sea excursion that pleased young and old alike. -
Parenting Guru: I nominate my husband for the leap of faith awardWhen they met he expressed no desire to marry a second time, or to be a father. He changed his mind about marriage with a happy outcome between them, but the author truly admires the leap of faith her husband took as he opened his heart to parenthood -
Parenting Guru: My daughter's first mansionThe author and her daughter dress up for a visit to an historic estate with home and gardens that delight and fuel a little girl's imagination. -
Parenting Guru: Aiming for a feeling over fashionThe author reflects on her desire to get very dressed up for her anniversary night out, only to be challenged by kiddie parties, chores, and a clock countdown. In the end, she sets out to achieve a feeling versus a fashion statement. -
Parenting Guru – What’s up with kids sucking on their hair?What's a parent to do when their kid sucks on their hair from morning until bedtime? How do you run a comb through the sticky clumps? Is hair-sucking just a phase? Frustrated moms want to know.Also published on: -
Parenting Guru: Rule 17 – Singing at the table is encouragedThe author reflects on the household rules of her childhood, particularly some of the strict rules by her retired Marine father. Why was one rule "no singing at the table?" The logic behind the rule, then and now, is considered. -
National Grandparents Day: Generation 1.0 and 2.0 GrandmaThis daughter admires and thanks her Mom who stepped up to the call of Grandma duty at two distinct times in her life. Though tired and less able to chase grandkids at 79, she's still got what it takes. -
Parenting Guru: Preparing mommy for schoolAs her daughter graduates pre-school and kindergarten looms, this mom reflects on the importance of transitions, rituals, and taking time to slow down and connect before the new school year begins. -
Parenting Guru: Couch potatoes and rug spuds, oh my!The author explores the irony of being a health writer and always sitting, challenges balancing work and family time with diabetes management goals, and competing pulls between power walk needs and strolls with her daughter.Also published on:
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Parenting Guru: Road trip flashbacks -- Were our parents trying to kill us?Reflecting on childhood road trips some 40 years ago, the author reflects on the ways her otherwise loving parents took some questionable steps behind the wheel.Also published on:
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Parenting Guru: Summer sense-abilitiesKids can learn about the seasons and their senses when parents follow their noses, considering favorite scents when planning summer activities.
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Parenting Guru: Negotiating friendships: It’s a jungle gym out thereWhile visiting her niece's kindergarten playground with her own kindergarten-bound daughter, this mom observes the drama that unfolds as one girl creates a scene, acts mean, and ultimately learns a lesson in kindness.
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A Lassie Named PearlA St. Patrick's Day limerick for all creative cooks.
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She cut off her doll's hair!Beautiful dolls with beautiful hair attract so many little girls -- who then turn around and lop their hair off. Could this be love after all?
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Parenting Guru: Swim lessons, life lessonsA swim class where kids earn ribbons for individually paced achievements sounds good, but the author examines what it means when kids still view their progress in comparative fashion.
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The nursemaid you don't want to knowAfter the first mysterious experience with their young daughter favoring her painful arm, these parents learn about a common childhood injury called "nursemaid's elbow."
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Parenting Guru: Torn between two first lovesThis mommy watches with surprise as her four year old navigates the first-love challenge of two boyfriends.
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Parenting Guru: When the whole family says "aloha au la 'oe"A long anticipated, carefully planned island anniversary trip ends up being most memorable for the family moments that weren't planned.
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Parenting Guru - Messiness is RelativeThe other night I told my four-year old daughter that dinner would be ready soon and it was time to pick up her toys.
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Parenting Guru: Costume Envy (What Would Freud Say?)Paging Dr. Freud. I'm ready to admit something. I've suffered from "costume envy" my whole life.
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Parenting Guru: This Says Summer To MeSummer happiness this year was seeing my daughter in her swimsuit, hunkered down by the lake's edge to feel the water lapping at her toes, digging for treasures with her trusty shovel and pail. When it comes to summer, kids seem to understand that exploring the world at their feet can be the best vi
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A Giants' Fan/Mom's Reminder to Commentator Mike KrukowAfter San Francisco Giants' sports commentator Mike Krukow concludes that a bench-clearing baseball brawl may be what the losing-streak Giants need to feel like a team again, this mom wonders about the message being sent to fans, especially kids.
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Don't Hate Me Because I Loved a MopedWhile my favorite motorcycle was technically a moped, she still offered a sweet ride and some big help when trouble brewed.
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Do you and your child have a secret handshake?After her 4-year-old daughter expressed an interest in creating a mother/daughter secret handshake, the potential benefits of this simple ritual for both mom and daughter soon became clear.
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Parenting Guru: Muddy hills, banana slugs and raccoons, oh my!While we're huge fans of Disneyland vacations, three visits have led to our daughter's obsession with the place. We want to show her that family fun can involve relatively affordable days and nights communing with nature, without a theme ride, hotel or souvenir store in sight. A family camping trip
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Parenting Guru: My Mother's Day Wish -- To Be Around for My DaughterThere's a lot of hustle and bustle going on this week around Mother's Day. I'm racing to get cards and gifts for all the Moms in my life, planning visits with Grandmas and the like. Yet this morning I found myself focused on what I really want for Mother's Day:
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Parenting Guru: Bringing Italy to MomMy mother dreamed of traveling to Italy since she was a small girl. She grew up in a bilingual household with Italian parents and Nona who spoke no English. Her childhood was filled with the scents and tastes of regional dishes from Northern Italy, and the sounds of Italian arias and Neapolitan folk
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Parenting Guru - Avoiding Teeth Nightmares & Embracing Tooth FairiesWhen invited to write about our parenting experiences around the tooth fairy scene, my first thought was "I have nothing to say yet. Maya's teeth haven't started wiggling."
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Parenting Guru: My top thumbs down/thumbs up parenting moments of 2010New Years typically inspires people to reflect on the year just passed. This holiday I found myself reflecting on two kinds of parenting moments that left an impression on me: 1) those moments that make you flinch, wince, or basically give yourself a big thumbs down, and 2) those moments that leave
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User post: To Santa Pic or Not To Santa PicI did it. Again. I swore I wouldn't. I promised myself for the second year of my three year-old daughter's life that if she didn't want to sit on Santa's lap, she was not going to sit on Santa's lap.Here's this year's pic. Gawd. Tell me I'm not one of those Moms.
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Parenting Guru: Dancing the Holiday/Birthday MamboI have always felt a little sorry for people with December birthdays. A day that should be special for the individual too often takes a back seat to the hustle and bustle of the holidays.
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Food Issues? At Thanksgiving?With family and food being two of my favorite things in life, it figures that I love Thanksgiving. Yet every year at this time, I realize anew that I have issues -- food issues, to be exact -- with this holiday. Here are the main ones (there's more, but I'll spare you):
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User post: When the stand-in-mom alarm soundsThis morning on the way to work, I passed two boys -- I'm guessing 8 and 10 -- with their bikes on the sidewalk. The younger boy was flat on the ground with his toppled bike, crying. The other was standing over him, talking into a cell phone, looking completely rattled.I drove past them slowly, hesi
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Parenting Guru: Is Thanksgiving about Happy Things?Every Thursday at my house is "Maya and Mommy day," the day when my daughter and I are excused from the rigors of preschool and work, respectively. We make the most of it, playing, baking, exploring, and talking -- a lot. These Thursday conversations often get me thinking. Today was no exception.
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The Happiness Tree?The Crape Myrtle is one of my favorite trees, so I am pleased that one graces the front yard of our home. It has a full crown of green leaves and lush fuchsia blooms during spring and summer. It follows up each autumn with a fiery fall display. In winter, even the bare branches look interesting agai
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What's wrong with blue shoes?I don't claim to be a fashion maven. If you see my "Mother of a 3-year old" ensemble on any given day, that point will be self-evident. Nor am I normally neurotic about how my three-year old daughter should dress, either. Yet this morning, I found myself in a ridiculous debate with Maya about her ch