you can always depend on Louis C.K. to tell it like it is when it comes to parenting. (He is, after all, the guy who described children as “buckets of disease that live in your house.” The man just has a way with words.)

C.K. — who writes, directs and stars in the FX hit “Louie” — was at it again Monday, when he opened up to NPR’s Terry Gross about why raising his two daughters outside of a conventional nuclear family has been a positive thing for all involved.

“There is a version of divorced life where you’re partners and you’re both taking care of the kids, the kids are spending equal time with each parent, and there’s balance and there’s harmony between the parents because they’re not married in a bad marriage anymore,” said C.K., who split from painter Alix Bailey in 2008 after four years of marriage.

The 46-year-old comedian said that if anything, the divorce made him a better dad than he had ever been before.

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It’s here – summer. Kids dream of it all year. Often the highlight of the summer for kids and parents is a family vacation. When you’re divorced or separated, family vacations can be more complicated. You’ve got a parenting plan to work around and an ex to deal with. Follow these tips to make sure summer vacations live up to their potential.

Plan Ahead:

In many situations, each parent is entitled to a chunk of uninterrupted vacation time with the child. It’s essential that you coordinate with each other and not make any firm reservations until you’ve cleared the dates with the other parent. The last thing you want to have happen is for both of you to pre-pay for a trip for the same dates. If your ex is being evasive and won’t agree, put your request in writing (keep a copy and send it certified mail) so there can be no confusion. Give him or her several days to respond and if you get no answer, plan your trip.

Read more >> http://mommasaid.net/2010/07/08/parenting-together-apart-9-vacation-tips-for-divorced-parents/

Getting divorced or ending a long-term relationship is considered one of life’s biggest stressors. For parents who separate, these feelings are often intensified by concern over the impact on their child(ren).

How your child experiences the separation and in what ways it impacts him or her largely depends on how you, the parents, handle the process.

If the separation process is handled in a way that provides your child with some degree of reassurance, respect and routine, your child can thrive regardless of the separation. For some children, having one’s parents separate can actually (believe it or not) be a step towards a healthier, happier life—particularly when there has been a climate of disrespect,tension, and fighting between the parents.

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When people think of franchises they often think of large fast food or restaurant chains, hotel chains, and convenience stores such as McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Applebee’s, Wyndham Hotels, and Carrefour. What most people do not realize is that Franchising has been around since the 1850’s and there are thousands of franchise companies in 120 different business categories worldwide ranging from accounting services to health care to shipping companies and more.

Franchising is a way for someone who may not have an idea of his own or a large amount of business experience to get into an already established business for himself by selling someone else’s products using their proven business format. It also provides a business with a method of expansion without a huge outlay of capital.

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