No one is sure exactly when the high school homecoming dance became fall prom, but many suspect it stems from Martha-Stewart-wannabe helicopter moms who wanted to micromanage and bedazzle every element of their children’s existence. […]
An amazing thought-provoking read about fear and fake news from Brett Ullman. “Is it just me or have we lost any basic critical reflection as a society? Many people seem to believe and share anything that comes […]
Get ready. Justin Bieber just outed the Satanists and pedophiles in Hollywood. According to an article from NewsPunch.com, Bieber told a Bible study group that during a music industry party, he was “encouraged to sexually […]
Spoiler alert: Dedication of Confederate monuments and other symbols intensified during the eras of Jim Crow and Civil Rights. America is being crushed in a fight over tons of bronze and granite. The debate over […]
Jack and Rebecca Pearson taught me a valuable lesson about parenting. Thanks to NBC’s “This is Us,” I have learned that no matter what my husband and I do, our children are going to have […]
“The problem with pounding a square peg into a round hole is not that the hammering is hard work. It’s that you’re destroying the peg.” – Paul Collins It looks and feels a lot like […]
My kid is rebelling against religion. She’s not alone. According to a 2007 study from Lifeway Research, 70 percent of young Christians will leave the faith during young adulthood, and only 35 percent of them return. We […]
Nothing is quite as unsettling as a dead deer being dragged through the living room. The year was 1980-something, and my stepdad was not a particularly good deer hunter. However, for what he lacked in […]
I know it’s hard to be a kid today, and I awkwardly discovered I may be part of the problem. Before you get too smug, understand the problem is not the rules you have to […]
And, lo, Not-Jesus found graphic images of the Samaritan woman’s terminated pregnancy and brought them to copy shop so they could be printed out on 5-foot posters. He and Not-Peter then propped them up along […]
First, I have to say that I am not a professional dating/sex/relationship expert. I have, however, had experience with all of the above topics. I also have daughters. One of you recently looked at […]
A guest post by Natalie Thomasmeyer (with Kim Keller) She wakes up with a perfect smile for me, and as it broadens, her eyes glisten with a radiance that takes my breath away. She’s […]
Get your own damn words.* That’s what was probably going through First Lady Michelle Obama’s head as she listened to Melania Trump’s speech Monday evening during the Republican National Convention. Melania, the wife of presumptive […]
The Chamness children attend public schools, but they’ve never taken a standardized test. The state of Texas says they’re supposed to do it, but mom Edy Chamness has refused to subject them to 24 hours […]
Driver’s Ed classes and the official state handbook don’t teach teen drivers everything they need to know about being behind the wheel. Your teen can still get a valid license without knowing a few important safety practices that […]
All of us can all use a little encouragement that rebuilds our strength and fortifies our souls. Here are 23 great quotes that honor perseverance, courage and wisdom: 1) Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than […]
The cancer has returned. Now the stakes are higher. The “what if” questions have been replaced by doctors saying, “We’re going to try.” Family and friends are confused, but they’ve been down this road before […]
A mom in Frisco, Texas recently took to social media asking for punishment suggestions for her second-grade daughter. The little girl earned a B in math, and Mom “didn’t want to send the message that […]
She began the conversation with, “I have concerns…” Nothing good ever follows that preface; there’s never been a phone call conveying the message “I have concerns your parenting skills are causing your children to become […]
The cancer has returned. Now the stakes are higher. The “what if” questions have been replaced by doctors saying, “We’re going to try.” Family and friends are confused, but they’ve been down this road before […]
The culmination of 15 weeks of higher learning is soon to be reflected in the form of a single letter. A, B, C, D or F. As we reach the end of the semester, some […]
Knowing that we matter to someone else is a need we all share, and it brings a sense that we are valued, loved, known, included and wanted. However, sometimes it’s hard to let others know […]
I appeared on Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson’s radio show a few weeks ago to talk about my recent post, “What your friends with depression want you to know, but are afraid to say,” and instead […]
Public relations is having a few relationship problems right now. Our relationships with bloggers are taking a hit because some practitioners are unhappy with the fact many of them won’t work pro bono on clients’ publicity/advertising needs. A recent […]
Kim Keller, the writer behind Real People Activism and Roadkill Goldfish, was voted Outstanding Community Voice Columnist of the Year by readers and other columnists of the Dallas Morning News. Here are a few of […]
People with depression do our best to hide it. We conceal thoughts no one can understand and no one wants to hear. We remain silent even though we feel like crying or screaming. We pretend nothing […]
It wasn’t God’s will. God did not want nine people to die in Roseburg, Oregon. It wasn’t God’s will that a mad man willingly dive headfirst into a searing cauldron of hate and choose to execute his teacher and […]
Some families consider things like school supplies or class fees to be incidental expenses, but the very real costs of sending a child to a public school are putting some kids at a disadvantage. It’s time to […]
It happens too often. And it sucks. You’re minding your own business when some smug Mean Girls start talking trash about you and picking you apart for what they perceive to be your physical flaws. […]
Face the facts, there is no such thing as a “perfect mom.” That’s why it’s so tragic for moms to slam and shame each other over silly differences in parenting styles. Unfortunately, too many of […]
We are four survivors, and our bodies bear the scars of our struggles. One was cut across the throat. Another was sliced through her chest. The third still has an open hole that was once […]
Imagine forgetting how to drive – while you’re in the middle of traffic. Follow that with muscle aches and fatigue – just a few hours after waking up. Lose patches of hair every time your […]
Bridget from cardholder services is stalking me. She calls me two, sometimes three, times day with urgent news about my credit card account. If I hold the line for an operator, I can talk to […]
An 11-year-old boy knew his mom’s birthday was coming up, so he asked her what she’d like to receive as a present. “Make me something from your heart,” she replied. It been a rough year […]
There are five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. One-third of Americans can’t name a single one. The annual “State of the First Amendment” by the Newseum Institute yet again revealed substantial ignorance about the […]
The news and social landscape of the last few weeks have left me a little shell-shocked with so many people screaming at each other, and I simply can’t support the outrage narrative anymore. Half of […]
Nearly one-third of American children have a difficult time celebrating Father’s Day. That’s because they’re growing up without their dads. The most recent figures from Pew Research indicate that in 2010, 27 percent of children […]
Texas students received their STAAR reports earlier this week. It wasn’t good news, especially for elementary and middle school students whose math skills were tested based on the state’s new mathematics curriculum, which requires […]
The ultraconservative American Family Association (AFA) is saying “thank you” to Abercrombie and Fitch and now considers the clothing retailer to be “family friendly.” Wait a minute. What just happened? The lovefest is due to […]
Writing and learning to write are processes. With Common Core, it’s an “all-at-once” approach. It’s like trying to put a roof and siding on a house while the frame is still going up. In a […]
Dear fellow mom, I searched long and hard to find the perfect Mother’s Day card for you, but there was nothing that truly captured the real essence of what you do for your family. The […]
Confession time. I carry around some heavy baggage. But I don’t travel. I have a few emotional suitcases stuffed with feelings about things that have happened to me, and unfortunately, lugging this crap around has […]
April and May are the worst months to be a Texas parent. We’re expected to send our children off to two or more four-hour internments where they are forbidden to move, eat, drink or use […]
Confession time. I have a hard time making friends. Especially with women. Women scare me. I tuned out of the whole estrogen-bonding thing back in high school when I realized dealing with girls involved way […]
Dear Coach, I made a huge mistake by trusting you with my child. I gave you a great kid who LOVED the game and did everything you told him to do, and now this same […]
I guarantee people will find something offensive in this article. Culture is encouraging teen girls to dress and act like sluts. People should be free to practice their religion without government interference. Israel has the […]
Dear Directioners, As a mom, it hurts me to see how upset you are about Zayn leaving the band. I’m sorry you have to go through this. Your heart has been broken, and you really […]
In the long run, these videos and special events are emphasizing a horribly distorted testing system, and kids get the message their value is attached to how they perform on the test. Please stop […]
My daddy died when I was 10-years-old. My father died two weeks ago. Both are the same man. I buried his memory in my heart 35 years ago, and I buried his body just 14 […]
It’s official. We now have research that reveals more and more of us are losing connection with our lives in order to earn likes and social media praise. Aaargh! We all knew this was coming. […]
The tips below have been provided by Roadkill Goldfish readers in response to the original post, What your friends with cancer want you to know, but afraid to say. CHILDHOOD CANCER Shared by Tiffany, the […]
What do you want to be when you grow up? That question was posed to my daughter and other eighth graders at our local middle school’s Career Day program. She and 300 other kids were […]
It’s okay to take photos up middle school girls’ skirts, as long as you do it in a public place. That’s what Oregon judge Eric Butterfield ruled Thursday when 61-year old Patrick Buono was brought […]
It all hit the fan when Christian blogger Veronica Partridge wrote she would no longer wear leggings or yoga pants in public because she learned men check out women wearing leggings or yoga pants in […]
A former anti-Gardasil parent talks about why she changed her mind about giving the vaccine to her children. There’s something about a life-threatening disease that makes you rethink a lot of things. Most often, these […]
Parenting does have its rewards. Please enjoy 60-seconds of my kid making an impassioned plea for cash from the tooth fairy. She had oral surgery just an hour earlier; I filmed and laughed my rear […]
The following post is a guest post from Chris, a teacher in Arkansas. I am printing his first name only because Chris, like many public school teachers, fears reprisal if he publicly speaks out about […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DALLAS – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit today against the Keller family and Santa Claus alleging they violated federal civil rights laws by permitting a hostile work environment […]
I volunteer to take every STAAR test required for Texas’s high school students. Every single one of them. Give me a box of number 2 pencils, a big eraser and a few cans of Red […]
Too many girls want to know how to make boys like them; boys should be wanting to know how to be worthy. Our girls are facing relationships standards that are rougher than we ever imagined, […]
It was a twisted mass of embroidery thread at the bottom of my sewing basket. Thread I hadn’t used in more than 14 years. It reminded me of her. We were sitting on a sofa […]
My son has a tumor in his leg. He had been complaining about pain in his legs for a few months, and I chalked it up to growing pains or shin splints. I finally “found […]
I have a confession. I have no idea what I’m doing with this whole parenting thing, and whatever I’m doing doesn’t seem to be working right now. I want to quit being a mom. There […]
Embed from Getty Images I hate youth sports. Let me rephrase that, I hate the adults involved in youth sports. To be fair, most of the adults are pretty level-headed and see sports as a […]
So, my family was talking about what we would do to survive a zombie apocalypse… This morning. On the way to church. Allow me to explain for a brief second. Yes, we are Christians — […]
A man who hits you once will hit you twice. And then a third time. Even if he begs and pleads, “I don’t know what came over me” or “I promise this will never happen […]
I am one in 62,980. That’s the number of Americans who will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2014. I was diagnosed in April 2014. The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland just beneath your Adam’s […]
It’s time to increase rigor because Texas kids are stupid. That’s the message Texans heard this week from our legislators in Austin. State Education Commissioner Michael Williams came under fire over his decision to […]
Today’s freshmen aren’t told the whole truth about high school and life after graduation. Here are the 8 things they really need to know. My daughter starts high school next week, and she’s already […]
It’s a club no one wants to talk about and no one wants to join. However, more than 1.8 million people from around the globe came together on Roadkill Goldfish to acknowledge their membership, share […]
The message on my phone this afternoon seemed a bit ominous. I had to call David Jenkins at Process Mediation within 48 hours because of “possible litigation against me.” Oh crap. I’ve had run-ins with […]
People with cancer are supposed to be heroic. We fight a disease that terrifies everyone. We are strong because we endure treatments that can feel worse than the actual malignancies. We are brave because our […]
Blogger John Pavlovitz recently wrote a must-read post that tackled the adolescent male sex drive, and it’s a fantastic piece about masculinity, self control, personal responsibility and respect. Here’s an excerpt: Young men, I need […]
How do you help a boy transition to manhood? Some modern dads think a trip to Hooters does the trick, but they’re hindering their sons from becoming real men. When does a boy become a […]
John Green, you owe me a box of Kleenex. Like millions of other chicks, I cried my way through “The Fault in Our Stars” – both the book and movie. Crying doesn’t quite describe it. […]
None of the travel websites include “hang out with a Puerto Rican family” on their “Things to do in New Jersey” lists. Hmm. Maybe they should. I should have warned my husband and kids. We […]
We all know teen pregnancy is a serious issue in our society, and many young people drop out of school because they can’t meet the demands of parenting, studying and supporting a family. Very few […]
Who is responsible for what Elliot Rodger did? The 22-year-old student went on a vengeance-induced rampage last week in a California college town and stabbed three men to death in his apartment, killed two women […]
Hey kids, I’ve got a secret to share with you. Your parents are hiding the truth from you, and it’s best you know before it’s too late. Here it is- Your grandparents are not the […]
Mother Nature is a punk. She lulls me outdoors to see the flowers and feel the breeze on my face – for the sole purpose of loading that breeze with cranium-clogging levels of pollen. She […]
Do you want your Roadkill Goldfish to go? Check out the new take-out menu of podcasts. Some of your favorite Roadkill Goldfish content is currently available as downloadable MP3 files so you can listen at […]
The average American thinks he or she is smarter than the average American. According to a new study by opinion research firm YouGov, 55 percent of Americans feel this way. Only 4 percent say they […]
Common Core. It was supposed to save the American education system and even the playing field for minority students with its promises of consistent guidelines for what every student should know and be able to […]
Kevin Durant wins the award for Best Son EVER for praising his mama during his emotional MVP speech. Here’s just part of his speech: “You made us believe. You kept us off the street. Put […]
Dear fellow mom, I searched long and hard to find the perfect Mother’s Day card for you, but there was nothing that truly captured the real essence of what you do for your family. The […]
Lisa Abeyta’s father has Alzheimer’s Disease, and he has lost his ability to speak. However, the words and emotions flow easily when Lisa’s dog approaches him. The bittersweet clip ends with a poignant reminder from […]
Sci-Fi Deficit Syndrome often has hilarious consequences. Watch what happens when this mom describes the plot of “The Matrix” to her adult son. Get the newest posts from Roadkill Goldfish delivered straight to your […]
He stood before me and gingerly cradled the box. Unwilling to believe my good fortune, I hesitantly walked toward him and tried to peek at the precious items he held with his muscular arms. Those […]
There was one conversation I never wanted to have with my children. The conversation had nothing to do with sex, drugs, drinking, my past or any of the other topics some parents seem to stumble […]
Watch 80-year-old Paddy silence her critics on “Britain’s Got Talent” and prove that it’s never too late to follow your dreams. She put her dancing career on hold to raise a family and tend to […]
How do you calm children down after months of stress and hype over standardized tests? How do you reassure everyone that the scores won’t be used to punish neighborhoods, penalize kids who don’t do well, […]
Are you looking for a way to mortify both moms and their tween daughters? Go bra shopping at your local mall. You’ll find the tween underwear sections filled with underwire, heavily padded and push-up bras […]
Annoying Top 40 songs. Every Saturday morning. With an energetic little girl. What could go wrong? Check out this dad who recorded the parental torture he endured for three months at the hands of a […]
Her sons are 2,000 miles away from her. She’s spent almost three years trying to bring them home, but her boys are trapped in the middle of a nightmarish swamp of red tape. She takes some […]
This post is dedicated to every parent who has ever spent two consecutive hours playing “Barbie Goes to the Ball, But the Prince Doesn’t Like Her Dress” or “GI Joe in Cowboy Gear Versus the […]
I have spent the last several weeks as an activist against standardized testing abuse. Perhaps I should have watched the video below before I started my campaign. If I had, I would have learned that […]
If every trip to Toys-R-Us could end like this… Enjoy 12 seconds of this little guy’s Jedi-infused destruction. Kudos to Dad for making everything an adventure.
Puberty sucks for both parents and adolescents. It’s a clumsy and hormonally-psychotic rite of passage that makes parents pine for toddler tantrums and makes teens look forward to the day they can put their dreadfully […]
I need your help. Okay, it’s more than me. Millions of parents, teachers and children need your help. As you may be aware, I’m not a big fan of standardized testing and corporatization in our […]
This is what happens when you get your man to do your make-up for you – the look is either embalmed corpse or psychotic circus clown. Gotta love these guys for trying. Click the video […]
Copyright 2016 by Kimberly H. Keller and Roadkill Goldfish