It makes me very sad to read Facebook posts saying how someone is “sleep training” their child. They often say how it is harder for them than their child, but they know it is for the best. The child has to “learn” to sleep on their own. I just can’t understand this logic. We do not teach our children to … Read More
Life Happens
Growing up, I was always surprised when friends said they had never been to a funeral. We had a large extended family living near us, so funerals were a part of life. We even had funerals for our pets, and then my brothers and I would make headstones out of cement and rocks in our sand box toys. We once … Read More
Raising A Tomboy Princess
I enjoy having two boys, but I also looked forward to having a daughter. Although it can be hard to remember which baby did what when clearly after 6 years of very little sleep, she seems to be more verbal than her brothers were at this age. Both my boys talked late though. She also is close to walking at … Read More
Supermommy!
Have you always wanted to have superpowers? Well, good news: when you become a mom, you develop superpowers. Enhance sight, smell, and hearing can all be yours for the small price of spending 18+ years caring for another person. When you have your child, you will be able to distinguish their cry from that of other children, even, say, in … Read More
When Things Don’t Go According To My Plan
I always have high expectations for holidays and other special occasions, which also means that they rarely live up to my expectations. Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and, as usual, I was hoping for a perfect day. It didn’t exactly happen like that though. I had visions of a relaxing day with my adoring children. While we did go buy flowers … Read More
Homeschooled Kids Are Weird And Other Myths
There are a few things that homeschooling parents hear all time…how do your kids socialize, how can you teach your child without a teaching degree, how will they learn about the “real world”, etc. These assumptions aren’t true, but people still assume they are. Although I can’t speak for everyone, here is what homeschooling is like for my family, and … Read More
Letting Kids Help In The Kitchen
Today, I was chopping oranges to make marmalade. My 3 year old went and got a plastic knife from his play kitchen and climbed onto a stool to help me cut the oranges. At first, I wasn’t thrilled with the sticky juice he was dripping down the cabinets and onto the floor, but he was having a great time helping. … Read More
5 Tips To Teach Your Kids To Clean Up
Keeping your children’s toys picked up can seem like a full time job. Although there are days when it can seem impossible, it is possible to teach your children to clean up their things themselves. Here are a few things I have learned over the last few years: 1. Have age appropriate expectations. A two year old might start by … Read More
Consequences Of The Birth Order
When I was in college, I learned in my psychology classes how birth order affects your personality, but I always thought of it in terms of myself and my siblings. When I had my first child, I just parented him as well as I could, but I didn’t really think about him being the oldest and how that would affect … Read More
Baby Led Weaning
When my oldest was a baby, I had read about the benefits of making your own baby food, so I made all his food. I puréed fruits, vegetables, and meats and froze them, along with puréeing or mashing up some of our meals for him. He enjoyed his purees and they were great to take with me when we were … Read More