Yesterday my husband sweetly mentioned he had a secret plan for Sunday, and that I was forbidden to check the mail today, as something special was due to arrive —and only then did I realize that this year, for the first time, I too, am the object of the mother (no pun intended) of all Hallmark … [Read more...]
Who has it easier? Working parents, stay-at-home parents, or work-from-home parents?
List of Polls Next Poll … [Read more...]
Work-Life Balance: Fact or Fiction?
When I decided to have kids, continuing to work full-time too seemed like a no-brainer. All around me, women were having babies and heading back to work with breast pumps concealed as messenger bags, nursing pads secured in their bras, and nary a postpartum bump in the road. They seemed to have no … [Read more...]
Screen Time vs. “Me” Time
Here’s something I’ve realized about myself and parenting: Sometimes, I don’t wanna. Which, y’know, is an inconvenient feeling once you’re a parent, because you kinda lose the option. It's at those times a little voice in my head says I should plop the kids in front of a screen and let them "veg" … [Read more...]
Bedtime Stories: Well Read and Early to Bed
It’s amazing how incredibly intuitive children can be. A perfect example is bedtime. My kids always seem to sense the end of the night is approaching and suddenly become bereft with needs. Thirst, hunger, the desire for an extra-long bath, an urge to play with every toy in their bedroom—all of these … [Read more...]
Prenatal Reading: The Emotional Rewards
Have you ever thought about the emotional benefits you can receive from taking a minute out of your day to sit down and read aloud to your "baby bump"? It might sound silly, but there are many reasons to try it. Emotional Benefits Reading gives you an excuse to put your feet up—a welcome … [Read more...]
Momopoly: Finding the Right Mommy Group
The moment I gave birth, my confidence about who I was faltered; everything seemed scary and lonely. I didn’t have friends with kids and I needed some. I needed women who could assure me that someday nursing would get easier, my c-section scar would stop itching, and I would stop crying—because WOW … [Read more...]
Confessions of a Sleep-Deprived Mom
The funny thing about sleep is that no matter if your child is 16 months or 16 years, you are always worrying about whether your progeny is getting enough sleep. Why? Because if they aren’t sleeping, neither are you. The 8th Deadly Sin My kids are teens now, but some things never change. … [Read more...]
5 Reasons to Read to Your Baby
You wouldn’t wait until your baby started forming words and sentences before talking to him or her—so why hold off on introducing the joys of reading to your little one? The benefits of reading to children have been proven by hundreds of studies led by education experts. Although most of the … [Read more...]
Ditching the New-Mom Guilt
I like lists. They give me the feeling (or maybe the illusion?) of being in control. Buy milk? Check. Get the oil changed? Check. But after I had my son, lists gave me another feeling—guilt. Mission: Unaccomplished Pre-baby, I had planned to do all sorts of things with him while he was … [Read more...]