Real. Simple. Parenting.
Thinking about cloth diapering? Wanting to know more? This is the first in a series of posts in which I’ll tell you everything you need to know about CD. See if it might be right for your family – it works for us, and we love it!
I have done both disposables (first kiddo) and cloth diapers (second kiddo), so I feel I have a really balanced, experienced perspective on the good and bad of each. I’ll try to level with you as we go along.
Before I was a mother, I had never changed a diaper. Seriously. And luckily, my infant care class taught me how to change diapers on a plastic baby doll. But when you have a squirming, screaming baby at 2am, threatening to shower you with everything they’ve got left, classes and baby dolls aren’t a whole lot of help. Welcome to trial and error… at its finest. (Or messiest, whatever). Here are my recommendations for products and processes to keep you and Baby clean and happy when using disposable diapers. Look at the end of the article for a bonus video about newborn diaper changing!
Being a mom is hard. Like, really hard. Worthwhile and joyous and life changing, yes. But hard nonetheless.
Being a dad is hard too, damnit. My husband has been working extra hard lately, and he deserves to know how appreciated and loved he is, so I wanted to write this just in time for Valentines Day. Thanks for reading this letter to my husband.
A little backstory: Babe and I met in high school, I was a freshman and dating his best friend. We were on-again-off-again until we decided that resistance was useless, and married in 2008. Since Kid #1 made his debut, our lives have been a beautiful chaotic swirl. Now we sit surrounded by half-full sippy cups, Hot Wheels being batted around by the cat, and burp cloths on every table.
I still love this man. Hell, I love him more now than ever. And nothing screams “jackpot” more than watching him with our children. He is patient, fair, and already has mastered dad jokes. But we never get time to sit and gaze into each other’s eyes, talking peacefully and admiring one another. So, I want to write him a letter.
In today’s world we are surrounded by technology and information at our fingertips. While that is often a good thing, it can quickly feel overwhelming when trying to sift through tons of search results or app options. After putting myself through this frustrating process, I’m proud to say these are the apps and newsletters I rely on for good information. Thanks for checking out my recommendations of apps and newsletters for moms. Please feel free to add others in the “Comments”, too! Continue reading
Attachment parenting: it is the foundation for this entire website, and I have become quite passionate about its advocacy. I wanted my first article to be significant, so I am giving you my definition of this parenting style as well as some other things I have learned over the last few years.
real simple parenting
First, though, I have to tell you something – don’t obsess about finding a name to give your own parenting style. No one is going to stop you on the street and ask “what parenting philosophy do you follow?” I did not even know about attachment parenting until after my first child was born, and I had obsessively read and researched everything when I was pregnant. As cliché as it may sound, I guess you could say that attachment parenting found me. Not the other way around. It’s totally OK to not have a name for what you practice.
I also have a confession. I hate the name “attachment” parenting. I guess it is my educational background that makes me think of a parent hovering around their child, wiping their nose and keeping them from experiencing anything. In the teaching world, we call that “helicopter mom” – and it is definitely a derogatory term. So my initial impression was of a paranoid germaphobic mom and a clingy, emotionally unstable child.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Well here it is – how I brought our son into the world in 2013. This was my first experience with childbirth, and a lot of things did not go the way I wanted. I want to write this article so that you can know what happened to me, and because I might teach you a thing or two before you head into Labor and Delivery, too. Read on for my first labor story.
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They weren’t lying when they said that parenthood is the most challenging, yet most rewarding, thing that you will ever do. I felt so prepared to bring my son home and begin nourishing him, providing him with safety and love and guidance. I had taken all the classes, bought all of the stuff, double checked all of our lists and asked all of our questions. We were as ready as we could be!… or so we thought. Read on for the real honest account of my first two weeks as a mother.
As a new dad, I love spending time with my son whenever I can, but I also have so many things to take care of around the house. We have a swing and a bouncer that I could place him in when I’m doing chores or trying to sneak in a meal for myself, but I hate just leaving him in the corner of the room while I do my things. I thought maybe I could try one of those baby carriers so I could have him close to me as I did my work. Luckily, I found the Infantino Mei Tai baby carrier. And I haven’t looked back.
Congratulations – you’re expecting! What a wonderful feeling. You’re about to embark on the craziest, and most rewarding, journey of your life. To help make sure you’re prepared and confident about the arrival of your little one, we’ve put together a list of the top 10 things to do before Baby arrives.
While there will most certainly be changes in your life which need to be made, this list – like all of my material – is designed to help you have the best quality start for your child’s life. After all, that’s our job as parents, right?
One of the most exciting – and unexpectedly stressful – components about parenthood is picking out the name for your child. It can be extremely exciting and fun to talk with your significant other about all the options, but there are a few things to keep in mind as you make that list. Here are our suggestions for baby names! Continue reading
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