My last child weaned from breastfeeding a few months ago. It was an incredibly significant experience, like a milestone for both child and mother, and one that you can’t really completely prepare for. There is so much going on physically and emotionally that I wanted to write about it for anyone who is going (or will go) through the same thing. Read on for my revelations in weaning my last child and learn about what’s changed, what hasn’t, and how I view my body now that it’s mine again.
Continue readingTag: emotional
We have officially made the decision to not have any more biological children. I need to accept the reality and finality of not having any more kids, and try to look on the bright side. As is my way, I’m expressing my feelings through my raw writing. I hope that this finds someone someday and gives them closure, and I hope that it helps me too. Because I still haven’t come to terms fully with the fact that we will never have more children.
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What does a stay-at-home mom really need? It’s my birthday month, and of course Christmas too, so a few loved ones have been asking me what they can get me. And while my mind can wander with all the ridiculous things I’d buy myself, I’m here to tell you that what a stay-at-home mom really needs can’t be bought in a store. Here’s all of the free and easy ways you can help a SAHM feel valued, loved, and remembered. Continue reading
Mealtime with kids can be fun, or it can be hell. You have a plethora of issues to deal with, from picky eaters to messes. Your kids gotta eat, and you’d like them to grow up somewhat nourished, but sometimes mealtime is not the place for a battle. We have had great luck with some strategies regarding food and our children, and I’m happy to share them with you! Here’s an in-depth, honest look at how we treat meals with kids at our house! Continue reading
I want my children to grow up with a healthy emotional intelligence. Simply put, I want them to have a healthy range of emotions, know the vernacular so that they can express those feelings, and deal with unpleasant feelings in a safe way. That emotional education begins when they are still quite young and must happen regularly. Let me give you some insight into what’s working beautifully for our family! Continue reading
My grandma was hilarious. She was feisty, quick-witted, selfless, and slightly vulgar. She passed away on Pentecost Sunday last year and I miss her all the time. How great it would have been for my kids to get to love her as I did. I wish my kids could have known her. Continue reading
Attachment parenting doesn’t stop when your kid learns to walk. The concept of AP grows as your child does, and you adapt it over time. My oldest is now two and a half, and I’ve put pen to paper in an attempt to show you what AP looks like from a toddler mom’s perspective.
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.
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.
Being the father of a baby that isn’t here yet can feel like you’re sitting on the sideline of the most important game of your life. But just because she’s the one doing all the work in actually carrying your future son or daughter, that doesn’t mean your involvement is not important. Sarah is now in her third trimester and I feel more needed than ever. There are so many things that we can do as husbands that will be much appreciated. Here are my quick and easy tips for how we can be involved as dads. Continue reading
